What to rivet, and where to rivet it?

[DanielB]

OK Chris, I'm confused here.

I was told this:

"Daniel Daniel Daniel, it is not OK to use pop rivets to attach the shell to the C channel. They don't havr the shear strength that solid rivets have plus they have a hole in the middle from the mandrel. You might as well drill the shell full of holes and use duct tape to attach the shell."

On another thread I read:

"The banana wraps and the side wraps of the belly pan are pop riveted to the shell underneath the lower beltline trim."

So the shell is riveted to the C channel with buck rivets, then the shell is riveted to the side wraps with pop rivets?

[wasagachris]

Daniel the Buck or solid rivets are needed to attach the shell to the c channel. That is the main connection point between the shell and the frame/floor combo.
The wraps are light and are essentially trim pieces so pop rivets can be used.
Pre 68 I think the wraps were under the shell and on our vintage the wraps are on top of the shell. The assembly order from inside out is this: C channel, shell, soild rivets, wraps, pop rivets, lower beltline trim, pop rivets.
I used Vulkem in between the c channel and the shell and again between the shell and the wraps and finally between the lower beltline trim and the wraps. Every rivet hole either solid or pop was injected with vulkem as well. As a final sealing the top edge of the lower beltline trim was sealed with Parbond sealer.

[DanielB]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was hoping that wasn't the case.
I just can't bring myself to put the side wraps on the outside of the shell.

[wasagachris]

Daniel since you made your own side wraps they should be long enough to fit up under the shell. It would be better, then any water running off the shell goes over the wraps and falls to the ground and not into the belly like it would if the wraps are over the shell. The only drawback is that if you ever need to remove the wraps again they are trapped under the shell.

[DanielB]

And it means buck riveting through three layers of aluminum instead of two. I'll have to make it work somehow.

[barts]

Originally Posted by DanielB

And it means buck riveting through three layers of aluminum instead of two. I'll have to make it work somehow.

We just buck riveted a replacement front window into the Tin Pickle; much of that was three layers (.230 or so)... no problems at all. Just need the right length rivets .

- Bart