GETTING ANGRY!! DARN BOLTS!!

[69charger440]

First off I am working on a 69 charger! It seems that all the important bolts I am trying to take out are breaking on me  The bolts that hold the back drivers window both broke off. So where can I get those and is it pretty easy to take out the rear window guts? Also the four studs that hold the Grille bracket assembly, two of those  broke off! Can I get new ones and out them in?! Stripping this car for body work is killing me! I am just tired of breaking bolts! Do they sell a hardware kit for a 69 charger??? I am guessing nobody does!

Also do I have to pull the rear window guts if I am replacing both rear quarter panel???

Thanks

[Long Island RT]

Most grill bolts/kits can be found on ebay - check this one out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120270518969&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

As for the rear windows - I too snapped 2 bolts trying to remove them.  If your replacing the Quarters than its real easy to remove the mechanisms when the quarter panel is off.  It can still be done while they're on - but it's a little tricky. Get yourself a rebuild kit - R/T specialties carries them.  As for the bolts - I drilled out the aluminum and put in helicoils - pretty cheap and easy when the mechanism is out of the car.  I just used a standard stainless bolt with a fender washer and thin rubber washers from a hardware store.

Once you clean everything up and reassembly and grease it all down - Those puppy's work better than new.

[Ryan]

FYI those grill bolt kits suck, the bolts are no where near correct.

[Long Island RT]

Good to know.  So much for the CONCOURSE statement...
I'll remove this from my ebay wanted list.

What about these?  The bolts look different?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370238669207&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[69charger440]

Well I ave the bolt to assembly the grill. But I broke the bolts that hold the grill assembly to the metal that is behind the headlights. There a two studs that go through the sheet metal on each side of the car behind the headlights.

[Hemidog]

It think that is pretty common, my grille wasn't even attached there, and the bolts was bent backwards and missing a piece.

[twodko]

Mine were rusty too and even with copious amounts of Blaster I lost a couple.
Buy a set of bolts/retainer clips from R/T Specialties, they fit and look great. Won't stand up to a concoures inspection because the heads are a little larger but they're nice. Good luck.

Tom

PS I spent 2+ years in Brunswick...I never want to smell a paper pulp mill again!

[69charger440]

Its not my grille bolts! I wish i had pictures of the car with the whole grill assembly removed. There are to holes that go through the inner fender metal.

[Hemidog]

I was talking about these ones:

[twodko]

OK, I got it now. Again, I had very similar problems getting my grill out. Those four frickin' bolts are covered with undercoating as you've discovered. The issue is if you really wrench on them the nuts can't over come the undercoating and bolts break. Its especially nasty because the bolts are an integral part of the grille frame...if you break them its "drill them out" time and possibly some TIG welding to repair the torn metal on the grille frame ears. After I used every bad word I learned in the Navy I finally enjoyed a moment of clarity and used some Blaster and a small Harbor Freight wire brush to clean the threads of all undercoating. Then, like a gift from the mopar gods, the nuts came right off. This probably doesn't help you now but I hope you're having better luck with them. Cheers.

Tom

[69charger440]

Yep, those are the bolts. Where can I get some new ones!!! They just Make me mad!!!   

[TylerCharger69]

during the dismantling process of a car.....If you don't break any bolts at all.....You have to be one of the luckiest people alive....If I had a quarter for every bolt I ever broke!!!!   I remember breaking the head of one of the big, bumper bracket bolts that connects to te subframe....That took a while to extract the remnants!!!

[Silver R/T]

FYI those grill bolt kits suck, the bolts are no where near correct.

have to agree, I used a kit on my grille and bolts were too short.

[twodko]

The only option I can see is to drill out the broken studs, find similar bolts the same length and size preferably SS. Mount the grille assembly on the car and slip the bolts through the grille frame "ears", the inner fender well and secure it with a washer and nut.
I don't know of any source for those factory studs. Good Luck

Tom

[69charger440]

Well, Thanks yo all I will have to figure out something.!! Shouldn't be to hard!