[DML] re: Stainless Screws

["Dave Swingle" <dswingle@xxxx>]

Stian wrote:
>Its really ridiculous that the car originally came with screws that
>eventually will rust. Many screws on the car are black but underneath the
>screws are regular (Read: rusty)

During all of the rebuilding that I have done, primarily around the front
end, I have been replacing most of the hardware with stainless equivalents.
I've been able to buy 95% of it from the local Ace Hardware store. There
were a few odd parts (gas tank closing plate screws for one) I had to get
from an outfit you can reach at www.totallystainless.com . Totally Stainless
is primarily aimed at the hot-rod-builder trade, but the guy on the phone
was somewhat amused at what I was buying all this stainless hardware for.

3 THINGS to be careful of:

1 - Any stainless hardware that you screw into aluminum (like all of the
body rivnuts) MUST be coated with anti-sieze compound if you EVER expect to
get it apart again. SS and AL form a great chemical weld after a period of
exposure to moisture. This is actually good practice for most all fasteners
with a few exceptions.

2 - If you start changing load-bearing items like suspension bolts, be sure
to maintain the strength rating of the bolts. Most hardware store fasteners
are not particularly heavy duty.

3 - Many of the screws on the DeLorean use Nyloc nuts. Do not replace these
with plain nuts. Nyloc nuts are also available in stainless.

Totally Stainless has a great catalog available that goes through these and
other issues.