Post to the EFV-8 Forum
Post Classified Ads
Shop the Online Store

User Login

Not Registered Yet? Click Here to Sign Up!

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

FORUM RULES: Users agree to these Rules when using Forum.

The site administrator reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of the user agreement without prior notice to the user. It is the responsibility of the user to regularly review the terms of this agreement.

The user agrees to the following terms:

All information that you provide to us for your membership is correct.
You will not use your membership to spam, harrass, or exploit other members in any way.
Vulgar, Abusive, Racist and Sexist Language will not be tolerated.
Commercial-type sales postings will not be allowed.
No mass posting or flooding of the boards is allowed.
No Advertising of parts or cars; no Ebay or business/commercial ads (please use the "Classified" for ads Wanted or For Sale).
VIEWING MULTIPLE TOPICS ON SCREEN: You can choose to see more than 10 Topics at a time ... Log In and choose "Preferences" from the top bar on the Forum page. Scroll down and Change the "Default Topics Returned" parameter to 25 or 50, and save the changes. Since this setting is stored in your browser 'cookies' (if enabled), it seems to use that stored value even if you are not logged in. So, if you use a PC that you haven't logged into the forum from, the setting still seem to remain at the default.
EXTERNAL PHOTO LINKS ON FORUM: You can still use external photo links in your posts on the new forum. They follow the rules of any link in that they have to have the URL link qualified down to the full image file name (example: .jpg). The links will open in a new browser window, the same as an uploaded image attached to a post. Since an image attachment to any post does not display inline with the post, the results are the same. You can use multiple external links within a post. This link is from photos on a site from Don Clink's 'Deuce@75' albums:

http://donclink.com/deuce_75_1/images/dscn2950.jpg

Using links from photo sites such as Photobucket can help in "size" issue with uploaded attachment files. For best viewing in web browsers, photos should be around the 800x600 pixel range, and probably not more than 1024x768. Most cameras today store HUGE jpg image files, as the default settings are in the 7, 8, 10, and 12Mb image sizes. The image files that are then attached are very large, and the browser can't display the full image size without using the scroll bars. Use the re-sizing functions of your photo editing software to reduce the image to 800x600, which reduces the file sixe and the image load time in the browser. Don uses Google's free Picassa3 software, which is an excellent photo management product. All of the photo albums of the Deuce, Grand National, and Auburn that are links on the NORG site were built using Picassa's web creation functions. And it's free? (THANKS to Don Clink for the info!)
HOW DO I SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH MY USERNAME? You can LogIn on the Forum, and select PREFERENCES. On this page Members can add optional information such as their City,State, Country; Occupation; Hobbies: list a Homepage; list AOL Instant Messanger Handle; Signature; "Make Email Address viewable to others;" and even change the number of Default Topics shown on a page. WHEN others click on your profile, they will see this information.

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Drive Nails

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion

<< previous || next >>

Posted By

Discussion Topic: Drive Nails -- page: 1 2

bo8109b

02-08-2012 @ 2:17 PM

reply profile send p.m.

New Member
Posts: 179
Joined: Nov 2009

How did the factory install those hardened drive nails? Was there force enough to actually penetrate the metal or was there a pilot hole drilled ahead of it?

supereal

02-08-2012 @ 4:06 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009

What are you working on? Nails were common in the early, T and A days, but are used only on some interiors since then.

Stroker

02-08-2012 @ 5:36 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 1460
Joined: Oct 2009

If you are talking about the round-headed drive nails that were used to install such things as data plates to the firewalls, these were not pointed, but had a square tip. There were pilot holes stamped in the metal that were bigger than the tip, but smaller than the "flutes" on the nail.

bo8109b

02-08-2012 @ 8:29 PM

reply profile send p.m.

New Member
Posts: 179
Joined: Nov 2009

I'm working on a '48 merc convert that had drive nails holding on the windlace. Couldn't withdraw them. Used a cutting wheel.

supereal

02-08-2012 @ 9:25 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009

When I restored my '47 Ford convertible the windlace wasn't nailed on. The only nails were used on the wooden top well.

doning

02-09-2012 @ 2:55 AM

reply profile send p.m.

New Member
Posts: 158
Joined: Nov 2009

Ya, he's right. I have a 37 and I had small little nails holding the cloth vertical trim on my fordor that's between both doors in the inside. They were a real %$#@% to get back on!

42wagon

02-09-2012 @ 3:30 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 584
Joined: Oct 2009

On my 42 wagon I found those drive nails holding the wind lace to the metal front door pillars. I also found some sort of very heavy staples holding the welting to sheet metal parts of the front clip so the guys assembling it only had to position the piece and not fuss with the welting.

Back to your main question, I think there might have been pilot holes or else they used some sort of tool that clamped the pillar as I so no distortion in the pillar as you might expect if the nails were just hammered in. If you notice the nails have a spiral to the outside and are tapered. If you can grab the head with a vice grips and give them a twist they will come right out.

trjford8

02-09-2012 @ 7:44 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 4215
Joined: Oct 2009

42 wagon is correct. If you can grab the head of the nail with vice grips you can twist them out. When they go in they have a right hand twist to the spiral. Twist them to the left and they will back out. They were made of extremely hard metal. I don't know if there was a pilot hole or not. I always supected they were put in with some sort of pneumatic impact gun. The staples for windlace, felt window strips, etc., were obviously put in with a pneumatic stapler.
Just for info I replace those drive nails used inthe windlace with pop rivets. You can get pop rivets with larger diameter heads that easily hold the windlace material. As Bob says, once the windlace is covered by the kickpanel no one knows that you used pop rivets.

This message was edited by trjford8 on 2-9-12 @ 7:16 PM

fomocoloco

02-09-2012 @ 8:06 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 85
Joined: Jun 2010

I used a common tack puller on most of those pesky little rivet/drive nails.

weezer

40guy

02-09-2012 @ 8:16 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 270
Joined: Oct 2009

They also hold the windlace on a '40. When I did mine , I replaced the drive nails with small sheet metal screws. Once the windlace, kick panel, and kick panel retainer is in place they are not seen anyway.

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

Merchandise Questions

Membership Questions