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Radiator Cap, Small Rivet vs Large Rivet

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69bfan

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Can anyone give me any insight in what time frame that Chrysler transition from the small rivet to large rivet for the radiator caps? From my understanding, it was very early into the 70 model production run. With that said, has anyone documented a late 69 car with the large rivet cap or a 70 model car with the small rivet cap.

The reason that I am asking is that we have gotten the small rivet style cap back into stock and just wanting to label them properly. Secondly, on the large rivet style cap, I can source them with or without the SMCO stamped into the cap. Does anyone have an original cap that they can verify the time frame and what was stamped into the cap.

Attached is a picture of the small rivet cap, November 68 production.

Thanks for the help and insight.

NOS_Radiator_Cap.jpg
 
Last edited:
"November 69 production" or did you mean '68 Richard? If they were producing the small rivet in November of '69 they'd be on the '70 model year including my November built Bird... and then I'd need 3 of those caps instead of 2! LOL
 
Wayne, thanks for catching my goof. I have edited my post to reflect the November of 68 production date for a 69 model year.
 
@GOLDMYN, any ideal on how far back that did the cap go? I have been told that some of the 62 to 65 applications were 14 pounds of pressure.
 
sorry, I don't. I use the one in the pix for car shows, otherwise I have a regular slant cap.
 
Here is a picture of the reproductions that we have now available. I need to research the part number, but the 65 and prior part numbers can be an issue on what I have discovered in the years past working on other projects. Even though the part number carried on for years, the actual part may differ in appearance. Especially with assembly line correctness as compared to over the counter replacement parts.

Radiator Cap_69_B.jpg
 
Richard,
Here is a picture of an original, factory line, radiator cap off of a survivor '70 GTX with a scheduled build date of 12/16/69. This car was bought new by the current owner, driven for 2 years then parked and put up on blocks and hasn't moved since. He bought a new GTO when he parked the GTX and did the same thing with the GTO. @69bfan

IMG_2335.JPG
 
Rick, that is absolutely the kind of information that I was looking for. I know that different plants and inventory levels may deviate, but at least your information validates that it is possible that up through December of 69 that they were using this style of cap. Thanks very much for that information.

I also looked at some pictures of a 64 Plymouth Max Wedge and it appears that it uses the small rivet cap as well. Not sure of the production date of the car, but that opens the window from 64 to 70 at this time.

I have never seen one of the small rivet caps on a 71 model car, but this helps to confirm that they were used up into the 70 model year.
 
Glad I could be of some help. I also have some pictures here that I took at the Mopar Nats in '97. The pictures are of a burnt orange survivor '70 GTX, it was a big deal at the time, in the magazines and such. The story was that it was completely untouched when it was found, everything was still factory original even down to the tune up parts. The pictures were taken with a disposable camera, remember those, so they're not the best quality and I didn't take any pictures specifically of the radiator cap, but, I can see the cap in a couple of the pictures and it appears to have the small rivet, the cap looks exactly the same as the one that I posted above. I, of course, don't know the scheduled build date on the car but maybe someone here knows something about it and can chime in or perhaps someone has some of the Mopar magazines from around that time that may have pictures of that car and some more info on it. But that appears to be 2 '70 survivor cars that had the small rivet cap.

If any of the members here have old Mopar magazines from 1997 could you check them to see if there are any pictures of the burnt orange survivor '70 GTX that I was referring to?
 
Rick,
I remember the 70 GTX. I believe that the guy who bought the car was out of the Indiana or Illinois area. When I saw it, it was being shown in the Mel Majors Survivors tent at The Nats, no telling where the car is at now. There is the blue 70 Six Pack GTX that the family, Harry Carlason?, has owned since day one. I will have to make a walk through at the Carlisle Survivor tent in July to see if I can collect any more information.

I posted a similar question over on the E-Body.org site to see if I could get any feedback. Over 100 views and no response. I cannot see them using a different cap for the E-Bodies vs the B-Body applications going into the 70 model year.
 
Yes, that GTX was in the survivor tent, it was an awesome car. It seems like it just fell off the face of the planet after that year, I wonder what happened to it. Hopefully, you can come up with some good info at Carlisle.

Agreed on the E-body's there would be no reason, that I can think of, to use a different cap and from a factory standpoint it would make the most fiscal sense. What are your thoughts on the A & C body's? It would be nice if someone with a survivor '71 would chime in on this just to see what they had to say.
 
69bfan said:
Here is a picture of the reproductions that we have now available. I need to research the part number, but the 65 and prior part numbers can be an issue on what I have discovered in the years past working on other projects. Even though the part number carried on for years, the actual part may differ in appearance. Especially with assembly line correctness as compared to over the counter replacement parts.

View attachment 1079068
Click to expand...

This may seem like a foolish question. Do you offer a restoration service. I'd like to get my original (w/patina) rubber replaced?
DSC05734.JPG
 
Rick,
No telling on the GTX whereabouts. Probably sitting in someone's collection. There is still a lots of cars out there that are under the radar.

I have not looked into the A or C-Body applications. I need to check my parts books to see if the same part number crosses over to the different body styles and engine configurations.

Even if the same part number shows up through the various years, body styles and engine combinations does not mean that there could be different styles of the cap due to vendor availability. Just like other "wear" items, the assembly line cap very possibly may differ from the over the counter piece. Thus the questions on what is documented as being original to the car.

Thanks for your thoughts and contributions.
Richard
 
@GOLDMYN, we manufacture a large number of rubber seals and gaskets but not this piece. I looked at one of the caps and the tubular rivet is right at one inch long. Most of the rivets that are out there are one half inch or less in length, so it would be a "custom" rivet which would make it financially very costly to do for such a limited number of jobs.

I would think that a person could take a small sponge or paint brush and apply an acidic solution to the face of the new cap and allow the solution to remove the zinc plating. That way, your not immersing the entire cap into the solution which would probably damage the rubber seal and rings under the spring. Once the plating is removed to the desired level, place a coating of RPM or clear to preserve the finish.

Just my thoughts, good luck.
Richard
 
@khryslerkid, thanks for the information. I wonder what the 14 pound cap looks like? Is it basically the same cap with a different spring pressure with 14 stamped into the ear or is completely different?

From @GOLDMYN post, the 65 application uses the 16 pound small rivet as he posted his original. Possibly different ratings as a 64 Max Wedge factory photo shows what appears to be the small rivet cap.

Just more investigative work to be done.
 
69bfan said:
@GOLDMYN, we manufacture a large number of rubber seals and gaskets but not this piece. I looked at one of the caps and the tubular rivet is right at one inch long. Most of the rivets that are out there are one half inch or less in length, so it would be a "custom" rivet which would make it financially very costly to do for such a limited number of jobs.

I would think that a person could take a small sponge or paint brush and apply an acidic solution to the face of the new cap and allow the solution to remove the zinc plating. That way, your not immersing the entire cap into the solution which would probably damage the rubber seal and rings under the spring. Once the plating is removed to the desired level, place a coating of RPM or clear to preserve the finish.

Just my thoughts, good luck.
Richard
Click to expand...


Ok, thanks for your time.
 
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