69 cutlass vert. 4 trunk bolts and two bolts under front doors all spun. any suggestions on how to repair. should I go in from the top or bottom? The bolt heads have been drilled and the body is free from the frame.

PS. I hate rust.

BB

 

I usually just grind the bolt head off with a 4-1/2" grinder. Then deal with what's left later. That's if you have room to get the grinder disc to it.

Don

 

I cut a tab from the trunk sheetmetal from the top - same for ones by the doors. I replaced my floors anyway, so it was easy, but if you are keeping original floors, just cut 3 sides of a square and bend it up to access. Cut it out, sandblast and weld in new cage nut assembly (available from YearOne - let me know if you need part#). Then bend square tab down and weld in place. I was always scared of welding, but I bought a cheap wirefeed fluxcore and it has been invaluable versus trying to rivet things in.

 

Don, I'm already past the grinding off of the head.


Oldsconv, how big of a square did you cut? And will any grade 8 cage nut work as long as its the same as the bolt of course.

thanks BB

 

Not sure if my reply went thru the other day. Square hole is around 2 inch, but whatever size you need to access the recessed area where the cage nut is. Clean it up, sandblast and weld in a new cage nut. To clarify your question about grade 8, etc. The "cage nut" assembly is not a normal hardware store item. It is a square nut that floats inside a sheetmetal cage that is welded to the floor. The floating allows minor adjustment, but it is tight enough that when you tighten the bolt, the nut does not spin. Take a look at Year One's website, although you can probably buy these elsewhere. Their part# is G17NUT - search for it on their site and you will see a picture of the nut and cage. After you're done, paint it well to prevent rust (I used zinc paint) and then weld it back down.