# Transition to hollow rivet design ?



## mfinger1 (Nov 7, 2006)

Greetings all :wave: ,

Would most agree that Aurora's transition from the solid rivet to hollow rivet design took place in '65?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

I have no idea. But I can tell you I got my first Aurora set in 1969 and the cars had solid rivets. A lot of my cars have solid rivets, and all were purchased after 1969. I have some Wild Ones which have solid rivets. I also have AFX chassis with solid rivets. Since AFX did not show up until the 1970s, this would indicate Aurora was still using solid rivet chassis until the early 1970s.
Unless they had a lot of leftover solid rivet chassis and still went ahead and ordered more chassis, I would think the transition occurred later than 1965.

Joe


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## mfinger1 (Nov 7, 2006)

Where's Bob Beers when you need him?

well.............I believe solid rivets were used exclusively from around the '63 - '64 time frame, with hollow rivet chassis starting to show up with the Mustangs, Lincolns, Cobra's and sports model cars around the 65-66 era. By '69 - '70, the Wild Ones, Tuff Ones and all A/FX had hollow rivets.
Can anyone else chime in?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Like Joe, I've got wild ones with both solids and hollows.

Tuffies and AFX too! Dunno what the scoop is...sure be nice to find out though!


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## wheelszk (Jul 8, 2006)

Bill you there


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## mfinger1 (Nov 7, 2006)

Bill,
Never seen a nickel chassis with solid rivets??? That kinda blows my mind, and I've been lookin' at these for many, many moons!!!! When you have time I'd like to see pics of these!!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Mike , I'll snap some pics tomorrow.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

It proabaly just has to do with who was supplying the rivets at a given time. Or maybe price and availability of the rivets.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Was there any benefit to one or the other? Seems the solid rivet may have held things together a little tighter, which may have lead to a better conducting chassis to a slight degree. Has anyone ever measured any variables between the types? I've had sucess with both styles with everthing else made equal.  rr


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Here ya go Mike.*

Here's a few silver solid rivet chassis from the collection.


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## Marty (Oct 20, 1999)

I have Slim Line chassis in both solid and open rivet. I'll get pics soon.


Marty


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Is one worth more then the other??


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## Marty (Oct 20, 1999)

*Closed rivet Slim-Lines*

I just found out something today! There are two styles of closed rivet Slim-Lines!

Look at the area behind the pick-up shoe plate and in front of the rear wheels.










I am guessing the one with the open area is the oldest. My open rivet Slim-Lines have the same "brace" as the other one.

Always learning something new!

Marty


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

Does anyone have any slimlines chassis for sale.It's ok if they don't have wheels and tires.I need them for cars that I got from Joe Ferulli years ago. I could use 30 of them.
ThANKS,
Tom Stumpf


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

tomhocars said:


> Does anyone have any slimlines chassis for sale.It's ok if they don't have wheels and tires.I need them for cars that I got from Joe Ferulli years ago. I could use 30 of them.
> ThANKS,
> Tom Stumpf


Tom, call Chris. 

Dragula never lets me down on my Aurora wants. Last time I checked he had some Slimmies.


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

Marty said:


> I just found out something today! There are two styles of closed rivet Slim-Lines!
> 
> Look at the area behind the pick-up shoe plate and in front of the rear wheels.
> 
> ...


I have two solid rivet slim-line and one has the brace and the other doesen't. I wonder why they added the brace?

Roger Corrie


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## mr_aurora (Oct 18, 2005)

*Solid rivit vs open rivit*

What we know....

Solid rivet was first.
Open rivet was cheaper to manufacture.
Aurora's overseas chassis were all open rivet, I think!
A company must use up all it's excess stock.
Not all cars manufactured and shipped out of Aurora were sold right away.
The cars that lasted thru the Tjet manufacturing lifecycle are more apt to have the solid rivets for a longer period of time. They were on shelves longer and in stock at Aurora longer. I think solid rivet chassis are made to tighter tolerances. The more the molds got used the more loose the tolerances.
Most people like solid rivet chassis. Thus they are worth a little more. 

Bob


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

mr_aurora said:


> What we know....
> 
> Solid rivet was first.
> Open rivet was cheaper to manufacture.
> ...


Bob what information do you have on the history of the slim-lines? From the old Car Model and Model Car Science magazines it looks like they put a lot of resources into them and then didn't proceed except frr a race set and two cars. Well 3 if you include the Hot Rod truck. But it looks like they had sevaer additional F1's that never went to market.

Roger Corrie


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## mfinger1 (Nov 7, 2006)

Thanks Bob for the feedback! I'm a long time enthusiast and moderate collector and modeler. Mostly collect to replace the childhood memories of which I cherish. I suppose, as many others can too agree, that I had a fascination for improving performance & style but got carried away in most circumstances, and once the plastic has been removed.......well......there is NO putting it back. Missed the originals, making it up to myself 35+ ( ooops, make that 36+years...Happy New Year!) years later. I would like to add though, that once the screw on T-jet bodies were replaced with the A/FX line, I thought then that the style and craftsmanship was also pretty much gone,
not allowing much in the way of customizing or modification. All in the quest for speed I suppose. It was a business, and you did have to compete with your competition. Thanks again Bob, you have a wonderful collection that maybe the Smithsonian would be interested in. Have a safe and Happy New Year.


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## f1nutz (Mar 26, 2007)

Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding of the slimline chassis was that the ones with braces were used on the non f1 bodies. All of the few f1's I have are mounted on the braceless chassis... at least thats how they were when they came into my hands.


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

f1nutz said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding of the slimline chassis was that the ones with braces were used on the non f1 bodies. All of the few f1's I have are mounted on the braceless chassis... at least thats how they were when they came into my hands.


Thats a question fro the experts. Both of my solid rivet cars I got off ebay with F1 bodies one has the brace the other doesen't.

Roger corrie


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