Split Rivets in Floor?

[Guest]

I removed a bunch of these split rivets from my removable floor board and toe board. They were all pretty loose, came out easy. What was their purpose? They obviously held something in place. But they seem pretty shallow to hold a floor mat. Plus the holes they were in didn't seem to be sealed at all.

[jpage]

They may have held an anti-squeek material to the underside flange of the boards. WPC cars used a lot of anti-squeek material between metal panels and parts.May have been a thin material similar to the flat hoodlacing.

[Guest]

Yes, there had to be something between the metal floor and the rubber mat. I wonder if I can find an image/info somewhere so I can get this right?

[jpage]

I would suggest using a 1/16 thick flat hoodlace . The original may have been a heavy canvas like fabric impregnated with a waterproofing agent which might be hard to find. I have also used the leg cut from the real fabric fenderwelt as an anti-squeek material. Restoration Specialties carries the hoodlacing material. Their website is restorationspecialties.com.

 

 

 

[Reg Evans]

I'm gonna guess the original material was something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CSN6DI/ref=asc_df_B000CSN6DI5150970/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B000CSN6DI&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167120909983&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11407292389107741736&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032583&hvtargid=pla-307523369475

[Guest]

Do you guys mean you think there were just strips of material under the rubber mat rather than a complete floor covering?

[Guest]

I have found that the thicker glass setting tape works excellent.  I have also used it between the frame and body.

 

[jpage]

The cork and fabric glass setting tape would be a good substitute but it's getting hard to find. The rubber tape may not work well because it's not 'live', it's note of a gum tape which can be torn very easily. I would stay away from felt as it will hold water.

[Guest]

Sorry guys, I'm not following you here, or maybe I'm just too thick. 

Are you saying I should just use strips of some tape-like material rather than an entire mat of some sort?

[Reg Evans]

I have seen the felt strips used on the edges of floor boards where they bolt to another piece.  Where did you find the split rivets exactly ?

[jpage]

I think that we may be talking about 2 different things. I was speaking of an anti-squeek material that goes between the floorboards and the body rails. I believe that they did use a mat under the rubber floor mat and that would have been made from a jute type material. Some cars may have just used a rubber mat with no backer. If the mat had a backer, it was probably afixed to the rubber mat so as to be one unit. The small rivets were most likely used to hold an anti-squeek material in place rather than the floor mat. Carpets in those cars were fastened with special pins that fastened to the back side of the carpet and snapped into holes in the floor.

[Guest]

I understand the need for some type of anti squeak material between the panels at their edges. As you can see in the picture the rivet holes in the toe board are towards the edge but not at the edge. The floor board is approximately the same. I agree the original rubber matting probably had the matting adhered directly to it. I still can't figure out what these rivets held in place.

[jpage]

Maybe there was an exterior insulator pad on the underside of the panel, but I can't imagine what they would have used that wouldn't absorb moisture.

[Guest]

I just can't figure it out. Maybe an asbestos sheet underneath for heat? Only guessing at this point.

[Spinneyhill]

My 1930 Dodge Brothers has felt washers held on by split rivets on the radiator dust pan. They provide an anti-rub or anti rattle between the dust pan and the apron on top of the chassis. The rivets and felt washers are called up in the parts book and in the Standard Parts chapter the rivets are called up by size and finish with their part number.

 

I would not be surprised if a wide felt strip to fit between the panels was riveted on this way.  My floor is wood so it is tacked on.

[JACK M]

Many years ago I was cutting up a crashed Keizer.

I am trying tp picture how the floor was but I found a hand full of 5/16 bolts in a place that one couldn't get to.

The old boy that had owned the car said that there was a funny rattle when he cornered hard.

A factory gremlin?

[jpage]

I think that I have found the answer to the question. I was looking at an original toeboard from my '36 Dodge and noticed rivets holding small tufts of material to the top surface of the board. The rivets are located in the same positions as yours. There was a felt like mat about 3/16-1/4 in thick riveted to the the toeboard originally. I presume that the mat was riveted to keep it in place under the mat and because the board is a separate piece that could be removed.

[Spinneyhill]

When you replace those rivets, note the special tool required. If you just flatten them the legs are prone to breaking off.

[Guest]

I decided to go ahead and fill those rivet holes. Less hassle and less chance for water penetration (even though I'm in the California desert). I believe there are much better materials available today for underlay, sound deadener, anti-squeak material, etc. Problem solved.