I'm currently giving the 1994 916s a complete nut and bolt strip down and rebuild, been looking in to having some of the old style rivets and backing plates made up for the fairing/windscreen. Does anybody have any old ones that I could get measurements from? Luckily I found a guy that has the back plates from old stock in the late 80's where they were used on aluminium aircraft, i just want to verify the size because he has different plates for different diameter rivets. Also I'm likely going to have a minimum order of 1000 so if anyone's interested ill have a few kits to sell once there done.
Aircraft fasteners are normally imperial sizes ( even in 2025) so I would be surprised if aircraft ‘back plates’ would be correct to maintain the absolute originality of the Varese factory ‘rivets’.
'Absolute originality' is a fools errand, I just want to replicate the look as best I can. I think a 5/32" (3.96mm) rectangular flat spung plate is close enough to a 4mm aluminium or steel rivet that ill have anodised; I just wondered if someone had one they could measure for me to verify length and thickness.
Apologies - generally, mention of a Varese 916 indicates a need to be fastidiously original, down to the air in the tyres.
Like these ones, we could also machine a small groove in the rivet/pin so that once pressed together the two can lock together on the shoulder of the groove and prevent them becoming loose with vibration.
Speedy Fasteners could have what you want - I'd email a picture to them. The one problem with searching the website is knowing what to call it! https://share.google/tomQvgD6oI4o3QSpV
