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.
