Today I have finaly begun the assembly process of my `51 Chevy truck. It is a great day. But as soon as I needed to bolt for the first part, I realized that I should use new bolts, nuts and washers. This got me to asking what bolts should I use. So my question is this. What type of bolt will resist corrosion the longest. I am most concerned with rust on the bolts that mount the undercarriage parts to the frame and the bolts that secure the body parts to each other.

u can buy a blackening agent to make the bolts rust proof....i'm not sure where to get this or anything but i read an article on it once....maybe someone knows what im talking about...

Eastwood offers the blackening kit that slayer is referring to,but if you've got the $$$ stainless steel bolts,especially for the body is a good way to go. Dealers such as Totally Stainless in Gettysburg,PA offer everything from a single nut or bolt to complete packages and if you have an oddball one,ship it to them and they'll match it up from their huge inventory. A body kit for your '51 is $195. That's really not bad when you consider how many pieces are included.

Stainless steel bolts are so cool.....but there is a couple of things to remember. Stainless is at best only a bit better than a grade 5 bolt so if your life depends on it please use a plated grade 8.....especially on suspension components. Also when using stainless bolts use a good quality anti-seize compound on the threads or you are never going to get them apart.......

Canuck is absolutely right on about suspension bolts. Totally Stainless recommends and sells exactly those too.

Thank you for all the replies. I have ordered the Totally Stainless catalog. I now very interested in using stainless steel. Also, great info about the strength of the bolts.

I did some reading about stainless steel on the Stainless Steel Info Center web site. They do a great job of explaining how SS is made, the grades of SS and the benefits of SS. The url is www.ssina.com.

Whatever you do , dont mix the Zinc with stainless or aluminum . It causes electrolysis or dylectricic corrosion . Just like A battery post .
Since working at a hardware dealing with these problems on a daily accourance , it is best to avoid the problem.