Cover above fuel tank, repair of...

[DrWin]

Also, I see that the cover above the fuel tank isn't held on by anything.
This picture is taken below the car and shows one hole w/o anything and one with a metal fir tree of sorts.

65900

Do we know what these things are actually called?

[AZ-D]

Rivnuts go in those holes. I got a bunch off amazon. They take a special tool to install, similar to rivets.

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[dmcnc]

The car came with rivnuts, but that little guy is a jacknut.

[Mark D]

Those rivnuts were originally M5 thread and the screws to hold the panels in place are PN SP10663.

Judging from the photo you posted it looks like the screws seized into the rivnuts and the previous owner drilled them out. Before you can install new rivnuts you'll have to fix the enlarged holes in the fiberglass tub. There are a variety of ways to do this, but the correct way involves resin and fiberglass matting so you can fill and redrill the holes. Sometimes if the holes are not completely blown out, you can just clean them up with a drill bit and move up a size to M6 rivnuts.

Another cheap and relatively easy method I've used with success involves baking soda and superglue. It's meant for smaller repairs to fix slightly enlarged holes with flakey or jagged fiberglass edges.

You first apply a piece of masking tape on the back side of the hole, then fill in the cavity around the edges with baking soda. Saturate the area with superglue and the baking soda will cause the glue to harden almost instantly. The powder gets into the the crevices of the flaking fiberglass and combined with the superglue forms a composite material that will hold up to installing a new rivnut. When it dries completely you will just have to clean up the hole with a drill so it's the correct size again. I sprayed my repairs with satin black paint prior to installing the rivnuts and afterward you couldn't even tell there was a repair.

[DMC-Ron]

Another cheap and relatively easy method I've used with success involves baking soda and superglue. It's meant for smaller repairs to fix slightly enlarged holes with flakey or jagged fiberglass edges.

You first apply a piece of masking tape on the back side of the hole, then fill in the cavity around the edges with baking soda. Saturate the area with superglue and the baking soda will cause the glue to harden almost instantly. The powder gets into the the crevices of the flaking fiberglass and combined with the superglue forms a composite material that will hold up to installing a new rivnut. When it dries completely you will just have to clean up the hole with a drill so it's the correct size again. I sprayed my repairs with satin black paint prior to installing the rivnuts and afterward you couldn't even tell there was a repair.

Mark,
Interesting technique. Thanks for the tip. I'll have to give this a try sometime. I have used JB Weld in similar fashion. I like to use the JB putty. You can coat the nutsert then push it in the oversized hole. Let it set a while, then expand the nutsert.
Ron

[DrWin]

Epoxy / fiberglass repair it is then. I have a huge hole in the fiberglass tub in the engine bay that also needs repairing, so I might as well get to know more about the details. The color doesn't matter b/c the black is painted on, right?

[Ron]

The tub is black fiberglass. A LOT are painted satin black.