[DeTomaso] A better way to attach firewall hatch?

[Larry Finch]

All,

I've always found the little M5 metric hex head bolts used to attach the metal firewall hatch to be less than user-friendly.

I'm thinking of using Allen head cap screws instead of the stock hex head bolts, and installing them from the engine side through the captured nuts in the firewall surround. Then you would be mounting the hatch to a group of M5 studs. Instead of small, easily dropped, and difficult to handle M5 nuts, I would be using M5 coupler nuts which are about an inch long.

Now some of you will want to point out the restriction of the two small locating tabs on the bottom of the hatch which index into their respective slots. I would just cut them off as I think that bottom edge of the steel hatch is strong enough to maintain a good seal on the quarter-inch closed-cell foam I'm using. If not, you could always add some Nutserts on the bottom flange and add two more studs to hold everything tight. 

So, has anyone done anything similar to this on the hatch?

Any comments or improvements on my idea of studs and coupler nuts? 

Larry