Windshield (windscreen) Rubber Seals

As things go in my house, no matter how much planning I do, something always goes askew. I did not get as much time to work on the car this week as I wanted, but I did manage to get a couple things accomplished.

One of my goals was to install the rubber seals around both front and rear windshields (windscreens). I started with the rear. The trick was to have plenty of patience and not be in a hurry.

Most of it went on smoothly, but for some reason there was too much slack.

It turned out that I needed to trim it to fit it. I had to cut about three inches out of it. Now it fits well but I will need to use some rubber cement to glue the cut ends together and seal them from water.

One tip is to use cheap dish soap to help slide the rubber into place. It worked great!

The front windshield rubber fit perfectly!

Once the windows are installed, there is a gap in the rubber seal that needs to be filled with a trim filler piece. Originally it had this rubber coated plastic strip as an insert. I have a rubber strip that came with the seals which I will use instead.

The next couple tasks I need to do need two people. So I will be calling John and Chris for their assistance.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Headliner installation

Now that our Christmas break has finally arrived, I will have a few bouts of uninterrupted time to concentrate on different projects. I have been trying to get the headliner installed for the past couple weeks and I finally got around to it today.

Last week I measured the foam to find the exact center.

And the headliner material, also.

A week later I was finally able to go and mark the ceiling of the car for exact center. The marks will help me to line up each piece as I get it above my head.

I duct taped the foam so I would be able to get it up in place and I could trim it. Or so, that is what I thought. It was one of those things I read on the internet so I knew it had to be true. (insert sarcastic chuckle)

It did not work. I ended up spraying the Super 80 adhesive on it and just gluing it in place.

Then, I tucked it in and trimmed it afterward.

The black headliner material was the original from the original car. That had to be adhered up in place on top of the foam. It is surprising how well the spray adhesive holds both materials up to the metal!!

After tucking it in, I had to do some final trimming but I think it looks fine for a first time amateur. I will have to clean it with a Magic Eraser once it sets in a couple days.

Only minor bumps and wrinkles, but that is how it was in the original car, so I guess I did all right.

I am planning on calling Chris later this week. I would really like to get the car off the dollies and sitting on its own suspension.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Interior installation

While I am waiting for Chris to come back from England where he is visiting family, I decided to continue working on the interior. Finishing the vinyl installation took a huge burden off both my mind and my checklist. Now, things now can be installed whenever I have time.

To start, I had to install the rear pocket panels. The armrests hold the top in place and panel clips hold the bottom in place. The driver’s side went in easily, although I need two new screws for the front of the armrest.

The right side passenger’s took a bit of finesse to get it in place.

But once everything was adjusted, it went right in and looks good. Now I will have to get the trim pieces that go around the interior of the pocket surround.

Then I placed the rear seat back in place…for good this time. I had to wrestle with it for a minute or two until it decided to cooperate.

The rear seat bottom went right in. I loosely screwed it in but will have to remove it once the carpet gets installed. Not a big deal.

Then I went and got the driver’s side rear window from the cellar and set it in place. New rubber seals will need to be installed on both rear windows before final installation. My main objective was to find the holes for the latch because I forgot to mark them when I put the vinyl in.

I will need to get new screws for the latches but the old one I set in let me “close” the window. The chrome handle looks nice!

And, I wanted to see if the 1100 window would fit in the America (1300) body. YES! And it also looks nice!!

Now that I have room to move around, the headliner is next on the list to install unless Chris comes back. When he does, the suspension can get pumped up before the holiday break from school.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Interior vinyl installation Part 3

After a trip away for Thanksgiving, and a very busy work week, I finally had some time to upholster the vinyl in the car.

I decided to clip (clothespin) all the pieces in place to make sure I had them all. It also kept them up out of the way to keep them clean.

I tried to experiment to find a good adhesive for applying the vinyl to the metal. I first tried Super 77, then Super 90. Neither worked well and the vinyl bubbled more than it stuck to the metal. The next attempt was contact cement, which seemed to work fine.

I started by first applying the contact cement to both surfaces then letting it set before I stuck the piece in place. This small "test" bottle was in my cellar. I ended up buying a small can and a throw away paint brush.

After the pieces stuck in place, they were trimmed with the razor blade.

It took a good six hours (a full weekend) but at least they are all glued in now.

 I am so glad I got the lighter shade gray...it really looks sharp especially with the off-white pads and rear shelf! I did get some “elephant skinning” but I will fix that later, when I regain my patience.

For a first time novice amature, it was a gallant attempt. There will definitely be some touching up to do. But the hard part is completed and I can move on to other stuff!! One thing I liked was that there was only a small pile of scrap trimmings afterwards.

This week my goal is to finish the details then install the headliner, rear panel pocket armrests, and rear seats. These will not take nearly as much time as this project.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy