Josh's 2016 Upgrade Mega-Thread

[regal81455]

I'm pretty sure I'm about to dive into replacing all the weatherstripping around the windows.  I've contacted both Steele rubber and Rubber The Right Way and both do not have "exact" matches for our cars -- just a bunch of options from that era.  They've sent samples and I think I can figure out what works but I'd like it to be as close to OEM as possible.  Can someone shoot some pics of their cars weatherstripping -- particularly behind the vent window ( the channel that the front window rolls up along ), the back channel of the front window glass, the top, and the inner corners where the front and back channel meet the top.  Preferably pics for a two door car.  Also, the inner and outer beltlines -- I'm trying to see what they look like as mine are all but gone and have nothing to reference.

Tx
Josh

[Bill]

I am guessing you have a car with a post. Mine is a no-post car, but I snapped some of the pics. Hope they help.

[regal81455]

Awesome Tx Bill -- ?s though - on your division post ( the window side of the vent pillar ) is the weatherstripping beaded?  In other words is there a 2nd very slim chrome strip running along the edges of the window channel?  Mine seems to have that, yours looks like it's just the mohair, kinda hard to see for sure on your pics since the channel is so dark. The same thing occurs on the channel at the back of the window on mine as well.

[Bill]

Mine is just the mohair. I am 95% positive, but I can't check again til Sunday. Can you download the picture amd blow it up? Or if you private message me your cell number I can send you the original picture from my cell.

[regal81455]

I pulled all the weatherstripping off the drivers side last nite. Mine indeed has a beaded edge along the backside of the vent window. I've found all the weatherstripping I need except the outer beltline which I will be calling about this morning. The old one was stapled to the inside edge of the chrome trim. Once off I see no way for it to be mounted w/o adhesives, staples or some other form of mechanical/chemical bond. They are no tabs or anything on the backside of the chrome trim.

[regal81455]

YEAH today I got the all the weatherstripping and exterior trim removed. All the new stuff is on the way, should be here early to mid next week. Managed to get the exterior window trim off and have decided that I will pop rivet the outer sweep to it. Will post pics as I move forward -- going to do doors first and then when the other car is gone in a few weeks I will remove entire interior so I can do the backs and appy some sound dampening to floorboards, etc...

[regal81455]

Anybody know how the vent glass weatherstripping is removed? Do you have to take the window out of the frame? The stud that holds the adjustment screw and spring go thru the current weatherstripping and frame.

[regal81455]

Ok got the vent windows removed and the weatherstripping out -- additionally I've got a pair of spare vent assemblies that had division posts that were in far greater shape than mine too so Ill be swapping those out -- Ill prob do a write up here on the next one that is tore down and rebuilt. Hope to have something to show everyone this coming weekend. Just need to order the special rivets and rivet tool now so I have it when everything arrives.

[regal81455]

For those interested, the adjustment screws on the bottom of the vent assemblies that tend to be a rusted mess and almost impossible to remove without heat and tons of penetrant can be replaced with screws from a 66-67 abody.

[rt338b]

Hey Josh you don't need the special pivot rivet. Just grind the two rivets off frame that holds the pivot then knock them out and do your thing then reattach it with two 1/8 stainless rivets they fit the hole perfectly. Rick

[regal81455]

See I wondered about that Rick -- I actually did grind just the top two rivets off and thought regulars would work in their place -- someone on the yahoo group indicated they had to be replaced with the special rivets though -- glad you chimed in cuz man those flat top rivets look to be a big PITA.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions, I actually had bought SS 1/8 X 1/8 and 1/8 X 1/4 rivets just for this reason before ordering the specials - you've certainly saved me alot of heartache thinking about taking a hammer to some small setting tool.

[rt338b]

The only time I have ever replaced them was when the rivet was broke or frame piece had to be tig welded cause it broke. If you ever need to replace that rivet use a roll pin punch the size of the indentation and body dollies with a hammer on the punch. Not that hard to do but easier the other way

[regal81455]

Thanks for the insight Rick.  It's much appreciated.  Might as well throw something else past you -- I was planning on ss riveting the new outer window sweep to the body moulding as well instead of staples or lacing ss safety wire.  See any issues with this?  Staples just seem like they'd be a pain and the wire not much less.

[regal81455]

Big progress today -- all the interior has been removed, all the exterior mouldings and weatherstripping has been removed, both front and rear quarters. Alot of the misc. pcs have been sandblasted and painted. Gonna start doing some preventative stuff to the interior cab area and then start attacking the soundproofing. I'm exhausted lol but will be back at it again tomorrow.

[regal81455]

Another big progress day -- I put down an entire roll of FatMat I had left over from another car I owned, prob around 40 SF or so.  Bought another 100 SF so I can finish.  Will cover the doors, qtrs, rest of floor, & trunk area.  Sprayed the inside of the doors with rubber undercoating to help deaden sound even more and preserve them.  Broke down 3 vent windows today, sandblasted and painted some parts including one of the vent frames that I will using.  Here's a how to on vent window disassembly.

1.  Remove the vent window from door. ( see body manual for procedure )
2.  Take a dremel to the top two flat rivets and make an X in them so your drill bit stays centered.
3.  Using a unibit ( atleast thats how I did it ) -- drill out the two rivets you just scored.
4.  Remove spring assembly from bottom of vent window -- pay extra attention to the orientation of the captured steel washer -- it needs to go back on the same direction.
5.  Remove vent glass window.
6.  You can now remove roll pin from window clasp if you intend to swap them out like I am.
7.  The next few steps are not necessary but I'm swapping some better verticals out ( which actually makes removal of the existing w/s easier ) so you can drill the rivets that hold the triangle section of the frame to the vertical, then remove the screw at the top.  Now you have two pcs of the frame.
8.  Remove W/S -- I used some pliers and a long screwdriver to do this -- once you get it started at one of the ends with the pliers, then take the screwdriver and work it out a little at a time.  Don't be surprised if it comes in pcs - some of mine were so dry rotted and work hardened that they crumbled pretty easy.  Also, if the run channels still exist on the door glass side, they too are riveted in and will require you to drill them out.
9.  Next I opted to sandblast the triangle frame and paint it for preservation sake.

I'll make another step by step upon re-assembly.  I hope to start that over the course of the next couple of week nights.

[Esasky's62Lark]

Josh,

Looks good pal! I will be replacing all my seals on my 62 once the floor and hot side for turbo is done. Pretty much have all the seals.

May be picking your brain when I go to do the wing windows since you have already took on the task.

Are you replacing your inner and outer belt moldings as well? If so, I actually bought a complete kit of the inner/outer belt moldings from OPGI. They are actually from a Pontiac Tempest but the Tempest and Buick have the same roof/belt design so they should work.

Chris

[regal81455]

Tx Chris--

I've gutted the interior sans the dash, stripped out all the windows and weatherstripping lol -- I had pics but didn't post them.  I bought all my weatherstripping from Steele for a 61 Sky so it should be interesting to see how they compare to yours -- prob same parts.  Removing the outer chrome moulding from the doors and qtrs was NO FUN when you factor in the age of them and the chances of finding replacements lol.  The rear quarter window weatherstripping I think is going to be the biggest problem -- no direct replacement that I can find.  I just ordered literally like 5min ago the new stripping for them -- its a flexible steel run channel -- prob will have to be glue'd in though since they don't supply one that has clips and I don't think I'm interested in drilling a billion little holes in an effort to reuse the rosebud clips that are on the old stuff -- Im gonna go out on a limb here and suspect that this will be the last time this car has new weatherstripping installed so being semi permanent shouldn't be a big deal I don't think.

[Esasky's62Lark]

I am in the same boat. Interior is gutted right now. I plan to tackle all this when I get the car back to my shop.

What rear quarter window WS are you talking about? There should only be the roof rail seal, the rear division post seal and the inner and outer belt seals.

I know that when I ordered my seals from OPGI, the roof rail seal and rear division post seals are on backorder.

Chris

[regal81455]

This is the only pic I have available at work that shows it but I think that could be one of the minor differences between a 61 and a 62 -- mine doesn't have a roof rail seal that Im aware of.  It has a post between the front and rear glass.  Mine doesn't have a separate rear division post seal it was all one pc -- here's a pic of what I pulled out too. This went all the way up one side, across the top, and then back down the other on the qtr window.

[Esasky's62Lark]

I gotcha.

your car is a post car. Mine isn't. I actually have a roof rail seal that goes from the wing window (A pillar) all the way to the quarter window in one continuous seal.

Both front and rear glass seals to that and I have that rear division post seal that seals between rear of door glass and quarter glass.

[Esasky's62Lark]

Did that piece actually go on the glass...? If so, then yes, I have that window frame as well. that seals to the roof rail seal.

[regal81455]

Did that piece actually go on the glass...?  If so, then yes, I have that window frame as well.  that seals to the roof rail seal.  

No, this is sandwiched in between the outer chrome mouldings and the inner window trims and yes mine is a post car -- I do not have roof rail seal -- my door is sealed with one large door seal that goes all the way around it. I'll take better pics tonight so you can see exactly what Im working with.

[Esasky's62Lark]

I gotcha. Just had to understand where you were coming from. I have never seen the post version of our cars. :-)

Definitely shoot some pics over.

Was the wing window a pain in the ass to get out?

[regal81455]

Was the wing window a pain in the ass to get out?  

Yes and no.  I had a helper -- I watched from below while he worked it from the top.  Certainly helped from a maneuvering standpoint but not really required.

Two key things.

#1 -- Remove the interior door lock release mechanism

#2 -- Chances are the adjustment bolt will be welded to the vent vertical post due to rust -- it found it far easier to cut it in two and remove it but it is possible to remove with it still on the vertical -- just takes some snaking around things -- I was wanting to replace the adjustment screws though so yeah made no difference.  Found replacement screws from an outfit that supplies 66-67 chevy pickup stuff ( Eckler Automotive ) they appear to be the same and I had no problems threading them into my verticals.

[regal81455]

Hopefully these pics show more of what I'm dealing with.

[Sponsored content]