getting glassed

It feels like every post for the last six months has included some mention of how slow progress has been. This one's different. The engine coming back from the shop has really spurred me on to get the car running again. I mentioned a while back that I started installing sound/heat insulation at the firewall. It was always part of the plan to put this material pretty much everywhere, but the next place I worked on was the doors. I started at the driver side. Once the insulation was done I installed the door handles and the rest of the locking mechanism. I was surprised how easily this all went back.

Dead-End Door

the guts of it...

Popped on the handle and locks etc.

So now I wanted to put the three side windows back in, starting with the quarter window. The various parts house make it easy to gather all the needed facsimile rubber seals and trim parts...except one: the seal around the glass at the quarter window. This is a shame, because mine needed replacing. You can buy the entire quarter window assembly, but I didn't fancy doing that just to get a $2 seal. My guess is that the reproduction unit is assembled using some type of modern adhesive/sealant which sets after the window pane is inserted into the frame...and therefore can't be sold as a discreet item. At times like this I usually call on my buddies at Mostly Mustangs in Oakland. They can always source good used parts, and this time they came up with a pair of very nice windows from a recently totaled 67.

The guys actually let me pick the car over for for choice parts. I ended up with an "interior decor kit" which I plan to partially customize and a pair of trunk springs amongst other items.

I even got to rummage through this lot!

Back in my garage I liberated the window seals and gave them a good cleaning up.

Assembly of the window is easy - no adhesive is necessary since the seal fits pretty tight inside the frame when it's all screwed together.

It took a bit of patience, but I got the quarter window back in without doing any damage and the window goes up and down when you turn the handle. Which it didn't before incidentally. Getting the window, winder mechanism and all the stops back in the door and all lined up is a bit tedious, but I managed it with help from a copy of the Ford Assembly Manual - this tome is very detailed and I've used it a lot already. I started off with a pdf version, but I eventually paid for a bound reprint, and it was really worth it. Sometimes you just can't beat paper!

Re-installing the vent window and main window was even more involved, but I got there. When I took the windows out (in May 2010!) I honestly thought I would never be able to put them back together. A good set of tools helped, but sometimes you just can't beat experience!

After that, I rolled the car outside the garage for the first time in eighteen months, turned it round, and rolled it back in. Then I (eventually) installed inner-door soundproofing and side windows at the passenger side.