jusplainwacky

I'm not at this point yet, but I figured I'd throw out the question and see what I catch.

My car never had weather stripping on it and now that I have it, I'm not sure exactly how it goes on. I believe the 58 had these push clips that held it into place. So here are my questions.

1. If I'm going to glue it in...why did they use these push clips or don't you glue it?
2. Most of my holes have been filled in, any one have information as to where the holes should be?
3. What's a good glue to use?
4. Does it make any difference to put the weather stripping on before or after you put the door on?
5. And lastly...anyone have any pictures they can post showing the weather stripping on the door and up along the windshield/door post?

59BlueSilver

I'm glad you posted this, I'm in the exact same situation. Some of my holes are filled in also and hasn't had weatherstripping in a very long time. I can't figure out the top of the door post. There is a metal tab on the weatherstrip that I don't know how it fits in, and the weatherstrip looks like it needs to be cut in order for it to fit. Is that right?? Also, the door post looks like there are rivets where the holes are.

Anyone have any close-up pics of this area?

jusplainwacky

LOL....good, I'm glad I'm not the only dummy on here!

jusplainwacky

If you can post some pictures of the holes you are referring to, perhaps I can assist.

John McGraw

I presume that you are talking about the clips that are on the door post. The original weatherstripping had a zig-zag wire that ran through the weatherstrip, and the clips were shoved into the weatherstrip and engaged the wire. Modern repro WS, is all foam, and the clips that are sold are pretty much for appearance, although I am sure that they do help retain the WS. The clips that they sell now do not have the fishhook barbs on the end to engage the wire. The original weatherstrip on you car also was covered with fabric, but only the 59 and later all-foam WS is being produced today.

I always glue the WS on before I hang the door, it is a pain to do after the fact.



Regards, John McGraw

Frankie the Fink

The '61. Mike Coletta put these on for me and, unfortunately, he is on a road trip now I think pursuing his latest restomod project. I doubt he can provide advice just now.

jusplainwacky

Frank...can you do me a favor? Can you take a picture of how your door post meet up with the windshield post at the top from inside the car?

Frankie the Fink

Sure. Fresh electrons attached...
One pic of passenger side; two of driver's side.
Excuse my cr@ppy windshield pillars; I have a pair of freshly rechromed ones I'll install one day when I'm feeling superhuman...

jusplainwacky

Geesh...that was quick!!

I see that you have a rubber spacer between the door post and the windshield post at the top.
Is that rubber something Mike made or is it standard issue equipment?
As I was showing Mike my fit (in a private email)...on my windshield post at the top is like a 45 degree beveled edge...my door post matches right up to that with virtually no space between...yet on my drivers side, I probably have at least 1/8". I'm working on the door post at this time, cause it was too low. The fiberglass on the door was reworked at one time and the post was too low and I'm now in the process of building it up.

Frankie the Fink

I'm right in the garage with my camera. I'm getting a bunch of stuff together to inspect another SWC (fingers crossed) ! This may be "The One"

Mike did not make that...he worked with the stuff I supplied him from IIRC Corvette Central... I think you have to have that for even a pretense of making the area water tight.

jusplainwacky

Thanks...I'll go look on CC's website and see what they have for door/window weather stripping.
If you're bored...you can take some pictures of the weather stripping that goes around your door. I believe yours maybe different than a 58, but it will give me the general idea.
Excuse my ignorance...but what is a SWC??

jusplainwacky

In looking at CC's website and your pictures, I didn't know they had these "brackets" that attach the rubber to the door post. Obviously I don't have them.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000050x

Frankie the Fink

OMG - its a Split Window Coupe; only available in 1963. The 'gold standard' for C2 design IMO...

I wish I could be more help...my weatherstrip needed done during a time when my consulting was beating my brains in and so I let Mike do it. Normally, I do everything I possibly can myself.

jusplainwacky

ahh....good luck!

jusplainwacky

Can't get rid of you that fast huh?? LOL

I remember the rubber on the windshield post and that was about the only piece that was on my car and it was glued on...ergo I never saw the clips. I have what they consider an early 58 (#2300) as the hood latch is on the passenger side...different than most. So the first link you posted gives me a good idea of what it looks like. I see it also has the "clips in the rubber, so that would make it easy to figure out where the holes go.
The gluing on seems a lot easier then using these clips...but not having done either, I haven't a clue...just going my your description. Is there any advantage/disadvantage of gluing verse the clips?
I have my "fuzzies" in the door post channel...thanks to your help on that a while back ago...and yes, I did tap and clean mine. My threads were in good shape. And I have the rubber stop at the top of the door post in...so all that is good.
I'm just not sure with the gap I showed you last night if the rubber will fit between the door post and windshield post at the top were the 45 degree bevel edge is. I have virtually no gap there...but I'm still "working it". It actually took less time than I thought in fixing the top of the door...I think I lucked out.

3310vette

Here is a photo of the bottom clip on an untouched 1960. I made the loops that fit into the clips out of paper clips and inserted them into the rubber w/s.

3310vette

I should have said that I made the wire retainers that insert into the w/s for my restored car, not the unrestored 1960 in the photo.

jusplainwacky

Gluing it seem to me it would be a lot cleaner looking and just seems "strange" to be poking holes in your rubber...I could easily see these starting a tear.

jusplainwacky

Here is a picture of my door post (see second pic below). It's hard to see in the picture, but there is/was a big gap between the door window and the hardtop weather stripping. The white line you see, is the light shining through.

The problem with the passenger side door window, (as I was explaining to Mike) is that when I rolled the window up, I had this big gap up near the front of the header. The rear is fine.

I took a bunch of measurements, got out my laser level, calculated the deviation based on the mean (as measured from the top radius of the door post), multiplied it by the centric point minus the difference from the top and bottom, then subtracted the radius differential...and...(sorry, I just like driving Mike crazy)...

ANYWAY....it turned out the fiberglass base of the door where the door post sits was reworked and too low, so I built it up. This raised the door post. The problem I have, is that the gap now is real small and I'm concerned that the rubber you show won't fit or will want to push the door post out or down...not allowing my door to close easily. Since my car didn't have this original rubber, I wasn't sure what it looked. Is this gap too close? I'm afraid if I move it down, my window won't hit the hardtop weather stripping and I'll be back to square one.

rich5962

It looks like your door post is up too high, it's hitting the windshield post. Too much of that can stress the delicate edge of the fiberglass at the base of the door post. Just a observation. If your door is adjusted well, you may want to consider a few more shims at the base of the windshield posts. You could sneak a few in by just slotting the holes in the rubber shims and slide 'em in from the sides.
Of course this will worsen your original problem but.......

....I'm thinking that your hardtop header w/strip is new and looks like if the top could come down a little bit more on top of the door post it may help your problem. Maybe you have more adjustment at the latches.

edit....And one other change after '58 that helped reduce that gap. '58 used that separate hard rubber top cap at the top of the door post, stopping the window front edge. '59 and later used a molded in soft foam top integated as part of the door w/s as seen in Frank's photo. It allows the top front of the glass frame to come up a tad higher which helps reduce the gap.

That upper forward part of the sideglass has always given me troubles. If you look carefully at the design, the top of the glass has a radius(eyeball it from the rear), but the HT and ST both are relatively straight at the area where you see your gap. The front window frame curves down away from the straight top.

Again, sometimes you have to throw away the dial calipers, laser levels, calculators and geometric algorithms and and just get it the best you can.