Is there a difference in 56-57 vintage windshield posts and 61-62 vintage?

I an restoring a 57 for a buddy, and the previous shop it was in has robbed him blind on parts. The door posts are gone, and I have been unable to find a good set of 57 door posts. I think the owner will be fine with putting the new repro 62 style door posts on the car, but are the 62 style posts compatible with the 57 vintage WS post? I know I will have to use the 62 style weatherstrip. I just can not believe how many parts went missing in this other shop!



Regards, John McGraw

 

John;
I can't picture leaving a car with many irreplaceable parts disassembled for rebuilding in some ones unguarded care. The internet is complete with outrageous parts & pieces prices one has little control who visits, looks, takes pictures, souvenirs, or merely " borrows " things with the promise of return at a later date. There is probably no inventory sheet, bagged fasteners, or pictures of how it requires assembly either. Just a bad situation getting worse. Its a frustrating experience hopefully few experience.

 

Anybody have an answer as to whether the 62 style door posts are compatible with the original 57 WS posts?



Regards, John McGraw

 

John, '57 AIM shows 3723247/8 for door posts; '62 AIM shows
3762557/8 for door posts and I seem to recall other part #s for those in between, so I would guess that your answer is NO.
Even if you could make them work, the quality level that you work at would seem to dictate "no shortcuts" - you wouldn't be happy at less that 100%. They're out there. Right now someone's trying to figure out a price for his PM to you.

 

The later models have tapped holes for the visors.
They should work just fine.

Tony
Sorry, I missunderstood ,you said door post.

 

Loren,

I appreciate the comments, and you are correct, if it was my decision, I would just keep looking until I found the right cores! I usually only do cars on spec, so I do not have to worry about having to answer to anyone but myself during the restoration, but this car is a little different. I am doing this car for a friend, and the car has been a clusterf**k since day one. He had the car at another shop for a couple of years and then has had it sitting at his house for almost 7 years after that. The car came to me with the assurance that the body had been media blasted and all body work had been done and several coats of high build primer had been shot, The car was going to need a little block sanding and a paint job, and that was it.

It is now almost 8 months latter and the body had to come off, the complete chassis had to be restored (including rust repair to the frame, and the engine a rear end had to be completely rebuilt. There are so many parts that have been lost, stolen, or whatever, that it is not even funny.
The media blasting of the body all but ruined it, and the shop just shot primer over cracks and bad body work.

He is never going to show the car, and he just wants a very correct looking car that is reliable enough to drive. The new repro door posts are only made in the 61-62 style, and while they will work, it would require the use of 62 style weatherstrip. Paul Mazut called me this afternoon and confirmed that all 56-62 windshield posts are exactly the same, so the door posts would work, but would just not be correct for judging.

I am going to let him make the decision, as he has a huge amount of money in the car already, and I have not even started on the interior yet. Hopefully, a set of decent 57 cores will pop up in the next couple of weeks.

This is the last restoration-for-hire that I am going to do for a long. long time.



Regards, John McGraw

 

Hi John,
That sounds like something that I would get into......LOL. Just for information, you'll have to purchase both 57 and 61/2 weatherstrip. You'll use the "post" half from the 62, and the rear half from the 57. The 61/2 rubber is completely different at the rear of the door. You might be able to cut the molded/metal piece off of the back, and stretch the rest when you install it. The post side will fit the windshield fine. I usually splice at the bottom of the door.

Mike Coletta