This is longish....
Over the last week, Miss Molly the '79 Midget presented some new
challenges as I removed her interior panels for a good cleaning, repairs,
and replacement of the screws. The panels were in decent shape, but
faded and had the usual assortment of scuffs and years of accumulated
greasy grime ground into the grain of the material; the door panels were
severely warped where the cutouts on the door faced the panel. We won't
talk about the three-four pounds of dirt I found behind the the assorted
panels....
A good cleaning with Castrol Super Clean and soft bristled scrub brush
took care of the dirt on the panels, as well as getting rid of that musty
odor. Getting rid of the warps in the door panels was handled a bit
differently:
I washed the panels in hot water, and while they were still wet (but not
dripping), I 'squeegeed' out as much of the remaining water as I could.
Then I spread out a couple of old bath towels on the floor, placed the
panels on top the towels, and covered with two more towels. I laid a row
of paving bricks (should've used a piece of heavy plywood as easier to
use) across the top of each panel which flattened them considerably).
Then, I weighted the top of the bricks with a set of small block Chevy
heads (we've rebuilt them for a friend's Corvette -- I figured that the
close contact might make some reliability rub off). The next morning, I
replaced the towels with dry ones. The panels were flat, and had not
distorted, but were still damp. When I returned that evening, they were
dry and still flat.
Yesterday, having finished my floorboard repairs, I went to reinstall the
panels. I cleaned the doors out, removed the surface rust, etc, and cut
a piece of 30 pound tar felt to sandwich between the door and the panel.
I also lubed the window and latch mechanisms (amazing how much better
they work now).
At this point, the left window *fell out* of its bottom track.
Evidently, at some point in the past, it was necessary to replace the
left door (accident, I think). The rubber channel that secures the
window glass to the track had rotted away, and the DPM (who in all other
respects, did some pretty good work) simply wrapped a strip of duct tape
along the edge of the glass, stuck the assembly back in place, and let it
go.
So at 4:00 in the afternoon on Sunday I was stuck without the proper part
to repair the window. Enter the Signficant Other. A quick word about my
Ann: She not only assists me with working on Miss Molly ("Pump the
pedal, Honey!") she doesn't view Molly as the 'other woman,' and will
even come keep me company when I'm tinkering. The woman is a saint, or,
at the very least, a keeper.
Anyway, Ann heard me cussing, and suggested that we see if we can find a
piece of flexible rubber channel, or a piece of flexible rubber that can
be wrapped around the glass, at the hardware store. We measured the
glass and channel, and off we went. Couldn't find any channel, so we
ended buying a threshold seal for a house door. This is the rubber piece
that inserts into the threshold plate at the bottom of the door frame of
the house to seal out drafts. This one was 36" by 3" which is enough for
two windows; it is also ribbed on one side.
Once home I cleaned out the track channel in the door, cut the seal to
length, and rolled it lengthwise into a 'C' shape so that the ribs were
to the inside. I then coated the outside (smooth side) with a thin coat
of black silicone weather stripping sealant/adhesive, and slid the seal
into the channel. I then put a thin coat of the sealant on the inside of
the channel and slid the window back into place. The glass was 3/16" and
the channel was 5/16". The seal we bought was 1/16" so the fit was snug
(3/16" plus 1/16" on either side of the glass equals 5/16"). The ribs
seem to be holding the glass in place.
Everything worked. And it only cost $2.67 plus the sealant.
I don't know who was more pleased, Ann or me. She was pretty tickled to
be able to make a suggestion that not only worked but worked with minimal
fuss. She deserves the credit for this fix.
I don't know how well the panels will hold up after it starts to get
humid, but I'm hopeful. And if they don't hold their shape, then this
winter I'll pull all the panels again, break out the table saw and band
saw, and make a new set out of plywood. The panels are all flat, so it
shouldn't require a great deal of effort.
FWIW, I also found the hoses running to the defroster vents were cracked.
Oddly enough, some hose from an old vacuum cleaner accessory kit was
just the right diameter, and is much more flexible.
Next week. I pull the seats and raise them an inch. Pray for me.
Rich
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