'83 Cutlass Cruiser Build Thread
- Thread starter Blake442
- Start date
Blake,
Sorry man, I forgot that you welded in the studs...much better results.
Regarding the window channels, the forward/ top piece is fairly easy to match, it's the upright piece parallel to the B pillar that no one reproduces.
Hopefully, you can reuse those pieces without any problems. It's amazing how brittle they become over the years.[/QUOTE]
Fantastic progress! Do you need a working vacation in sunny New Mexico? I would welcome an experienced hand guiding me in replacing the window felts and glass channels, plus repairing the tailgate locking/latching mechanism. Of course, I'll have to wait until you get your wagon back together, first...
All expenses paid? lol I'll come put together whatever you want!
I got laid off a couple weeks ago, so I've got plenty of free-time!
That's why I've been able to get so much done on mine...
The more I look at the window felts, the more obvious it is that I need to pull the windows back out and get them fitting properly.
All I need to do is slot the holes more, I guess I just got impatient after all the time I had already spent on them...
Yesterday I buttoned up my gate cable fiasco, and then spent a bunch of time cleaning up the 1/4 glass to get it ready to install.
When I got home I ordered up more clips for the 1/4 window moldings and my carpet had been delivered too.
My goal for this week is to get everything ready for the glass to go in... we'll see how far I get...
I got laid off a couple weeks ago, so I've got plenty of free-time!
That's why I've been able to get so much done on mine...
The more I look at the window felts, the more obvious it is that I need to pull the windows back out and get them fitting properly.
All I need to do is slot the holes more, I guess I just got impatient after all the time I had already spent on them...
Yesterday I buttoned up my gate cable fiasco, and then spent a bunch of time cleaning up the 1/4 glass to get it ready to install.
When I got home I ordered up more clips for the 1/4 window moldings and my carpet had been delivered too.
My goal for this week is to get everything ready for the glass to go in... we'll see how far I get...
Southwest Airlines has fare sales. We shall see.
Meanwhile, Fairchild Industries sells 'Glass Run Channel'. Here is a snip from their product page. While you have one pulled from the car, check the see if anything Fairchild offers might be a near-match. You'd have to miter and glue the corners. I have this vague notion that the one in the lower left corner looks like the G-body material...perhaps you could give them a call....
http://afproducts.automotivefairchi...rstrip-trim-seal-products/glass-run-channels?
Meanwhile, Fairchild Industries sells 'Glass Run Channel'. Here is a snip from their product page. While you have one pulled from the car, check the see if anything Fairchild offers might be a near-match. You'd have to miter and glue the corners. I have this vague notion that the one in the lower left corner looks like the G-body material...perhaps you could give them a call....
http://afproducts.automotivefairchi...rstrip-trim-seal-products/glass-run-channels?
Eh, at this point I'd rather have a used piece for the RF so it matches the other 3 doors.
Today I spent some more time on the front window felts.
The rears weren't as bad, and I didn't feel like taking the glass and vents out again... so I left them.
For the fronts, one window is still out, and the other I just lowered the stop, so it wasn't an issue.
I had to do a lot of trimming around the ends, and a lot of bending but I managed to make them a little better.
I'm still not very happy with them. They just don't fit the door properly. Oh well, I'm stuck with em...
After that I cleaned up the beaded trim piece that slides below the lower 1/4 window trim along the beltline.
I'm going to try buttering it up with a heavy layer of plasti-dip to try and replicate the o.e. material.
If it works, awesome! If it turns out shitty, I'll just leave them off the car...
If I could find some bulk material I could easily make my own, I just don't know of a source.
Tomorrow I'll re-shoot the black pieces and make sure everything else is ready to rock for the glass to be installed.
Today I spent some more time on the front window felts.
The rears weren't as bad, and I didn't feel like taking the glass and vents out again... so I left them.
For the fronts, one window is still out, and the other I just lowered the stop, so it wasn't an issue.
I had to do a lot of trimming around the ends, and a lot of bending but I managed to make them a little better.
I'm still not very happy with them. They just don't fit the door properly. Oh well, I'm stuck with em...
After that I cleaned up the beaded trim piece that slides below the lower 1/4 window trim along the beltline.
I'm going to try buttering it up with a heavy layer of plasti-dip to try and replicate the o.e. material.
If it works, awesome! If it turns out shitty, I'll just leave them off the car...
If I could find some bulk material I could easily make my own, I just don't know of a source.
Tomorrow I'll re-shoot the black pieces and make sure everything else is ready to rock for the glass to be installed.
Worked on some smaller bits today.
Finished up spraying the Plasti-Dip on the garnish bead pieces. Hopefully it turns out not shitty...
Then I scuffed and resprayed the black trim pieces. Much better.
After that I polished up the marker lite lenses and masked and repainted the silver around the edge.
Happy with that I did that same for the license plate lite.
My repop plate bucket was short shot along the bottom/most visible edge, so I had to mask and respray the black on that as well.
It looks shiny in the pic because it was still wet...
Finished up spraying the Plasti-Dip on the garnish bead pieces. Hopefully it turns out not shitty...
Then I scuffed and resprayed the black trim pieces. Much better.
After that I polished up the marker lite lenses and masked and repainted the silver around the edge.
Happy with that I did that same for the license plate lite.
My repop plate bucket was short shot along the bottom/most visible edge, so I had to mask and respray the black on that as well.
It looks shiny in the pic because it was still wet...
Today I finished getting all of my windshield and 1/4 window trim ready to go.
Once my clips show up I'm ready to rock. I'll call the glass guy tomorrow and have him order the windshield.
After that I cleaned up the drip-rail trim pieces the best I could and installed them.
I wish I had the money to get all the aluminum bits re-anodized, but it's just too expensive...
Earlier this week I ordered up my headliner material, so I got started stripping the old material off.
I got the smaller rear portion done and called it a day. I'll do the big part tomorrow.
Once my clips show up I'm ready to rock. I'll call the glass guy tomorrow and have him order the windshield.
After that I cleaned up the drip-rail trim pieces the best I could and installed them.
I wish I had the money to get all the aluminum bits re-anodized, but it's just too expensive...
Earlier this week I ordered up my headliner material, so I got started stripping the old material off.
I got the smaller rear portion done and called it a day. I'll do the big part tomorrow.
Blake,
It's good to see that the car is coming together. The quarter window bead strips actually have a rubberized type coating on them, much like Plasti-dip. It's definitely worth a try.
I ended up leaving those strips off. One was in good shape, the others were kinda salt corroded.
I wonder if there is a source for them in bulk, like the window sweeps. I would even consider a rubber or plastic strip that has a similar bead which would continue with the window sweep bead.
It's good to see that the car is coming together. The quarter window bead strips actually have a rubberized type coating on them, much like Plasti-dip. It's definitely worth a try.
I ended up leaving those strips off. One was in good shape, the others were kinda salt corroded.
I wonder if there is a source for them in bulk, like the window sweeps. I would even consider a rubber or plastic strip that has a similar bead which would continue with the window sweep bead.
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