Preparing for Glass

After months of fabricating and modifying, I'm anxious to begin the bolt-on phase of my rebuild. The rear window seemed a good place to start, so I dragged out the new seal and began installing it on the window frame.


When they packaged the seal, they flipped it a couple of times to make it roll up, but after sitting in the box for several months, the rubber took on a set and didn't want to straighten out. It was like putting handcuffs on a python, but I finally got it in place and taped down. I'll leave it there for a day or two with hopes it will form itself into the proper shape. If not, I may have to roll the car outside to let the sun give it  some help. When I discovered how twisted this seal was, I hung the windshield seal out in the sun.

Spent a couple of hours polishing the stainless steel mouldings that go around the windshield and rear window. Only a couple of pieces to go, but I had to order s few threaded moulding fasteners as several are too rusted to reuse. I should have checked earlier.

I also began cleaning the glass and it's proving difficult. A sharp razor blade and scrubbing with soap and then lacquer thinner removed most of the old, baked-on and stained deposits, and cleaning grade vinegar took off a little more. However, there is a thin line around the outside edge where contact with the rubber seal began. It's almost as if the glass is etched, but might be nothing more than ancient mineral buildup. I'll try soaking in CLR, but if that doesn't work, I'll switch to the Dremel and some aggressive buffing compound.
            

Door Sill Plates

Saw an address on a forum last week for a place that makes reproduction door sills. Mine are corroded and need to be replaced, but good used ones are impossible to find, so I called the place yesterday. The owner wasn’t there, but his friendly, chatty mother answered the phone and explained the business. It’s essentially a one man operation and the owner hand-makes everything. He’s been doing it for 36 years, so this is no fly-by-night business. There is no website as he doesn’t want to advertise his business by more than word-of-mouth.

Obviously, most of his work is for cars not supported by the aftermarket. He’s done lots of Mopars, including the Chrysler Museum, so that should speak to the quality.
Since everything is handmade, delivery times vary widely. She said orders can take from a few weeks to many months. After checking with him later, she said he has some ‘55/’56 Plymouth sills scheduled and that he should be working that batch in 2-3 months. My sills are priced at $275 a set, with a $50 deposit, and no credit cards accepted.
If interested, their contact info is:

Door Sills

81 Graham Ave North
Haledon, NJ 07508

Ph: 973-423-1196

Hip-Hop or This?

I know I previously posted this song done by the best, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, but these kids do it pretty well also. About the time you think the future is impossibly bleak and hopeless, you find a gem that reminds you that there are still kids that work hard, have talent, and can perform music without anti-social gutter language.

Another Paint Day

A beautiful, calm, 70F degree day to work outside, so the insides of the doors and trunk, and the front splash panel are painted. I also touched up the thin spots on the body. If the paint hardens as fast as last time, I should be able to color sand and polish in about five days. Then I can install the doors and trunk lid or even install the rear glass when I get the urge.

I know it would be easier to install the glass and stainless trim before the trunk lid goes on, so that operation might come first. Since I have an extra rear glass, I want to practice the installation technique before I take on the new windshield.

Meanwhile, since the last two rains, the grass is growing faster and the honey-do list is getting longer, so it will likely be a slow week for car progress.

Mystery Moulding Parts List

Thanks to Ray for scanning the visor moulding parts list and emailing it to me. I haven't yet had much time to study it, but the usage seems a bit confusing, so I'll post the picture for others to see what they can make of it.

It appears that it was available on different models, and that it was used on both US and Canadian built cars. Maybe it will become more clear after I have some uninterrupted time to study.

I'm hoping the weather will cooperate and that I can spray on Friday. The ten day forecast is for light winds on that day only.

Mystery Moulding

I sort of stumbled across a partial answer to one of the questions I raised in an earlier post about windshield trim moulding differences. While reading in the service manual how to install the glass, I discovered a note that describes a different procedure if your car is equipped with a “visor moulding”. There were no pictures, but it described how that style upper moulding was mounted with screws through the roof, requiring the headliner to be dropped in front to gain access to the nuts, and that’s the version I have.

The question remains about the purpose of a visor moulding, but at least there is a place to start.  Is it for appearance only, or is it somehow used in conjunction with a factory sun visor?...or is it because the shape is reminiscent of a small sun visor? It looks somewhat like the ’57 and later windshield moulding as it juts away from the glass, so it might be a trim option that influenced styling features in following years. If anyone has a '56 parts manual, I’m curious to know if it’s part of a trim package, or if it has a function. I'm guessing it's for looks only.

I hung the doors on my "new" paint rack in preparation for painting the inside surfaces when I haul out the spray gun to touch-up a couple of thin spots on the body.  At the same time I plan to paint the inside of the trunk and some smaller sheet metal parts. Once the insides are painted, I’ll mount the doors and trunk lid on the body and finish sanding, priming and painting them while they are in place. Though I’d like to spray both sides while they are on the rack, there is a strong chance I’d damage the paint trying to hang them by myself.

Windshield Arrived

The new windshield arrived yesterday, but it took two weeks to ship by freight from Oregon to Texas. It was well packed in a fitted cardboard structure, inside a heavy cardboard box that was strapped to a pallet and protected by a wood framework. I can now understand the shipping cost, but maybe the packaging was a bit overkill. They apparently use a standard-size shipping container for all their windshields, as the box could hold one twice the size of the '56.

I hope I can recruit a helper when its time to install glass. I doubt the local auto glass store would be interested in installing a windshield they don't sell, but maybe I can find a moonlighter willing to take on a side job.

Yesterday I remodeled my car dolly to create a wheeled rack on which I can hang bigger parts for painting. Unfortunately, I paid a price as I twisted my back again, so it looks like light duty for a while. I have enough small jobs to keep me busy, but I'm anxious to put more big parts together so it looks like real progress is being made.

Since it's back to light duty jobs again, instead of working on big sheet metal parts I changed oil and cleaned the carburetor on the rototiller. Though I drain the fuel every winter, the carb was gummed up with green sludge to the point the needle valve barely moved.  The cleaning cured the surge and dying problems, but the choke still has to be half-closed before the engine runs smoothly and has enough power to work under load. Seems like running lean is a common problem with small engines as they wear, but I haven't figured out why.

E-Brake

I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to accomplish several things that are more accessible while the upper dashboard is removed, so priorities change again.

One job I’ve been postponing is replacing the original parking brake handle that operated the transmission mounted brake band to a foot operated emergency brake. The mounting bracket I made is made from 1/8” steel so it’s difficult to bend, but it’s finished and installed…and please forgive the hammer marks!

 The brake mechanism is from a ’79 Aspen parts car, and the different shapes of the kick panels and location of foot operated controls somewhat limit how the pedal can be mounted in the ‘56. It’s higher and sits a t a slightly different angle than I like, but I had to leave room for my foot to reach the dimmer switch without hitting the brake. If I modify the pedal arm, I can improve on the location, but that will wait until the seats and dash are installed so I can get a better feel for the best location.

The upper part of the firewall was also more accessible to install more soundproofing material, so I took care of that. I like quiet cars, so I’m not going to skimp on anything that helps cut road and engine noise.

The Land of Lost Toys...Automotive Version

After installing the new gaskets for the wiper shaft bezels, I learned that just as there is a land of lost toys, there surely must be a land of lost car parts, as so often I find myself spending more time looking for a part I misplaced than I would installing it.

When I removed the dash top to install the defroster vent that I should have installed first, I had better access to the wiper shafts, so it was the perfect time to attach them to the motor. When I went to retrieve the little plastic box of assorted e-clips, it was nowhere to be found. I must have spent an hour looking for that damn box, and finally gave up in disgust. I know that it will show up within days of not needing it, but for now I have to make another trip into town to buy more clips.

Other than that, it's been a week of yard work and I've done little more than repair and polish some stainless trim, patch holes and dents in the trunk lid, and clean up around the shop.

Yard work isn't going much better. The rototiller needs the carburetor cleaned again to keep it from stalling out at full throttle. That's become an annual event. Ditto for the year-old leaf blower. It will only run with the choke half-closed, so it's on the repair list this winter. Don't you just love modern Ethanol laced fuels that constantly gum up the fuel system? The problem might not be severe in cooler climates, but our hot Texas summers cause all sorts of fuel related problems.

Between the idiotic no-spill gas cans that spill and leak more than the old designs, and the need to frequently disassemble fuel systems and solvent clean, I'm releasing far more hydrocarbon vapors into the air than I did thirty years ago...before bureaucrats became smarter than engineers.