Vintique door glass felt kit install help

[drfromnc]

I ordered a Vintique door glass felt kit this week for my 34 pickup and unboxed it to find that I don’t know where some of the pieces fit.

It came with 4 felt covered channel with hooks or clips riveted to the ends. These are the side channels.

There are 2 soft rubber u channels (about 2’ long each) that appear to be the top seal and needs to be glued to bottom side of the door top cover, rubber channel pointing down so glass can seat into it. This sound correct?

Lastly, there are 4 tiny rubber bump stops. About an 1” long and maybe 1/4” tall. Two of them have a round top and the other two have angled top. I don’t know where these are installed?

 

[petehoovie]

I ordered a Vintique door glass felt kit this week for my 34 pickup and unboxed it to find that I don’t know where some of the pieces fit.

It came with 4 felt covered channel with hooks or clips riveted to the ends. These are the side channels.

There are 2 soft rubber u channels (about 2’ long each) that appear to be the top seal and needs to be glued to bottom side of the door top cover, rubber channel pointing down so glass can seat into it. This sound correct?

Lastly, there are 4 tiny rubber bump stops. About an 1” long and maybe 1/4” tall. Two of them have a round top and the other two have angled top. I don’t know where these are installed?

 

[Karl Wescott]

I am not sure the pickups used these, I don't have a door handy to check. On a coupe or sedan these are anti-rattle bumpers that go onto the bottom of the garnish molding and the flange on the door just under the bottom of the window opening. There will be rectangular holes in the flanges. They were also used on 1935 and early 1936 pickup.

 

[drfromnc]

I am not sure the pickups used these, I don't have a door handy to check. On a coupe or sedan these are anti-rattle bumpers that go onto the bottom of the garnish molding and the flange on the door just under the bottom of the window opening. There will be rectangular holes in the flanges. They were also used on 1935 and early 1936 pickup.

Thanks Karl, yes my 34 pu has a rectangular hole on inside door flange just under bottom of door.



But the side channels DO NOT FIT. I am able to slide the bottom tab into each of the door channel and pull them up slightly so tab slides up a bit but they are all too short for hook to attach. Am I too trim some of the metal from door channel so I can hook them at the top or what?

 

[petehoovie]

Thanks Karl, yes my 34 pu has a rectangular hole on inside door flange just under bottom of door.



But the side channels DO NOT FIT. I am able to slide the bottom tab into each of the door channel and pull them up slightly so tab slides up a bit but they are all too short for hook to attach. Am I too trim some of the metal from door channel so I can hook them at the top or what?

 

[Karl Wescott]

Based on examining the remains of an original 1927 window run felt, and the same attachment scheme for the run felt 1926-31 and pickups 1926-34, my conclusion is the ORIGINAL window run felt was a rubber channel with felt bonded to it, then clips attached. As new this would have been quite elastic so latch the clip in at the top, stretch the felt to engage the bottom clip, and it snaps back into place.


That type of window run felt is no longer made. So Vintique uses a similar shape window run felt that has internal steel reinforcing (allowing it to follow the curve of later 1930's through 1960's windows). It is not nearly as stretchy as the (presumed) original style. I have been able to install several Vintique kits but it does require effort to stretch them to engage the clips.


Measure the distance between where the clips need to engage on the door, and where they are on the run felt. If they are the same then you likely just need more effort to stretch them (note... thats about 1/4 inch of stretch).


Hope this helps.

 

[rich b]

Maybe I've been lucky; but I have always been able to hook the bottom, let the bottom hook slide up in the elongated slot, hook the top, and then let the channel slide down into place.

I don't know how much too short your channels are; but wonder if it would be possible to cut the slot in the bottom of the track to let the channel slide up into place.

I used to make my own channels, riveting original hooks onto new channels.

Another option may to be to remove one of the hooks from the channel and riveting it back on a little lower; or if it was too short to permit, make some longer hooks out of sheet metal and rivet them in place. I've used both tubular brass rivets and aluminum pop rivets with the pin removed.

 

[drfromnc]

Great ideas Karl and Rich.

Rich, I had same thought, in the middle of the night, about elongating the hole at the bottom of the channel. Especially the removable one.

 

[rich b]

Not sure how pick-up door tops work; but if they are like some others, be sure to leave the rubber strip long enough that it extends over the fuzzy channels. This keeps them from lifting up and possibly coming unhooked due to friction on the glass going up. Probably not a problem with the thinner metric glass they make now; but I learned that long ago when glass was still a full 1/4" thick.

 

[drfromnc]

Not sure how pick-up door tops work; but if they are like some others, be sure to leave the rubber strip long enough that it extends over the fuzzy channels. This keeps them from lifting up and possibly coming unhooked due to friction on the glass going up. Probably not a problem with the thinner metric glass they make now; but I learned that long ago when glass was still a full 1/4" thick.

Thanks for the tip.

By the way, got 3 of 4 side channels installed yesterday by elongating the bottom slots a tad and a slight stretch to hook them at the top. Now gotta paint the last metal channel to install it and felt channel over the top.

Now last question on door glass. The lower channel that is pressed over the bottom of the glass along with some setting tape has a large hole to slide in the regulator arm. Does large hole point towards front or back of door?

 

[Karl Wescott]

A comment on the "setting tape". Ford 1931 (slant window) through 1935 used a special channel with a flap molded as part of it. This flap went to the inside and provided a bit of a wind seal to the top of the door opening. Carpenter, Drake, and Vintique all make it, I stock Carpenters.

 

[drfromnc]

Thanks gents for all the help. Got both door glass’ installed as well as felt side channels, and top rubber seals glued on. On to the next task.