Hello all, I am hard at work getting my 51 Pontiac air tight and rattle free. I just recieved the new w.s. kit and started scraping the old dried and cracked stuff off. Before I get to far I want to know the steps. 1: get the old rubber off, putty knife & wire brush 2: prime and paint the door 3: clean the rubber 4: glue the new stuff on Should I take the doors off to install? The front door kit comes with a flat peice of rubber about 9" wide that goes on the hinge side and behind the front fender. I have no idea how to re-install this with out taking off the fenders and doors ugg! On the bottom of the doors are half moon tabs that get bent over. I straighted them out, is there a trick or tool to pinch them over the new weather strip? Any pearls of wisdom would be great Thanks Zack
I can't answer your questions, but your car is looking great! If you don't already have one, there is a 1949 - 1954 Pontiac repair manual on Amazon for $20. http://www.amazon.com/1949-1954-Pon...nt/dp/B00435K9HW/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=AS2T0LJV74J70
Sorry, I'm about as helpful as PineBox. Grab that manual. It will help in many ways. Good looking wagon. Good luck.
I had a LOT of fun in a blue 1951 Cheiftan sedan with a cheerleader from another high school, when it was just a very old car. The backseat was as big as a motel room - you could almost stand up back there! The car had a straight eight and three on the tree. The cheerleader had, well, she had it all. Her older brother owned a speed shop.
Very disappointing.---------- A perfect ending to this story would be--you married the chearleader, restored the Pontiac, and the brother left the speed shop business to you. You and all your little cheerleaders lived happy ever after.
This site might help too. http://www.oldirononline.com/ I found a 1956 Caddy Shop Manual (reprint) in a back alley moving box, that somebody threw out, but I doubt that would help. 3M make a paint-safe and rubber-safe 'adhesive remover' for removing rubber and trim glue. The body-shop supply shops should carry it. You wipe it on and leave it for a half hour, and the glue starts to peel off fairly easy. Then use mineral spirits to finish the clean up. Scraping in those tight ridges is a real pain to get smooth after. I'd use a chunk of wood (just wide enough to cover the clips and not hit the main metal edge) and a rubber mallet to crimp those half-moon clips/hold-downs.
I'm going to add door weatherstripping, too, to my 1950 Pontiac wagon. Just bought door kits from Steele Rubber Products. I looked at the stripping on an original 1949 Pontiac sedan and noticed that those half moon tabs on the door bottom were NOT bent over, they just provided a guide for the rubber. The instruction sheet from Steele does not say the doors need to be removed. But if it makes it easier, why not? Good luck to us both!
