Bloo Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 Some professional tools: And the more common style. This one lays the blade down, about like you would do with the antique knife, except with the antique knife the hand holding it would be more out of the way of the hand holding the material edge. Not quite sure what this guy is doing in the picture. There's no alligator strip under a rubber gasket, and he's not holding on to the edge of the material. Maybe he's related to this person: Or this one: 2 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 @Bloo did a good job of describing the headliner installation process. I was going to say that installing a new headliner is easier in that there is more excess material on the sides before it is trimmed off. That allows you to hold the free edge in one hand as you tuck the headliner into the crevice using the knife. Once the headliner is taught and the wrinkles have been removed, the last step is to trim the excess material and tuck the remainder up into the crack, just as Bloo described. Good news is you should be able to tuck the new windlace into place without disturbing the headliner. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 I am still a little confused about how this is going to happen without taking the headliner edge down, but I'm not going to tell you you can't do it. Keep us posted on how it goes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted November 1, 2022 Share Posted November 1, 2022 Great job, keep the progress going in GRAND fashion. Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted November 1, 2022 Author Share Posted November 1, 2022 I got the B pillar posts recovered so, one more thing out of the way. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted November 14, 2022 Author Share Posted November 14, 2022 (edited) Well, the windlace install is coming along, the only hiccup so far is the B pillar post/cover is not fitting exactly how it came off leaving a gap at the top. I have no idea how to rectify this but, if you all have any ideas, I'm all ears. Installing windlace is a lot of work (time consuming) even if you have the headliner down, it's a ton of work. I had to sew so many things to the windlace before I could even start to mount it. In this car, I had to sew cardboard at various spots for it to hook over the metal tabs, there was also a piece of headliner sewed at one point and a small amount of baby blue vinyl that had to be attached to the bottom back. For the front lower portion, a small, thin length of welting/cording had to be sewn into the fabric side of the windlace to allow it to slide into the channel at the bottom by the kick panel (lower left in the 1st pic). I was hoping to have both sides done this weekend but, I'm only about 7/8ths of the way done on one side. That's easily 20 hours of my time just to get this far. I don't believe taking down the headliner would have made this any faster. It's a tedious process of attaching two points ahead, getting one point before that in the right spot and repeat (that's for the top portion). The vertical runs involved either tacking it to impregnated cardboard or sliding it into a preformed channel. Despite my best efforts, it's not a premium result but, better than it was before. Hopefully, I can do better on the passenger side. Lessons learned: 1) Start at the center (B pillar in my case) and hook the windlace at only one or two points then install the B pillar cover paying close attention to the corners 2) The windlace fabric will not make a right angle turn without relief cuts on the end 3) Use a two step forward, one step back approach to get the windlace to sit correctly in the channel (meaning lightly hook the windlace at two points ahead of the point you want to work with so the weight of the windlace doesn't fight you while you're trying to get it to sit right) Edited November 14, 2022 by usnavystgc (see edit history) 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted November 16, 2022 Share Posted November 16, 2022 Thank you for the great write up and lessons learned. Will be a big help for anyone who follows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted November 17, 2022 Share Posted November 17, 2022 On 11/14/2022 at 12:58 PM, usnavystgc said: ...if you all have any ideas, I'm all ears. Can you use a short piece of windlace to fill the gap? Maybe cut the ends to follow the curved intersection with the door opening and leave enough excess covering to sew the raw edge closed (i.e., wrap it around the back side and tack it)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted November 28, 2022 Author Share Posted November 28, 2022 (edited) I finally got everything done (that I'm going to do) on Beaut's interior yesterday. All windlace is installed, kick panels replaced, package tray replaced, rear side inserts replaced, seats reupholstered, new carpet, recovered two armrests, cleaned headliner (although you can't tell), re-stitched and cleaned the sun visors, cleaned all the door skins and did an overall general cleaning. That was a lot of work After all that, I took it for a nice drive to enjoy the fruits of my labor. She ran and drove great. This is likely the best this interior will ever look so, I took a bunch of pics Edited November 28, 2022 by usnavystgc (see edit history) 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 (edited) Looks plenty good for the girls I go with. Ben Edited November 29, 2022 by Ben Bruce aka First Born (see edit history) 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 I'd be happy to have anything close to being that nice in my 56 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 Looks fantastic! Something to be really proud of. What’s next….. before the sewing machine cools off? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 Looks fantastic! BZ!!! You should be proud of that outcome. Try not to smile too broadly the next time that someone asks you: "Who did your upholstery?" 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted November 29, 2022 Author Share Posted November 29, 2022 16 hours ago, KAD36 said: What’s next I think the next thing on the agenda will be to fix the torque ball leak/tranny leak(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 9 hours ago, usnavystgc said: ...the next thing on the agenda will be to fix the torque ball leak... I feel your pain! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 You did a great job on interior looks awesome Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 Wow! Great job. This is one lucky car to fallen into your hands! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 6, 2022 Author Share Posted December 6, 2022 @Smartin, is this polished enough? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 Beautiful ! , very good work ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 Maybe too much on the polish. A NOS one that I got a few years ago had a 36 grit finish. Your question in another post asked about compatible torque ball: probably any mid fifties if used with the available outer torque ball retainers with the rubber. I forgot that 56 for a while used rubber on the torque ball and that would generate a different part number. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 6, 2022 Author Share Posted December 6, 2022 5 minutes ago, old-tank said: I forgot that 56 for a while used rubber on the torque ball and that would generate a different part number. Thanks Willie, Yep, this one had rubber on the torque ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 9, 2022 Author Share Posted December 9, 2022 (edited) I have to share with you all something I stumbled upon last night while installing the torque ball. I was working by myself, loosening the ratchet straps then going back to the tranny to see if it was aligned (what a pain), I had a floor jack under the pumpkin sideways so if the ratchet straps gave too much, the rear end would not slam into the torque ball. Sure enough, that's what happened, the ratchet straps loosened much more than one click and they became loose. The jack being sideways did not allow the rear end to move. I slowly turned the jack parallel to the rear wheels and pushed it a bit with my foot. I went back and forth to the tranny to check for alignment and slowly moved it into place. All of this is nothing new and I'm sure done before but, what I did next was pure genius (lol). When the splines bottomed out on the top of the female part of the u-joint, I could no longer push the rear forward with my foot because it would not line up. I needed two people, me to hold the prop shaft in alignment and another to push the rear forward. Out of sheer curiosity, I grabbed my largest vice grip, opened it wide enough to go over both flanges and squeezed it tight. This not only aligned the shaft with u-joint splines, it also moved it forward about a 1/2 inch into place. I tightened the vice grip a couple of turns and tried it again and voila, it moved farther into place. I was able to keep doing this until both flanges were close enough together to start the bolts. I did not have to squeeze the vice grip very hard to get the movement, it pretty much slid right in. I thought to myself, it cant be this easy can it but, it was.. Once I got the bolts started, I used them to draw it the rest of the way in. I hope this is a good way to do it and I hope this helps someone in the future. Edited December 9, 2022 by usnavystgc (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 Glad it all worked out for you. Why are you using ratchet straps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 9, 2022 Author Share Posted December 9, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said: Why are you using ratchet straps? Smartin put out a video on how to do it that way and it seemed the easiest way to do it. I used them to pull the rear end away from the tranny to allow enough room to remove and replace the torque ball. The method allows you to replace the torque ball seal without removing the soft brake line and springs. Edited December 9, 2022 by usnavystgc (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 The last one I did would not line up and I was more than frustrated. Went back to the house, cracked cold beer. When I went back it had slid in place. Vice grips and channel locks are your friend. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 2 hours ago, usnavystgc said: Smartin put out a video on how to do it that way and it seemed the easiest way to do it. I used them to pull the rear end away from the tranny to allow enough room to remove and replace the torque ball. The method allows you to replace the torque ball seal without removing the soft brake line and springs. I asked because I find removing the brake line/hard pan and coil springs the entire assembly is free to do just about anything you want it to. It is one man job for me when I do it this way. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 9, 2022 Author Share Posted December 9, 2022 21 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said: It is one man job for me when I do it this way. But, then you have to bleed the brakes, that's what I was trying to avoid, it just adds so much time and mess (probably because I haven't perfected that yet). I'm sure your way is great though. This is my first time thru this so, I just did a lot of research and relied on others for advice. It did work well but, I'm sure its not the only way to skin a cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 Just now, usnavystgc said: But, then you have to bleed the brakes, that's what I was trying to avoid, it just adds so much time and mess (probably because I haven't perfected that yet). I'm sure your way is great though. This is my first time thru this so, I just did a lot of research and relied on others for advice. It did work well but, I'm sure its not the only way to skin a cat. That cat has a lot of skin! LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 (edited) Thanks for your tip with vise grips Bob EDIT: could you have made guide pins to aid in alignment of both flanges? Edited December 9, 2022 by NailheadBob Update (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 11, 2022 Author Share Posted December 11, 2022 On 12/9/2022 at 2:06 PM, NailheadBob said: could you have made guide pins to aid in alignment of both flanges? Absolutely I could have but honestly there was no need for them. The vise grip trick worked so perfectly, I was able to draw the torque tube close enough to start the bolts with ease. It really worked so good, I encourage all to try it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 6 hours ago, usnavystgc said: Absolutely I could have but honestly there was no need for them. I had the same experience the other day with my '38. I thought about making alignment pins, but decided to try without. I released my ratchet strap until the driveshaft splines touched the tourque-ball socket. I put the trans in high gear and turned the flywheel to align the U-joint splines with the driveshaft and then completely released the strap. I was then able to get the shaft engaged into the socket far enough to grab the flanges with the vice-grips just by wiggling the torque tube. The vice-grips then pulled them together close enough and held them so I could start the first flange bolt. Worked great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 Well, the full test of the torque tube repair/seal got delayed by fuel problems. The car kept losing power at speeds above 40 and sometimes even less. It turned out to be a failure of the electric fuel pump I installed last summer. I replaced that with one with a lifetime guarantee from O'Reilly's and the fuel problems were solved. With that problem solved, I took her for a long drive (30 plus miles) Saturday and she performed flawlessly. No vibrations in the driveline and best of all, no leaks from the torque ball. I can only hope that will last for a long time. I'm calling the torque tube seal refurbishment a success. A big thank you to all who assisted me with this endeavor and gave me the confidence to tackle it. For me, this was a huge undertaking but, thanks to you all, I was able to get it done. I can't help but think back to when I first came to this forum and @JohnD1956, @KAD36, @Ben Bruce aka First Born, @old-tank @EmTee and many others schooled me about how the torque ball/prop shaft system worked. A big thank you to @Smartin for the video that really filled in the last pieces of the puzzle for me to take this on. The advice to polish the torque ball just makes so much sense to give the seal a smooth area to not only seal to but, to ensure long life of the rubber by providing minimal wear to rub it away over time. For anyone attempting this, I highly recommend polishing the torque ball. Yes, it's a pain in the butt however, I see it as good insurance to extend the life of this repair. If the torque ball does develop any leaks, I will be sure to let everyone know however, I'm pretty confident in this repair and I see no reason for it to develop any. I also managed to replace the gear oil in the rear end. I'm sure I wasn't able to get it all out but, I did manage to put almost two quarts in it after I drained what I could. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 12 minutes ago, usnavystgc said: I can only hope that will last for a long time. If it is like mine it will last 14 years and 60,000 miles...maybe more since the ball is polished. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 I rang in the New Year with as many friends as I could fit in Beaut. We had a grand old time. 6 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Looks like the upholstery passed the test! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernFirepower Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 That's awesome! Looks like fun had by all...and in comfort! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 13 hours ago, usnavystgc said: I rang in the New Year with as many friends as I could fit in Beaut. We had a grand old time. Just the reason that model was built and bought! A beaut indeed! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 13 hours ago, usnavystgc said: I rang in the New Year with as many friends as I could fit in Beaut. We had a grand old time. Did you actually go anywhere, or did all of you just sit in the car for the stroke of midnight? Seriously though, I'm happy to see that you're now able to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Happy New Year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 3 hours ago, Machine Gun said: Did you actually go anywhere We were driving earlier but, we wanted to get a pic so we stopped at another friends to have them take the pics. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usnavystgc Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 As many of you know, I'm currently working on the Roadie but, I'm always planning my next move. Which is... to replace the rubber seals on the doors of Beaut. I don't see a lot of talk about this on here. Is that because it's just easy? It appears to be the most expensive endeavor I will embark on to date. The seals alone are about $500. Do any of you have experience with this and is there any advice you can give me while I'm in the preparation mode for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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