63 inner door glass seal installation ?

[Bob W.]

Has anyone used two sided tape instead of the staples to mount the seals to the door panel?

[Ed S.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Bob,
I recently replace my inner seals (the fuzzy ones) and used staples to secure them. I feel your pain - not an easy job. That said, I don't think two sided tape will last very long, not to mention that the new seal is not perfectly shaped and it will need to be bent slightly in a way it doesn't want to go to fit tightly along the correct contour. After trying several options I found one that worked pretty well and it was not difficult. An explanation of the process follows.

- You will need the following: three 1 1/2 inch C clamps; a drill bit that is just slightly larger in diameter than the staple; one long needle nose pliers that have a slight angle to the tips (a wide flat screwdriver will also work); a pair of long narrow pointed vice grips.

Steps follow:
- Position the fuzzy seal as tight as you can get it - using 2 C clamps, secure the seal along about one third of its length.

- Drill two holes through the fuzzy side and though the metal (don't try to use the old holes - almost impossible, getting the holes the correct distance apart is tricky - use a staple to judge the separation of the holes.

- using the needle nose pliers work the staple through the holes - then using the long narrow vice grips clamp the staple in position.

- the legs of the staple should be visible on the back side of the door panel and sticking straight out - still at a 90 degree angle from the horizontal part of the staple.

- take a flat tipped screw driver or the long needle nose pliers - and bent the legs of the staple to the left or right - all you need to do is bend them over about 15 to 25 degrees.
- now with the vice grip still in place, take one the third C clamp and place one of the round compression surfaces on one the bent (tilting) staple legs and just tighten it as much as you can by hand. The C clamp will push the leg down tight against the back of the door panel.
- do the other leg of the staple the same way - and move on to another staple

I can guarantee you that the above procedure works very well - staples are tight as can be. The important thing is to get the seal in the correct position and secure it with 2 C clamps while you drill, position and bend the staple.

Thee worst part is that you have to do this about 8 or 9 times to complete one fuzzy seal. Did I mention that you have to have the door panel off of the door and on a work bench upside down.

-

[Bob W.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Ed thanks for your reply just looking for a easy way to do it.
thanks again Bob

[Ed S.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Bob,
You're welcome - actually, I don't think there is an "easy way". If you attempt my approach I will add that it is important to insert a staple as close as possible to each end of the seal - but these should not be the first staples you install - actually it would be best if they were the last. You already are aware that the seals are almost like sprung steel - they have to be forced into the correct contour then securely stapled in.

I hope someone else responds with an even easier method of installing them.

[Bob W.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Ed
Thanks again my next question was were to start. so now I know not at the ends.
Thank you again
Bob

[Ed S.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Bob
I just did this recently so I remember exactly how I did it. I started from the back and worked towards the front. The first staple went in about 4 to 5 inches from the back end. Drilling holes - obviously the first of the 2 holes for a staple is easy - just drill where you think it should go. The second hole is not that easy. After a few trial and errors I drilled one hole, held the staple with a pair of needle nose pliers, inserted one leg into the hole I just drilled and used the other staple leg as a reference point for the second hole - while still holding the staple with the pliers with one hand, I took the drill and started the second hole where the leg tip met the fuzzy surface.

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Ed's method is very good. Yes a very tedious job.

I have a method that also works well for me. I do this for the 1956 to 1962 window fuzzies and have also used it for the later years with success. I did a 1963 set on the wife's coupe several years ago for the corner reinforcements of the upper/rear channels.

Attached is a write up of the process for the C1 fuzzies and a similar method can be used for the C2 door panel fuzzies but I didn't document that with pictures etc as it was the wife's car and wanted to make her happy ASAP!

The part about my stapling method starts on page 15. A similar approach can be used on the midyears with some variation of the process. The idea is to drill all holes first then you can staple away in a continuous manner.

Rich

[Ed S.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Richard,
Great how-to document, I'm sure C1 owners greatly appreciate it. I wish I had taken pics as I did mine. Regarding the application of your C1 method to a C2 door. Not sure how that could be done for a C1 since it appears that the fuzzie for a C1 is attached to a window frame component that allows the installed staples to be easily accessed. On a C2 the stainless / fuzzie strip is attached to the top of the upholstered door panel and the staple goes through a lip in the door panel that bends over - you have to have the panel on a work bench almost standing upside down to look down to see the unbent staple legs - and there is very little room to work on that side of the door panel. I guess I am missing something.

For BOB WINTERS - I suggest that when you do your C2 fizzies take some pics and write a how-to. I'm sure many would appreciate your effort.

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Ed,

Yes I was thinking the "tape" hole locator method might apply on the panel too. I did the rear channels on the '63 but not the door panels. I'm picturing that curved lip of the panel and thought at least to locate the staple holes using tape on both surfaces and a dental pick idea could work. I'd have to see some photos again of a removed panel.

I wonder how they did it originally. Probably a huge specially configured staple machine. I wonder how the Corvette Interior suppliers do it. Hmmmm, maybe I'll call a contact I have in the business and ask. It may be a secret though.

Rich

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Wow - I've done the 'staple' thing on my C1 window fuzzies, my C1 kick panel windlass and my C2 outer window fuzzies.
Didn't see it as any big deal at all..... Maybe I just wasn't making it hard enough of a task...

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Wow - I've done the 'staple' thing on my C1 window fuzzies, my C1 kick panel windlass and my C2 outer window fuzzies.
Didn't see it as any big deal at all..... Maybe I just wasn't making it hard enough of a task...

I like challenges too and find I make my tasks harder than they need to be sometimes.......but,

....those items you mentioned I agree are easy in comparison to the door panels. It's a very tight and confined area to get the staples installed. The machine they used must have made it easy. Doing it by hand is a PITA because it's hard to get the staple held tight while bending the ends over, all without tearing up the fuzzy stainless bead as well as the fuzzy material.





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[Frank D.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Its worth it to save original door panels....
My SWC had Al Knoch door panels and arm rests - everything else is original though and red as well...

[Ed S.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

I like challenges too and find I make my tasks harder than they need to be sometimes.......but,

....those items you mentioned I agree are easy in comparison to the door panels. It's a very tight and confined area to get the staples installed. The machine they used must have made it easy. Doing it by hand is a PITA because it's hard to get the staple held tight while bending the ends over, all without tearing up the fuzzy stainless bead as well as the fuzzy material.





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Richard,
Regarding your comment about difficulty holding the staples in while bending them over. That is the point in the process where I used a set of small pointy nosed vice grips to clamp the horizontal part of the staple. The vice grips were tight enough to secure the staple without damaging the trip piece or fuzzy material. Then when the staple was securely held by the vice grips I bent the two legs over just enough to get the pressure point of the small 1.5 inch C clamp on to the staple and then slowly tightened it by hand. The C clamp pressed the staple leg down very tight against the back of the door panel. It went surprisingly easy - one staple at a time.

BTW - nice panels - I reinstalled my originals after I installed new or polished trim pieces and hardware. Mine had a date stamp on the back side that was about 3 weeks before my car's build date.

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Yes that vice-grip method is what I use on the C1 fuzzies in my writeup mentioned. I then use needle nose pliers to grab the end of the staple then give it a good squeeze with flatter pliers after the initial bend.

Those panel pics I posted were just from a google search for pics of a set on ebay.

Rich

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 inner door glass seal installation ?

Those panel pics I posted were just from a google search for pics of a set on ebay.

Rich

Which I just bought for next to nothing !!!