door assembly

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-11 22:43

Well, got my door panel done with nothing to hang it on, so logical next thing is to get the passenger door assembled. I had already installed the Electric Life power window assembly before I painted. I had also completed the fuzzy channel assembly, and wing window assembly, so not much to do but get everything installed. In order of what needs to be assembled first, I installed the new door handle, and new button assembly. I had found a NOS door latch assembly, and that needs to go on before the new door key lock. I was also lucky enough to find a nos lock tailpiece.
I cleaned up and repainted the door handle release mechanism and got that installed. 3M strip caulking works great for sealing the splined post to the inner door panel. Next to go in was the vent window assembly..totally rebuilt including new repro handle assembly, all new rubber and glass. The vent window will have to be moved a little after the channel is put in to loosen the rain gutter, so screws are just snug at this point. As with the window channel, all steel pieces were sandblasted and refinished, and all the stainless was restored. Note the channel has a bead, or finger, protruding past the end of the channel where it butts against the divider bar. this "extra" piece fits under the stainless rain gutter (see pic 011).

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-11 22:54

The door handle assembly, bth, has really oddball size screws..12-24's. Unless your replacing all screws anyway, don't lose them..they're hard to find. I am replacing all screws throughout the car with SS, and actually was able to locate come 12-24's at Fastenal..special order. Not sure why I ordered flat heads, but they work ok.
One note of assembly caution: make sure that finger on the steel brace the channel attaches to slides into the receptical for it on the inside of the door.
oops..forgot more pics
pic 009 shows how I routed the worm drive tube for the electric windows...it's the white tube over the door latch and under the glass channel. I ran it up into the door window frame.
The window anti-rattlers come preformed, and have the clips attached to the ones that fit on the door. The ones that fit on the garnish rails do not have clip..they are stapled on.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-11 23:19

I also got the spring-loaded contact switch installed in the door jamb and wired to the electric windows. That drill motor battery has been working out real well for me checking out electrical stuff as I go. It's a 14 volt battery, but with the short spurts I use it for and the low amps, I don't think the 14 volts would cause any problems.
Tommorrow I'll get the glass installed. With all the problems I had with the drivers door seal, I'm going to install this door without the seal and get it adjusted before I put the seal on. It's alot easier on the bench, but I had a heck of a time even getting my door to close, never mind halfway adjusted with the new seal. We'll see how adding the seal after works out.
Rich

Ecode70D · 2013-01-12 12:01

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2013-01-11 22:43
I had found a NOS door latch assembly, and that needs to go on before the new door key lock.

Rich your door project looks good and everything is nice and clean. You have a lot of patience.

I don't want to rob your thread, but I am in desperate need of a right door latch assembly for the right/passenger side. Mine has too much play and the door will not close tightly no matter how much I adjust the striker plate. I tried it with and without the door seal and it is still loose in the door opening.
the driver side fits nicely. The only thing wrong that I could find is that the door latch has over 1/2 inch of play and the pin is badly worn

If the one that you are taking off does not have excessive play, I would like to buy it from you if possible.

What did you do to the lower inside sections of your doors to keep them from rusting out?

I'm sorry about hijacking your thread

Keep up the good work.
Jay

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-12 13:40

Jay..that wasn't a hijack at all..that's why they call them threads. Threads are great when they open the door for lots of questions. Your post brings up lots of thoughts for me. First...this is like dejavue on the needing a door part....last year a retired cop from the notheast somewhere (Mike?) needed a door drivers quality handle, which I had and sent to him N/C. The only problem was, I put the handle in one of those padded envelopes the post office sells, and that was all he got..an empty torn envelope. Anyways..thought it was funny a retired cop needing a door part again.
I have my old one and it's actually in pretty good shape. Strange as it may seem, I've been replacing stuff on my car even when the old stuff was not too bad when I could find new or NOS stuff. The passenger side latch was one of those parts. If you want it PM me your address and I'll get it in the mail..in a box! I don't need anything for it, but if, after you get it, it works out ok for you, you can make a small donation to this website if you wish. It is really strange that it is your passenger side latch that is worn, and not the drivers. Just so you know passenger side latches are easily found NOS. I got mine in Arlington, Tx..the link is in our links list. He had about a dozen right side ones..told me he hadn't seen a driver's side NOS latch in years. I think I paid about $65 for the one I got, but as I said if you want my old one you're welcome to it. I'll answer the rust question on the next window.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-12 14:03

More. Make sure your door jamb bumpers are in place also. there should be one at the top, and one at the bottom. They help a little keeping the door from rattling.
Rust prevention: I did my door just like I did the rest of the car...totally stripped to bare metal inside and out, and then a thorough bath with zinc phosphate. (I use por-15's Metal Ready, but they've changed the name recently). When I did the inside of the door, I got lots of the Metal Ready inside, and turned the door on all 4 side so the stuff would soak into the seams. After that, I por-15'd the inside as best I could with long handled brushes and a painter's mitt (maybe used a car washing mitt). very tedious and messy work for both the stripping and por-15'ing. Small mirrors come in handy to look at what you can't see otherwise. Also, a digital camera with a viewing screen that is not fixed is great for looking inside also.The stripping, btw, was finished with a soda blasting set-up. They have a small nozzle, unlike a sandblasting setup, that you can get inside the door with. After the por-15, I emptied a couple of rattle cans of rubberized undercoating inside the door. When I did the undercarriage on my car, I was able to use a regular bottled undercoating with a screw on gun, but like sandblasting, the gun wouldn't fit inside the door, where rattle cans will.
PS, JAY, after my Broncos beat the Ravens later today, I'm looking forward to a Broncos/Pats game next week.

Ecode70D · 2013-01-12 14:55

Rich
That is a coincidence... Two retired cops needing door parts.

Are you planning on doing some under water driving with your car? Just joking, that's supposed to be a compliment. You put a lot into your doors to keep them from rusting. After making and welding a small strip into the bottom of my passenger door, I cleaned the inside, but not as good as you did. Actually I cleaned most of it after I cut the piece out of the lower front skin. The lower part was good so the outside repair was a walk in the park That way I could reach inside and do some scrubbing. Man I sure don't have this explanation in chronological order. (If I were still on the job and wrote a report like this, I would have to do it over again) I'll try to keep the rest of story in order

Well when the welding was all done and the inside of the door was as clean as I would get it, I put tape on all the drain holes and openings around the door. Next thing to do was to spread newspaper on the floor. It then poured a thick layer of Rustoleum into the large opening inside the door. Then I stood the door on it's edge and kept rotating it so that paint was coming out the edges and top. After it dried, I did it a second time. So I would like to thing that it will be sealed and not start rusting again in a big hurrry.

I did the same to the left door except that it did not need any patch panel welding.

Yes I would like to have your extra door latch and will be more than happy to make a donation to the forum.

Did you get the bug out of your computer and can you get email now?

Jay

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-12 15:13

as far as I know, there are no problems with my email now. It would be safer though to just send me a personal message on this forumn. Just go to any post that has my name on it..on the left, and under my name you'll see some icons. if you run your cursor over them one will be "send this member a personal message".
As far as the rustproofing goes...the word "overkill" probably suits most of what I've done to this car.
btw, I know 2 collectors in this area that together own over 100 '57 Fords..and not a one business coupe between them.

Ecode70D · 2013-01-12 19:10

As far as the rustproofing goes...the word "overkill" probably suits most of what I've done to this car.
btw, I know 2 collectors in this area that together own over 100 '57 Fords..and not a one business coupe between them.[/quote]

Richard
I just sent you a PM
As much as I thought I knew about the 57 Fords, I never did see or hear of a BC one when I was growing up. I always did like the customs especially that one SS strip on the quarter panels.
It does seem like we have some business coupes on this site though with missing trays. I hope that some of the guys can make them now. It is really not that difficult.
"Overkill" is good when it comes to rust prevention. We want these cars to be around for another 50 years and we are just the caretakers of them.
Thank You very much for your generous offer. Let me know if I can help you with something. Jay

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-12 20:51

I'll try to get it in the mail early next week.
I guess we won't be making a bet on the Bronco/Pats game. shoooooot!
btw, one of the guys joked about you making a factory options list on your car in 3 words or less. I can do it in one word...radio...although I can't remember if my passenger door panel had an armrest, and somebody eluded to that maybe being an option, so I may have to use 2 words.

Zapato · 2013-01-12 22:36

Rich,

I think heaters were options on our cars...... did yours have one? Mine had heater,clock and radio. guessing the V8 was also not the standard engine in a bc. Not sure if the radio was stock though and then how about cigarette lighters not found on most cars today but every 50s car I've had has had one.

Zap-

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-13 08:39

my car had the dealer installed heater, so I didn't count it as a factory option. I also only had the one sun visor...I looked for my visor delete piece a year or two ago when James was looking for one and couldn't find it...if it ever turns up, I'll let you guys know.

Ecode70D · 2013-01-13 11:10

"I'll try to get it in the mail early next week.
I guess we won't be making a bet on the Bronco/Pats game. shoooooot!
btw, one of the guys joked about you making a factory options list on your car in 3 words or less. I can do it in one word...radio...although I can't remember if my passenger door panel had an armrest, and somebody eluded to that maybe being an option, so I may have to use 2 words."

I must be the only guy in the whole United States that never got in to sports.
I thought Bronco was a Ford Vehicle with a nice narrow 9" rear end. Ravens were Birds that fly high in the air, and Pat was some guy with that name. Took me a while to figure it out. Sorry that I didn't respond to that part of your previous post. I guess that I missed out on a good bet.

My 57 has a factory installed heater "Thank God". I installed heaters in all of my 34 Fords and my 40 Ford Deluxe coupe has a factory heater. They are nice to have when we want to go for a drive in one of the cars on a cold dry day in the winter. I never take them out in the snow or deliberately into the can I if I can help it. I have seen 57s with the heater delete plate on them.

I do know one person that is restoring a 70D. It came with a Y Block automatic for sure and heater delete I'm pretty sure.

57chero · 2013-01-13 13:38

If someone is looking for a visor delete I have one, $25 includes shipping.

RICH MUISE · 2013-01-14 14:36

Jay ...are you sure your heater is factory installed? A high percentage of them were dealer installed. Easiest way to tell is the dealer installed heater only used one of the two large holes on the right firewall, and the upper large hole in the cowl would have a delete plate. The factory heater used both holes and therefore had a fresh air intake for the heater.
I got the door latch in the mail today..I think they said delivery could be expected around the 22nd. It should work out real well for you...there is almost no slop in the pin hole. It will need a good cleaning and lub.
Rich

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