A Frustrating weekend.

It's been a frustrating weekend.
I decided to leave the rear 1/4 light windows alone for a couple of days while I sought advice and decided to finished the doors - install locks, glass etc.
I had already restored the door lock mechanisms and purchased bailey channel and weatherstrips over a year ago. (Bailey channel is the channel that the winding door windows slide up and down within.)

First step was installing the door locks.

Before

After

The doors close and open very nicely. No door seal yet but that's for another day.

Next, measure up the bailey channel and get ready to cut it. I kept all the old stuff and and the length isn't critical as half the channel is hidden in the door, but I needed to know how much room they took up so I could get the weatherstrip and felt strip that goes accross the door (where the glass dissapear into the door) measured accurately.
Since the bailey channel has been cut with tinsnips I had to clean the ends anyway so I hacksawed off (small fine blade) about 50mm of channel.

First thing is noted is that it did not appear to be wide enough for the part of the door where it was to be installed.
Rear Vogue door showing where the bailey channel fits.

Careful measurement showed my new bailey channel to be 15mm wide. The Vogue requires 5/8" which is 15.875mm. Believe is or not the difference is make or break.

New and old bailey channel.
Picture to be added later - when I find it (found it 2nd March 2012)!

I could kind put up with that, so I checked my 50mm piece on the Vogue doorglass (why didn't I do this a year ago?). Nope, that didn't fit either. The channel is apparently for 1/4" glass - the Vogue uses 3/16" glass. All in all, useless.
Looking up online revealed that I appear to have Holden EH bailey channel. Described as 15mm wide, 15mm high with a stainless steel bead on either side.

The Vogue originally has 5/8" wide, 3/8" high on one side and 1/2" high with a stainless steel bead on that side (outside). It appears to be the only car in the world that has 5/8" bailey with 3/16" glass.





Since I have not been able to find 5/8" bailey with 3/16" glass in Australia I checked the same place in the UK that I got the Vogue doorseal and carpets from - yes they list it. They are emailing me today with the actual sizes.

OK, forget the doors for now. How about the windscreen rubber. We have had a new one for a week or so but hadn't fitted it to the screen. Short version of story. There is no way we could get it on the windscreen glass. The packaging did say 61-64 Vogue/Super Minx but I thought that since we had (me and vendor) discusses the fact that the 1965 has a bigger screen, AND the seal was made for me, it would be corrent. I have emailed him too!

Curiously Alpine West Midlands (provider of Vogue carpet, doorseal, probably bailey channel and now windscreen seal) list one and they have already verified that it takes the stainless steel trim and is for a Mk3 and Mk4 Vogue. I think I'll just buy the third windscreen seal. I'll have a lot for eBay when this is done!

OK, forget the windscreen (Sunday afternoon by now), let's do the front passenger seat. I had stripped it and painted the frame a couple of weeks ago.
I reinforced part of the seat base that had bent slightly and reassembled the base. (A piece of aluminium pop riveted at either end in a pool of epoxy.)

The reinforced part of the seat frame (right).The aluminium is 10mm x 3mm and 250mm long with 1/8" holes in about 20mm from the ends (documented here so I don't forget for the other seat).

Then I got out the MGB seat diaphragms that I bought 2 years ago (having been told they were a pretty close match to Hillman ones), and no way will they fit. I think they would be a disaster even if I did make them fit.


The old seat diaphragm (below). I circled the torn bit - repairable I think.

So three options that I can see:
1. Make the MGB seat diaphragms fit
2. Use webbing and springs
3. Fix the old ones they are torn in one place (center back).

Not a great weekend for the Vogue...