Lately with the colder weather and the days getting shorter, I have been able to spend some more time in the garage working on the vent windows. My original chrome was in sad shape with some rust, tarnish and heavy pitting. A good friend turned me on to Turtle Wax. I know it's old school, but it really does work and you can't beat the price! There may be bigger names and more expensive stuff out there, but it doesn't compare. Armed with several bags of 0000 steel wool, many microfiber cloths and Mr. Turtlewax, you can see the results above. Yes, there was a lot of elbow grease, but I think the results are worth it! While I was at it, I replaced all the rubber seals. If you go to a local old fashioned hardware store, you can find the original hollow tail rivets. There is also a punch that has a rounded tip that is used to split and curl the ends. Not only are there rivets to hold the assembly together, but the rear gasket has rivets. Patiently and very slowly drill the old rivets out making sure not to dig into the chrome frame. A small block of metal, hammer, new rivets and the punch is all you need to rebuild the vent window assembly. I am also replacing all of the glass in the car using PS Auto Glass in Wisconsin. The web link is: http://psautoglass.com/ PS Auto Glass has the correct thickness of glass, correct tint for Sun-X and can etch the correct Carlite logo with proper date codes to your car. It really is great stuff! My old glass has deep grinder marks and burn marks from the welder from the previous repairs. Purchasing the kit will make all the glass uniform and clear again! To insert the vent window glass into the stainless frame, purchase some glass tape. It's a thick tar like strip that is about an inch wide. Simply fold the tape over the end of the glass, tightly shape into place folding and cutting pie shape pieces out to go around the curves. The glass tape stays pliable and is easy to work. I used blue painters tape on the just edges to hold the glass tape in place. The frame must be extremely clean (use lots of steel wool) before assembly. I also mixed up some soapy water using dawn dish soap. Use a brush to coat the inside of the frame and the outer edge of the glass tape. Simply press into frame and let dry. If needed, you can tap the glass gently in the frame using a rubber mallet. When the soapy water dries out, the glass tape will stick to the frame. I did confirm that this was how it was done at the factory and the glass tape is wide enough to go around the vent handle. Simply trim off the excess and it's as good as new! I am in the process of doing the door glass now. On the fastback, you have to install the stainless trim piece first as it is used to set the glass properly into the frame below. More details to follow!
