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Hank - The passenger side vent window on my 55 Clipper was like yours, only opening part way. I sprayed PB Blaster on the top and bottom pivots and on the rubber gasket. Did this several times and it got more limber over time. Now it opens fully just like it should. Impressed with your progress and new additions to the family. Take care and keep up the good work.

(o{}o)

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Should open about another 90-degrees, IIRC - makes one heckuva an air scoop at speed.

There's a special plastic bushing (parts book calls it a spool) on the bottom pivot that's held in fixed position by a clamp and screw affair. It is slotted to the core along the length of one side, but if it cracks in two pieces, the vent window may not open very far.

If lubrication does not help, further teardown and inspection may be required. The part was neither easy nor cheap to come by 25 years ago.

Also, you want that vent window to be a bit stiff on opening and closing or the air flow at speed will keep closing the window. I just had to tighten the adjustment bolt on the bottom of my driver side vent to fix that issue.

thanks for the help on the window guys, i figured it had to go further, but i wasn't wanting to push it and break something. i saw that plastic bushing and was afraid to crack it.

this weekend i continued on the bottom of the door. sometimes i surprise myself.

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before and after of the bottom of the door. not perfect but functional and will be hidden. luckly all the major work i had to do on this car was hidden and th parts that werent' i wanted to leave them and they wont leak water into the car so it doesn't matter.

i still have to fill in a few small holes with the epoxy weld, but its pretty much done.

got some new door strikers from Joel. thanks!

also got some of the repo door handle retainers.

one other thing was purchased...but that is a secret. tehe!

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drilled the second weep hole in the bottom of the door using a drill bit and punch. just went down a line one hole at a time, overlaping.

then i cleaned the skin of the door with some soap and steel wool. then took too it with some wetsanding. you can see where i tried to cover up my welding burn through without making it too noticeable.

next will be linseed, then clear coat.

still have to get the passenger's fender done as well.

i need to do all this before it gets too cold to paint.

then on to some wetsanding and polishing. I've already scrapped down several runs using the razor blade technique that was told to me.

i have a nice little upgrade coming in the mail. i'm going to play some hide and seek with it in pictures to come. lets see if anyone notices what it is without me saying it. those that know...shhhhhh.

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also as to the vent window. i followed along on Randy Berger's vent window refurb in his blog. very informative.

i took the vent window out of the frame to see why the thing wouldn't open very far. the plastic bushing at the bottom is cracking so its binding. i lubbed it and loosened the screw as much as i could and it still stops halfway open. that little plastic bushing can be coaxed to go the rest of the way, but it takes a few tries. since i have no idea where to get one other then used...i'll just use it and that window will just be somewhat functional till i find a replacement or a new way to mount it without the bushing. idk.


BH. you were spot on.....it was cracked.

replaced the flipper cover for the trunk lock with an NOS unit from Joel. here are some pictures.


cleaned the door for linseed.


also this is the first photo bomb of the secret upgrade coming soon to my car. do you notice it??

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Chair looks too nice to be in the garage. It needs to be in a better place in your house. Better find a better place for the two-four intake manifold too.

(o{}o)

I guess I should have tried to hide it better lol!