Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I need to replace the windlace on my drivers door on my 1947 custom Super Clipper. Our windlace is quite plain and I am having trouble sourcing it.

MY car is a 1947 custom Super Clipper but I suspect the windlace was common across Junior and Senior.

If anyone has a source please let me know. I noticed the windlace is incorporated in the seat trim as well. Very classy.

If I cant find a close match I will have to replace all the windlace on all 4 doors so they will match. EEK!

Robert
Click to see original Image in a new window

Did you ask SMS?

Restoration Specialties is where I got mine for the '54 Panama. Call them with a list of the ones you want a sample of, and they will throw it all in an envelope for $1 a sample plus shipping. These are some of the samples I got from them. Here it is with the windlace installed. I thought their quality was acceptable.

-Kevin

Robert, I don't think you will find anything modern and ready made that comes close to looking like the solid color tight square weave pattern of the original. When I started working on my 47 10 or so years ago I looked at all the internet upholstery vendors and restoration places I could find. Almost all of what was available seemed to be the coarse and somewhat multi colored in appearance windlace similar to what Kevin used. Even if you do find NOS or maybe something repro'd in the old pattern I suspect the colors will have faded on the stuff in the car and the new piece will stick out noticeably.

After much looking thru many fabric catalogs my upholstery guy and I were able to find some upholstery material with a pattern and color fairly similar in comparison to the color found in an unfaded portion of the old tan windlace my car had used. He then took a standard round foam core and sewed the fabric around that to make up new windlace. Installed in the entire car it does look very much like the original but the fabric is a different material with a slightly different pattern and color so would definitely stand out next to the old cotton fabric -- even if that material has stayed the original color.

Depending on where your new piece needs to go installation could also be a big issue. There are long stretches with the bent over prongs holding the windlace but in other places it is tacked into a fiber tack strip with other fabrics or finished pieces tacked on top of it. Going around some corners there are actual nails driven into sheet metal to hold the windlace where the bend is fairly tight. Even getting to the prongs and tacks on the easier stretches often requires removing other pieces which can be easily damaged in the process.

This is the pattern I wound up with and the upholstery guy also made up the seat welting using the same material so everything matched. The colors do look more yellow in the photo but in the car it is a nice light tan much like the original.