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Got my car out Tuesday in the near 80 degree weather hjere in Chicagoland....

The windlace around my front doors is a mess this spring, so probably I should "Do Something!"

Are there preferred suppliers? Competing brands?

Is this stuff hard to install? Any tips and directions would be appreciated....

Any notion how much is needed for both front doors?

Brands or directions to not use?

Thanks !

It is a fair project and will require some care not to damage the upholstery since you are going to be removing some and doing some stretches with it in place. The area above the doors may be a challenge since the headliner will probably be very delicate. The old windlace has be removed and new squeeze in with it in place. On the sides of the dash will also take some effort to get the old out and new in and fastened securely with the dash in -- although I have seen some where the contour and space will allow the new to stay in without clips as long as it is inserted well and not stretched tightly.

The windlace is held by a combination of tacks or staples, sharp toothed prongs, and finish moldings. On the prongs, it either has to hook over or be embedded in them or prongs have to be lifted up and the new windlace held under them as they're hammered back down.

Packard had a unique pattern to complement their fabric upholstery--kind of a rough square knobby texture as I recall. Modern stuff does not come close--or at least it didn't when I did mine. SMShttp://www.smsautofabrics.com/products/windlace.php says a typical sedan needs 13 yards and they do have a decent selection of new and some NOS. You might have luck finding the correct one there. If you don't, or if yours has really faded, I would expect you would have to do all 4 doors to avoid a glaring mismatch. You might also send to Kanter & some of the other fabric supply places for samples and see if they have something close that you like.

On another subject, did the stars align and your AC install finally work out?

The stars are in their usual "but last (fill in the blank) you promised that (fill in this blank as well).

Two steps forward then three back is the current mode......

Hopefully at the end of the month.

Could have used it today. The spousal unit woke up early and said something to the effect of "I want to go for a Sunday drive in the country in the blue car!"

This is not an everyday occurrence.....so of course I complied. Put on about 100 miles running beautifully (thank you again Jack for the oil pump!!!!!!!!!!) Lots of yakkers, non of whom guessed the correct year--but it was fun waiting for her to emerge from each store. Lots of folks out there for a Sunday drive for whatever reason.

Yes, I know today is Friday. So?

Howard -

Judging from the appearance of the deteriorated OE windlace on one of my '56 Packards, the fabric must have been (primarily) of cotton. As installed, it had sort of a basket weave pattern, and the strands were comparatively fine. The weave was only coarse in the portion that was tucked/tacked/stapled - out of sight. That portion also had a steel wire "mesh" and (IIRC) a strip of paper sewn in - though the wire tends to rust and crumble to dust over many years.

Modern replacements lack that mesh, but I've seen them installed on Packards. The fabric-covered windlace that's readily available in mass-market - though popular with cutsomizers - is too soft, loose, and fluffy - stand out like a sore thumb, IMHO.

Upon finding suitable fabric, in their continuing quest for automotive sundries, Restoration Specialties has it sewn up into windlace. I've personally inspected examples from them with weave, strand, and colors similar to what was used on the V8 Packards, but it appeared to be of a synthetic material - reasonably close, but not quite authentic.

I suspect SMS would be closer to original.

Brian, Hard to tell on that one picture what Restoration Specialties products looks like exactly but better than some so does show promise. Blue selections do not seem very prevalent except in one model. Hopefully they will send samples of all.

The one on my Patrician was a solid medium dark blue & had plain tiny squares as a pattern -- almost looked like a very tight corduroy. We first tried that material and while the squares looked somewhat appropriate, the spacing between rows became too wide and spread with it rolled. Even reversed with "wrong" side showing, while the rows were better, the squares became too small. We had also ordered samples from several of the suppliers at the time and all were a much larger square, smoother as you said, & all seemed to have had a fine thread pattern woven in as well. We could not find a solid that was even close so chose the next best. I believe we finally used one from Kanter but as I recall, the color was not quite as dark but it was fairly plain. As I said, that was some time ago so maybe things have changed.

EDIT This is one off a 47, and worn as it is you can see what I am calling squares. IIRC, the 56 was very similar except not as worn so the squares were tighter together.

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Howard -

I didn't mean for that one image from their website to be representative of the Packard windlace. They have discovered/offered many varieties of fabric over the years that seem to match a variety of brands, but are not actually specified for any paticular year/make/model. Yqa gotta have a good eye and know your material. Usually, one can find sufficient sample of original material under the door sill plate.

IIRC, they would provide samples of their closests matches if one sent them a good sample of their windlace.

Yet, I first learned of their windlace quite by accident, decades ago, roaming the swap meet fields at Fall Hershey. They had coils of the stuff, conveniently stored in buckets (later boxes) and dispensed by the yard. Though I didn't have any sample with me, I knew my colors, and they provided me with snippets of a few types/colors. I never got to the point of redoing the interior (and replacing the windlace looks like quite a chore.

I don't have a good image of the '56 material, but it's different than your '47 sample. Adjacent "squares" in the weave aren't side-by-side, but offset. It reminds me of the offest basket weave pattern used in laying brick pavers (sse below).

I wouldn't be surprised if there was as much variety in windlace fabric as there was in the rest of the materials used Packards over the years.

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