1965 Ford Country Sedan (Wagon) Tailgate Weatherstripping

Discussion in 'Cosmetic & Restoration' started by SquiggleDog, May 15, 2020.

  1. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    Ugh, the felt channel that arrived from Falconparts.com won't work. I'm totally confused! In this eBay listing from a different seller, it's for part number C0DB-59422A36-B, and says it fits Ford Falcon wagons. A picture is shown, and the profile looks identical to what I need.
    channel2.jpg

    Falconparts.com sells that SAME part number and says it fits Falcon wagons. Silly me, I assumed this would be the same part. What I got has a totally different profile shape, and it won't work because it's smaller and doesn't have the ridge on each side in the correct location to lock the channel into the steel tracks.
    IMAG8118.jpg

    That was $25 of my roommate's money down the drain, because after shipping it back and the restocking fee, he might get back $2, which doesn't factor in the initial $10 shipping cost.

    This is so frustrating when no one makes parts for these cars, and it's difficult to guess if parts for other cars will fit without having them right in front of me.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2020
  2. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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  3. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    The other possible solution is to find another tailgate, maybe one that's rotted out but complete and in otherwise good condition could yield all kinds of parts, including spares. Expensive, to be sure, but it's another avenue to try.
     
  4. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Hmmm...perhaps checking out the Falcon forums might yield someone who could use that.
     
  5. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    I think all the rubber parts on any original tailgate are going to be bad by now. This car spent most of its life in rainy Washington state where the sun almost never comes out, and all the rubber on it was trash. Also, the tailgates are the first thing to sell on these cars. My roommate searched yards over the US for years looking for a replacement tailgate, and most of the wagons were missing the tailgate entirely. They are very scarce.
     
  6. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Ah, OK. And up until mid-January, I'd lived in Western Washington most of my life, so I understand about cars getting left out under trees, in amongst bushes, and exposed to rain and snow.
     
  7. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    I ordered the glass channel felt on eBay ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/63-64-65-Falcon-Comet-Wagon-tailgate-glass-channel-seal/201720395786 ), which is listed as the same part number as the felt that I received from Falconparts.com (C0DB-59422A36-B). The eBay listing even says it fits Ford Falcon wagon tailgates, and it comes with the rivet set. The felts other companies sell with the same part number Falconparts.com uses all seem to be just like the stuff I got off of eBay (which is Dennis Carpenter brand), and are a different shape and size than theirs.

    The felt I received from your Falconparts.com isn't correct and is the wrong part number (but it does look like this stuff here, which is a different part number: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Mercu...on-Comet-Fairlane-Ranchero-Sedan/192813104303 and is for a door division bar). What's frustrating is that there weren't even any pictures of the actual item that I could use to make sure the profile was correct before ordering, but I trusted the part number was correct.

    Here is the Dennis Carpenter felt up against the original felt. The profile is the same design, and as you can see, the ridge allows it to lock into the channel.
    0724201219.jpg

    Here is the Falconparts.com felt up against the old felt, and you can see it lacks the locking ridge and is much smaller.
    0724201229.jpg

    The Dennis Carpenter felt with the same part number as Falconparts.com works great.
    0724201220.jpg

    It even comes with the rivets, though I was able to tuck the felt back underneath the original rivets after drilling a hole in the felt.
    0724201224.jpg

    Falconparts.com seems to have their part numbers mixed up, and for the last couple of weeks they've been ignoring my emails. Such great customer service... I don't plan to ever buy from them again.
    0724201403.jpg
     
  8. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    I worked on the window guides that go up in the roof, now that my roommate bought a new old stock left side. I noticed that the inner felts on both the old guides were still intact since they are not exposed to the weather like the outside felts.

    So, my plan was to swap the inner felt from the left side guide and replace the bad felt on the outside of the right side guide, ending up with two good felts on the right side guide in conjunction with a new old stock left side guide.

    The felts were attached with staples (I wonder what kind of stapler is required that can go through both thick steel and a rubber-covered piece of metal). I worked the staples apart so that I could retrieve the good inner felt from the left side guide.
    IMAG8101.jpg

    There is a rubber seal at the bottom which is also secured with staples, which were also going through the felt piece I needed. I cut off those staples.
    IMAG8102.jpg

    The staples came out intact and I was able to straighten them for reuse.
    IMAG8104.jpg

    I lined up the donor piece of felt on the guide and clamped it in place with small binder clips. Then I drilled through the staple holes of the guide and into the felt so that I could install the staples.

    It was a success! I was able to work them into place with various tools without a stapler. So now the right side guide has good felt on both sides.
    IMAG8112.jpg
     
  9. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    The rubber seal at the bottom of the original guide was torn and crumbling apart. So, I used Rust-Oleum LeakSeal rubber spray and sprayed over it with new rubber.
    IMAG8128.jpg

    The original right side guide is on the bottom, and the new old stock left side guide is on the top. Notice that the felts on the top guide have not yet been deformed from use.

    I used a epoxy at the bottom of the felt I installed on the old guide so it wouldn't move away from the metal and jam the glass.

    I also swapped out the clip from the original left side guide and placed it onto the new old stock left side guide. There was an extra hole which needed to be drilled, as well.
    IMAG8129.jpg

    I put butyl sealing tape on the back of the guides before installing them to seal out moisture. I also sanded and converted the rust up in the roof where they attach.
    IMAG8131.jpg

    This is where they "live"!
    IMAG8133.jpg

    It's a snug fit, and now the glass should have a clear path of travel.
    IMAG8134.jpg
     
  10. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    The only thing even close that I could find that would work as an outer glass seal was a garage door seal from Lowes ( https://www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-9-ft-x-2-in-Black-Rubber-Garage-Weatherstrip/1085381 ). It only cost $11 and there's enough to make two of them. This appears to be available at other hardware stores.
    IMAG8057.jpg

    I was shocked at how absolutely perfect it fits. It's like it was made for this purpose! The profile is nearly identical to the original seal.
    0729201747.jpg

    I used the wide plastic washers that came with it and bought seven new #8 1/2" long screws.
    0729201755.jpg

    The trim got butyl sealant added to where it attaches to the holes in the tailgate to seal out water.
    0729201803.jpg

    I just can't get over how well this is working!
    0729201816.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  11. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    The seals at the top of the glass guides inside the tailgate were hardened, cracked, and crumbling. It appears new ones are not available.
    IMAG8066.jpg

    So, I sprayed new rubber over them with Rust-Oleum LeakSeal.
    0724201407.jpg

    It took careful fitting with a heat gun to get them installed. There were some areas of missing rubber that seal against the glass, so I filled those in with little bits of butyl sealing tape and then spraying more LeakSeal over them. I ended up having to trim the garage door seal until it wouldn't catch on the upper guides and curl over when the tailgate is shut.
    0729201818.jpg
     
  12. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    Another rubber part that is unavailable are the rubber bumpers inside the latch mechanisms. The nipples had broken off and they were rolling around loose inside the latches, which may have been why the tailgate was jammed shut. Fortunately, I was able to secure them back into place with leftover screws from my Arrow shed.
    IMAG8109.jpg
    IMAG8110.jpg

    Ugh. The rubber boot that goes over the tailgate cut-off switch tore when I installed it, so I cut the end off of a vacuum cap and installed it over the top with a dab of butyl sealant to hold it in place.
    IMAG8122.jpg

    But then the thing tore apart on the first use. I don't know what to do about it, because of course this is another rubber part that seems unavailable.
    IMAG8136.jpg

    I was thinking about cutting the end off of a toggle switch boot seal, but that will only work if the rubber is thin enough that it can compress and fold in on itself when the switch is pressed downward.
    toggle_boot.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  13. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    I think the chance of the cut-off boot seal working is a good one, but of course, you'd have to test it.
    Can you get a complete seal that would screw on to the switch, thereby holding the switch in place as well as protecting the switch?
     
  14. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    Maybe. But then there's the problem of spending a bunch of money to find out if something fits or not. It would be nice if the auto parts stores kept them in stock. Maybe if they ever have swap meets again, I can bring the switch and see if anyone at a booth sells the toggle switch boots.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  15. SquiggleDog

    SquiggleDog Member

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    The 3/4" nylon clamp that secures the wire harness to the body was broken. Ace Hardware had replacements.
    0729201730.jpg

    The new clamp in place.
    0730201748.jpg

    The inside of the tailgate needed a new 1 1/8" grommet so the edges of the hole wouldn't cut through the wire harness. It's SO interesting how hardware stores like Lowes and The Home Depot are absolutely huge, yet they never have anything I need--and then the tiny little Ace Hardware stores always do.
    0730201748_Burst02.jpg

    Unfortunately, the key seems to be worn out, so it only turns the lock after repeated attempts and jiggling. I even cleaned and lubricated it. I cleaned the corrosion off of it and then filled a hole with J-B Weld.

    My roommate had purchased a new old stock lock cylinder, but it was totally the wrong part even though the part number C5AZ-7143505-D is supposed to be what fits it. But, if you search with that part number, two totally different non-interchangeable styles of lock cylinder show up. Ridiculous.

    It needed a 1967-1973 Mustang, Galaxie, etc. door lock gasket to install it on the fresh paint.
    IMAG8126.jpg

    He managed to find a new old stock wire harness, and switch with pigtail. I am SO glad, because the old wire harness was in rough condition and the connectors were broken from corrosion. The gasket for the harness would also have been impossible to find.
    IMAG8124.jpg
     

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