The 10 Dollar Window Felt Fix

[Christian Williams <delorean@xxxx>]

[Moderator/Webmaster Note - this is now posted with photos at http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/windowfelt.html]


I've owned my DeLorean for a little over a year now and I've used it as a
daily driver since the first day of ownership. I've done (and had done) a
lot of work to it, but there was always one thing that I could never seem
to fix for more than a week - the window felt. I've replaced the felt 4
times this past year, and now I finally have a solution that works.

I wanted to do away with the OEM solution of a rubber strip with felt
glued to it. I've discussed other glues with list members, but I really
wanted to update the car with the rubber/felt backed trim that is found on
modern cars.

Stuff needed for fix:
Pair of window trim from '89 Ford Probe or similar
14 6/32" x 3/8"(length) low-profile head screws
14 6/32" nuts
14 1/4" washers

These directions are extremely detailed. I'm somewhat of a beginner with
DeLoreans, so I always appreciate having more information than necessary.
I apologize if I go on and on about the smallest little detail. :)

Take the upper door panels off and remove the screws holding the bracket
with the window felt (or rubber strip if that's all you have left).

Mark where the ends of the rubber strip are on the bracket. Remove the OEM
strip and cut the Ford trim to fit. I cut mine just a little bit longer
(inch or two) just to be safe. The ford trim should now have 7 holes.

Position the trim where it should go on the bracket and run the screw
through the trim with the head toward where the window will run. On the
inside of the bracket, put a washer on and then the nut. What's cool about
the Ford trim is that there are 2 strips of trim that touch the window
with the holes in between. Since the screws are in between the 2 strips,
the window won't touch the screws.

Go along the trim until all 7 screws are in. Tighten with a phillips screw
driver and a socket. Then install the trim back into the door and put the
upper door panel back on.

The trim is held on to the bracket by squeezing the bracket between the
trim (which is metal coated in rubber) and the washer. After it's all
tightened, the trim won't budge.

The trim from the Ford cost me 3 dollars and the hardware cost a little
under 7 dollars. The time involved (after all parts are collected) is just
about half an hour - with 80% of that time being time spent taking the
doors apart and putting them back together.

I've put pictures up on my site at:
http://www.framezero.com/trim/index.html
If Yahoo ever gets around to fixing my account, I'll be happy to upload
them to the files section of the DML. If anyone else would like to copy
the pictures and put them there, go for it.

I'm glad that I'm finally able to contribute something other than
questions and a witty personality to the DeLorean community. :) Thanks
to everyone for all the help over the past year.

-Christian
#3452