New to me 78 NYB on its way but please Don't tell my wife

[73 T&C]

More Bumper fun:

SUCCESSFUL!

Cut made and ready for jacking. Ended cut at mounting hole. I had forgotten about that in my patented instructions to Ivan. It’s a natural control point for deformation once we move the end up. In truth, we ended up being able to move it by hand after we used the jack.

Bumper guard will bolt right back up and hold up the bottom flange of the bumper which is now quite loose. Some spot welds along the cut when we’re done should also take care of that.

Moment of truth... up the end went without any complaint. Interestingly, as the end came up the inboard edge of the top, just above the guard, went down slightly. This compounded the effect I was after to the good. However, I may end up raising the entire bumper by the same 1/4” when I’m finished. Time and assembly will tell.

Ivan the happy warrior! Some things he and I do ourselves because we like it and trust each other that we know what we’re doing. He’s a great sounding board for my ideas and comes up with many all by himself.

Drivers side now straight as an arrow and level. I, gentlemen, am both happy and relieved.

Closeup of drivers’ side. Straight as hell and absolutely parallel with steel angle we used before to measure.

You can see from this view the amount of movement required of the end for the top to come level. More than the quarter inch I originally thought.

View of other side for reference. Will leave both sides finger tight when we assemble the front nose cap and install it.... Just in case I need to do any minor adjustments.


Tonight I will be working on the outer window catwisker sweeps.

The set I bought was so janky that I won’t install it. It would kill me after coming this far to do it. I was able to find a very similar profile of material used for the 1978 el Camino. Bought two sets. Guy wanted to know why I would need two. I didn’t say. I will be making mine for the NYB out of those for this project.

If all goes well, I should be assembling the doors and door trim tomorrow.

 

[commando1]

Sonnovabich...... Javier, you bastard!

 

[LeBaron1973]

Well done Javier, and they said it couldn't be done.

 

[commando1]

Well done Javier, and they said it couldn't be done.

WAIT! Now he has to send it out to be chromed.

 

[73 T&C]

WAIT! Now he has to send it out to be chromed.

Well Stan..... Eventually I will.

But with my “Javier’s method of NYB front bumper straightening”(patent pending), no visible chrome was damaged in the adjustment of this bumper...

 

[73 T&C]

Sonnovabich...... Javier, you bastard!

I may have inadvertently impressed you... my apologies.

 

[LeBaron1973]

Well Stan..... Eventually I will.

But with my “Javier’s method of NYB front bumper straightening”(patent pending), no visible chrome was damaged in the adjustment of this bumper...

Now you've pissed Stan off even more - lol, straightened the bumper without damaging the chrome.

Just goes to show that things "can" be done with proper planning. Now off to Germany with you to sort out Julian's 69.

 

[75LandYacht]

“The set I bought was so janky that I won’t install it.”
Javier, is this the set of sweeps I recommend for you?

 

[73 T&C]

“The set I bought was so janky that I won’t install it.”
Javier, is this the set of sweeps I recommend for you?

Unfortunately, Yes

Sweeps extend above belt line more than original but they are perfectly functional and match the stainless bead exactly. As you know, I am a bit of a pain in the *** about some things. Aesthetic quality, form and function are all equal in my book.

The inner sweeps are perfectly matched.

I will be selling them so no worries about the cost.

 

[75LandYacht]

Unfortunately, Yes

Sweeps extend above belt line more than original but they are perfectly functional and match the stainless bead exactly. As you know, I am a bit of a pain in the *** about some things. Aesthetic quality, form and function are all equal in my book.

The inner sweeps are perfectly matched.

I will be selling them so no worries about the cost.

That’s a shame sir, as I haven’t installed mine yet, but thought they’d be what you needed..

 

[75LandYacht]

Unfortunately, Yes

Sweeps extend above belt line more than original but they are perfectly functional and match the stainless bead exactly. As you know, I am a bit of a pain in the *** about some things. Aesthetic quality, form and function are all equal in my book.

The inner sweeps are perfectly matched.

I will be selling them so no worries about the cost.

If you happen to have any, can you post some pictures of what they looked liked installed, at least for my referencing anyway. Thank you in advance.

 

[73 T&C]

If you happen to have any, can you post some pictures of what they looked liked installed, at least for my referencing anyway. Thank you in advance.

I’ll upload a comparison for you. They don’t look “bad”. They just ride a bit higher on the window. BTW. Those sets are no longer produced. So thats it unless you want to take a cut off wheel and do what I’m doing.

 

[73 T&C]

Here’s some pictures of the window sweeps going in.

The top is the crispy original. The rubber is literally crystallized to carbon. The lower is the intended replacement. The bead along the top is about 1/8” in diameter versus the original which is about 3/32”. Bigger but not much.

At first I thought... “no problem, I’ll just cut them down with my tin snips”. But as you can see, it deformed the bejesus out of the end and marked it up.

Time for plan “B”.

cut off wheel over at the shop. Plus I can test fit as I go.

one thing you may have noticed is that the sweeps for the el Camino have an outer rubber lip that conforms to the radius of the door skin’s 90 degree bend along the top. I had thought first to cut it off. A few test fits convinced me otherwise. That trim easily slides under and is pinched by the inner edge of the sill mounding. Not that it will seal much better but will be a nice deterrent for dirt and grime from entering under the trim and behind the seal.

Here’s the original seal in place. Notice that there is a small gap between the door skin and the seal

This is the el Camino door seal. Notice the rubber lip that holds the seal just a fraction more proud on the door.

Here is the same view with the outer sill trim in place. Just the smallest of gaps.

Slightly different view angle. The seal trim just looks like another bead on the sill trim.

put one screw in to check fit. The tension of the screw made the seal sit flat on the door and pulled it out at the top a bit. However, instead of a paint line, you will see about 1/16” the lip of the seal.

Now to cutting. Ended up using the cut off wheel very carefully and hitting the ends with a file to break the edge. Otherwise, these things could cut you open like an over stuffed tuna.

more to come..... I hear my mother calling me.

 

[73 T&C]

I got a PM I figured I’d answer here as it’s relevant to the seals.

Question was: how did you find out that the window sweeps from an 1978-80 Chevrolet el Camino would work on a 78 NYB?

Answer:

I went bleary-eyed looking at different kits and parts to find as close a match as I could to the original profile. Also, the original seal, in addition to sweeping the window, has a thickened lower lip that sits about 3/16” in toward the window. My guess, and judging from the wear, is that this lip was meant to reduce rattle of the glass when down below the sweep and also serve as a guide up to the seal for the glass to follow from the full down position.

The 78-80 el Camino sweeps have some added sections of felted rubber tubing riveted at that same elevation that appear to act in the same way.

Finally, the 78-80 el Camino had doors long enough to have a seal I could cut down to fit my NYB.

Whether they work or not, we won’t know until one door is fully assembled and I can test the glass going up.....
And down.

Which is why I’m documentation this here. For the next idiot that spends this much time on a 43 year old obsolete piece of technology.

Truth is, there just are no more original or sister division parts left. So, we will all need to improvise using available more popular (if almost as old) car parts if we want to keep our cars functional further into the future.

 

[73 T&C]

That’s a shame sir, as I haven’t installed mine yet, but thought they’d be what you needed..

I appreciate your advise and help. Even if sometimes I may want to plus the deal.it was a very good starting point and lead me to my ultimate solution. I would have never found the ones I got if I hadn’t learned the terms catwisker or window sweep.

 

[commando1]

For the next idiot that spends this much time on a 43 year old obsolete piece of technology.

Hear, here!

 

[73 T&C]

Hear, here!

What I like most about this site is that I don’t feel lonely in my idiocy

 

[Polara_500]

What I like most about this site is that I don’t feel lonely in my idiocy

We are legion!!

 

[commando1]

What I like most about this site is that I don’t feel lonely in my idiocy

The Citroën alone makes you certifiably crazy.

 

[73 T&C]

This one is just for my good friend Stan...

my inspiration through doubt mentor:

As I suspected, I will probably raise the entire bumper up a 1/4” or so to tighten things up a bit visually. But I wont my do that until the grilled and all the trim is in.

Also, need to polish the stainless trim on the cap that will now run parallel with the bumper.