Wind & Lace

windlace  

Web definitions (from Google)

(upholstery term) the fabric or leather covered, spongy piping or "wind hose" applied around doors to prevent drafts..

I like the word.  It sounds airy and somewhat fanciful.  Modern cars don't seem to have this interesting upholstery feature.  I'm not sure, but I think it's origin harkens back to a time when weatherstripping was either non-existant, or not very good, and the overlapping layer of  upholstery around the door frame was actually necessary to keep the wind out of the cabin.

While windlace was originally installed on the early t-birds, there has been some discussion about the overall aesthetic and utility of using it.  In Classic Thunderbird Club International (CTCI) concours judging, a car without windlace will loose points for authenticity... but not necessarily for workmanship.

I've been driving around without windlace for two months, and I have to say that I don't really miss it.  The weatherstripping is actually pretty good.  One thing windlace does, however, is hide any body color in the cabin when the door is closed.  It's not very expensive, so I figured I'd give it a try.  It needs to be installed at the front and rear of the door opening, prior to installing the kick panels and quarter panels.

With my non-stock color scheme, I needed to think through what color I should use.  I ended up with two windlace sets of different colors: turquoise and white.

The turquoise is the original interior color, but with my current seats and trim it doesn't match anything.  I decided to go with white.

Starting at the rear of the door frame, the windlace gets tacked into the tack strips.  I forgot to snap a shot of the driver side tack strip, so you are seeing the passenger side tack strip and driver side with the windlace installed.

 With the windlace installed, the quarter panel is screwed in right on top of it.

I like this look... it makes the area behind the seat look more finished.

The front windlace was a little less straightforward.  First, I had to remove the metal channel that holds the kick panel in place.  I had to bend 3 metal tabs, and the channel came off easily.

The windlace that came in the kit has a hard plastic rib sewn to the backside.  No instructions came with the kit, so I had to work out how to fit and clamp it with the metal tabs at the front of the door frame.  I decided not to use glue.  There was no evidence of glue there originally, and I was worried about gloops staining the windlace.

I re-did this three times before I was satisfied.  With the windlace finally in place, I could reinstall the metal channel, and bend the tabs to hold it in place.  The kick panel fits snugly in channel and the footwell, and doesn't need any additional glue or fasteners.

Looks pretty nice.   Here's the driver's side windlace installed.  I should really vacuum the carpet, huh?

 Today I also painted and installed a fiberboard panel between the trunk and the cabin, which should minimize the "trunk stink" in the car with the top on.  I also installed snaps under the rear garnish rail, so that the front of the tonneau could be folded in half and snapped in place, functioning as a drop curtain behind the seat.  Here's a shot behind the seat with the tonneau folded in the correct position.  Some day, maybe I'll get some vinyl the same color as the tonneau and glue it to the floor over the silver insulation... but I see no need to rush this.

It's been a good day.  I got a release from pressures at work, and worrying about Dad's upcoming care needs.  I can't ignore those things for long, but I'm grateful for a day to relax.

Next on the car I think I'll figure out a way to listen to some tunes without installing a "radio".  That should be fun.