[omodified]

Working on finishing the vent windows. Next step is to clean the division bars. I originally bought NOS division bars to use. After seeing the condition that these originals are in, I couldn't see a reason not to just restore them. This meant scraping the window seal out of the channel. I used a small flathead screwdriver to pry the old seal out. It's brittle but it mostly came out in one piece. I used a putty knife to scrape out any larger pieces that were left behind. I softened the remaining glue with acetone and used a stainless steel wire brush to clean it up. I made a final wipe with acetone and a rag. Last thing to do was polish the stainless beads with the dremel and polish. This thing looks better than the NOS pieces that I have in the closet!!!






Now that the division bars are ready, it's time for assembly with rivets. The remaining steps aren't for the faint of heart. It is tedious work but can be done with a helper and some patience. There were several places I found on the internet that I used as references to help with these steps. One thing I learned was about using a specialty tool to compress the rivets instead of the typical tool that is supplied with the rivets that you use with a hammer. In the end, I used this tool along with the standard tool. I probably could've gotten away with using the standard tool for the whole project.










I removed the chrome division bar trim to polish it in a previous step. This piece was actually in really good shape with only a few minor spots in the chrome. The biggest spot to repair was where the handles slide across to lock the window to the frame. The dremel did a great job with these spots and they almost look new again. I need to reinstall these to the frame for the next step.




Next up is installing the vent post seal. It was impossible to find an original so I went with the next best thing. Precision VPW 1110 67. Since they will be visible, I'll be using stainless rivets to make the install.










Position the seal on top of the chrome trim. Push each rivet through the hole and tape the heads down inside the division bar channel. Square the tool onto the rivet and crush in place.









The next thing to do is install the vent window seal to the frame. I can't do that on this round due to the condition of the vent windows seals that I have. I found NOS seals a while back. The packaging wasn't great but the seals were still soft and pliable. GM uses a mold release powder on these. It has stayed on too long and now it's dried up and is rather hard to get off. I will let these soak in some soapy water overnight and wash them down. Hopefully they will look brand new again.