The upper garnish is laid...
The upper garnish is laid in place and measured for the trim to the B-pillar. Note this straight section should only require some minimal final trimming to fit.
At this time it’s a good idea to locate the base mounting holes in the door to be sure they are still in alignment. To complete this step Cornell did some final trimming to the base on each end to allow it to settle into place using a combination file and cutoff wheel. One of the easiest cuts to make was that of the B-pillar upright, a straight section, which was trimmed to allow for final adjustment. With the door off the car, the molding base was secured and the rear upright was slid into place, allowing Cornell to visualize the re-contour the A-pillar would require. It would take a series of relief cuts to allow the pillar to follow the updated shape. Once the cutting points were marked, each one was individually cut and carefully moved into position to follow the flow of the pillar. This was done while the door was laid flat on a foam pad while on a workbench face up. A hacksaw and cutoff wheel were used to make the individual incisions. After each one was established it was tacked in place until the final one was completed. With the graceful flow established and all proportions dialed in, Cornell set the unit in a bench vise and finished the TIG welding to make the piece rock solid. He then ground down the welds and finessed the vintage steel to perfection.
To be able to screw the garnish...
To be able to screw the garnish molding base into place, it needed to be trimmed at both ends. Here you can see the marked area (above) and the final trimmed and filed area (right).
Moving rearward, the quarter window garnish molding required Cornell to first make a cardboard template of the inside body opening to establish the shape he needed to follow. Since this molding retains a fixed section of glass, accommodations to support the glass needed to be taken into consideration. To tackle this, a black marker was used from the outside to trace the window opening, allowing for 1/4 inch outside the marked line for the rubber window molding. With the cardboard trimmed, the pattern was then transferred to a rigid piece of Masonite and wrapped with a section of 1/4-inch rubber window molding secured by masking tape. This was then test-fitted into the window opening to confirm the final fit since the Masonite would also act as the template for the new glass to be cut.
To be able to screw the garnish...
To be able to screw the garnish molding base into place, it needed to be trimmed at both ends. Here you can see the marked area (above) and the final trimmed and filed area (right).
To prepare the molding for its series of cuts, the Masonite pattern was placed on a workbench with the garnish moldings’ front lower corner matched to the template. Note that 1/8 inch of rubber molding should be visible on both sides throughout the reconstruction. Using the original factory bottom seam as a starting point, Cornell marked this area as well as one halfway up the front side of the template. Using a cutoff wheel, he made two incisions to create the first separation. He then slid the template upward into the upper front corner of the molding and slid the cut piece up to form the new bottom contour. The excess of the front vertical section was then marked and trimmed off with a cutoff wheel. Cornell then clamped the two front sections together and established the new front face of the molding. With that completed, the rear descending corner of the molding was marked and trimmed where it began to separate from the template. This section was then slid upward to adjoin the front bottom section, allowing its outer corner to arc its excess away from the rear corner. This excess area was marked and trimmed leaving a small bottom rear corner section in need of final attention. To allow Cornell to complete the subtle lower curve, a number of relief cuts were made with a hacksaw and cutoff wheel one at a time so he could persuade the vintage steel to its newfound home. Once everything was completed, the molding was TIG-tacked in place, checked for alignment within the body structure, and then secured in a bench vise to receive its final welding. The unit was then treated to an abundance of hand filing to bring a sleek smoothness to the welds. Upon re-installation, the reworked garnish molding looked so good you would have thought Henry himself had offered them as a factory option.
Cornell used a discarded section...
Cornell used a discarded section of upper garnish to adjust the contour of the base for a perfect fit using a combination flat and half-round file.
With a black marker, a number...
With a black marker, a number of relief cuts were marked on the A-pillar. A cutoff wheel and hacksaw were used to make the incisions one at a time.
The completed garnish molding...
The completed garnish molding base was installed into place with four screws in the factory mounting area to ensure all of its proportions were correct.
Once the relief cuts were...
Once the relief cuts were completed, the unit was test-fitted to the door and then TIG-tacked into place.
You can see the amount of...
You can see the amount of work still needed as the upper garnish is held in place illustrating the completed B-pillar area and the re-contouring needed for the A-pillar.
Here you can see the door...
Here you can see the door garnish molding tacked together and in place. Note: There were four relief cuts made to the A-pillar to attain just the right flow into the base.