Re-installation of metal trim around rear side windows with rubber gaskets

[610StaWag]

1) The 1973 Datsun 619 station wagon is just in the first un-sanded coat of primer. I have been looking at the trim pieces that go on two sides of the rear side windows. I think I remember that these pieces were under the lip of the window gasket and that I pulled them out when I was stripping the car two years ago. The car was sitting out in the hot southern California sun for about ten years before I brought it into a shaded area. When I closely examined the gaskets I found the rubber quite stiff and not very flexible. For the life of me I cannot figure out how these trim pieces can be put back in without destroying the gaskets. What do I do? I cannot find 610 station wagon rear-side window replacement gaskets (photo 1 below).

 

Window trim fitting by Donald Broz, on Flickr

 

2)  When I removed the long side trims from the body the plastic fittings disintegrated. There was a central plastic pin that had a large head that slid in the track. The pins went into plastic tubular nuts that fit into the hole in the body. I tried every brand and size of tubular nuts, but nothing fit with the proper amount of being snug. Some were too big for the hole and some were loose in the hole. In desperation I tried to find anything that could work, i.e., fit snug and have the facility to be installed and uninstalled.  Well, I think I came up with a solution (photo 2 below). I found that a galvanized roofing nail was the perfect size to fit into the track of the trim pieces. That solved the need for pins. Now I searched for material to act as tubular nuts. I was quite delighted to find that 1/8^th micro drip tubing worked was perfect. I tested it and it did fit very snug in the hole. When I removed the trim, the hose portion gripped the hole more securely than the nail and came off in the hole. The solution to this was that when I was putting the short length of hose on the nail I would only slide the hose about a ¼” up the nail. I would stop and then put a large drop of Super Glue on the bare shank of the nail. Then I would slide the hose the rest of the way up (I made the hose length just longer than the length of the nail shaft). I tested this configuration and found it worked perfectly.  Remember that Super Glue dries REALLY fast.  After this assembly I tapered the end of the hose to the end of the nail using a stationary belt sander, as a finishing touch.

 

Nail and tubing by Donald Broz, on Flickr