Rattling windows

[John Mason]

I have a Mk1 Ruby with driver and passenger door windows that rattle excessively when driving along even on reasonable roads. The material in the window guides are worn so I would like to replace them. Does anyone know of a supplier for this. I am almost sure this will put things right however if anyone knows of other things that cause this rattling noise together with a remedy please let me know before it drives me nuts.

John Mason.

[Ivor Hawkins]

The Seven Workshop sells flexible window channel, which should cure it. Back in the early 70’s when I had no money, my Ruby was run on an absolute shoestring, so I bought rubber wedges to stop the windows from rattling…that was after I’d lost several fag packets inside the door, trying to stop the rattles!

[Lowespeed]

Seal + Direct Ltd of New Milton, Hampshire have a good range of flock lined rubber seals. they were helpful in supplying sample of rubber sections when I was rebuilding the RK Saloon. Excellent catalogue full of ideas.

[Reckless Rat]

Those were the days when every filling station had a card on a nail with window wedges and another one with plasticky rubber fuel tank stoppers. (and you could get 4 gallons for a quid.)

[Duncan Grimmond]

EEEH, ah rrememberrr them days but a bit later when it was 3 gallons for 18/6 and we were to ask the customer if they wanted a quid's worth to save going back to the kiosk...tap washers, jubilee clips, brake blocks, puncture repair sets, tins of Gun-gum paste and silencer bandage!
The Humber Super Snipe with twin tanks, fillers hidden behind the reflectors...
And sometimes a sixpenny tip for checking the ladies' tyres!

[John Mason]

Thank you all for your suggestions and suppliers info. Reckers you must be older than I thought to recall those rubber petrol caps. You must also remember Redex shots as well. As to the cost of petrol my first gallon cost 3 shillings and 4 and a half pence. In modern money 17.5 pence a gallon. So our younger members don’t think it was a typo error I repeat 17.5 pence a gallon.

John Mason

[Steve Jones]

For some time whan I first started driving in 1969, petrol at the Asda Garage on Dewsbury Road in Wakefield was 6/- a gallon. I was at Wakefield Technical College and I had a grant of £1/week from the County Council Education Dept. That meant 3 gallons of petrol a week for 18/- and two bob left over.

Steve

[Reckless Rat]

We used to dream of having 18/- ....

[Ivor Hawkins]

I remember when you could buy two pair o’ boots, an overcoat, take your girlfriend out to the pictures and fish and chips on the way home and still have change out of ninepence…

Just returned from a classic car run at the old people’s home in Brackley in the box and I had all the stories from the residents!

[Malcolm Parker]

Not only did the windows in my Mk 1 rattle, if you hit a bump they would drop like a stone!  Then there was the self changing gearbox which went from 3rd to top at a certain revs, the weight of the gear lever did the change for you.  Then there were the trafficators which worked when the car was running but failed to achieve an erection when it was stationary in the MOT bay, this is before the days of viagra.   Then there was the drivers door that had an uncanny habit of flying open if you hit a bump whilst turning left.
Happy days.   It did tend to put me off Ruby's for the next four decades but now I could almost fancy a really good Mk 2 with a good original interior.
Back to the subject of rattling windows, good felt lined window channels should help greatly.  My RL saloon also has a length of 1/4" rubber tube under the trim at the top of the window. This forces the glass outwards at the very top of its travel, forcing it against the window channel and stopping any rattle.  I don't know if this is an original feature but it works very effectively (so it probably is!).