How to Replace the Door Felt on a 1966 Mustang

Even though based on the Ford Falcon, the 1966 Mustang was a solidly built car, judging from the many examples still on the road. This does not mean your 1966 Mustang will not be plagued with a myriad of squeaks and rattles. Rattles in the doors may be fixed by replacing the window felts on either side of the window opening in the top of the door. Window felts are supposed to keep the glass from rattling in the door and to seal the opening between the glass and edges of the top of the door from dirt and water, but if your car has the original felts, they are probably not accomplishing this. Replacement felts are readily available for your car.

Instructions

1

Roll the window up and open the passenger door. Remove the two retaining screws on the door arm rest with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the arm rest and place it aside. Remove the retaining screws from the interior door latch handle and the window crank handle with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the handles and set them aside.

2

Slide an automotive trim removal tool in between the door panel and the metal surface of the door and pry outwards gently until the nearest retaining clips release. Continue around the edge of the panel until all clips have been released. Remove the panel from the door. Carefully peel off the paper shield, if your car still has one.

3

Reach inside the door cavity and pry the rubber window stop from the bottom of the door with a flat-blade screwdriver. Push the window crank handle back onto its splined shaft and crank the window all the way down. Note that with the stop removed the top of the window should be below its normal stopping point, making it easier to remove the existing window felts.

4

Remove the retaining screws from the end of each window felt with a Phillips screwdriver. Carefully pry the strips away from the edges of the window opening to release the clips with a flat blade screwdriver. Remove the felts and discard them. Remove any remaining pieces of clips from the slots in the window opening with needle-nose pliers.

5

Position the replacement felts into each side of the window opening. Thread the retaining screws into the ends of the felts to hold them in place. Thread screws --- used on aftermarket felts instead of the clips like on the originals --- through the felts and into the slots on the window opening where the clips originally resided.

6

Roll the window back up and remove the window crank. Push the rubber window stop back into the bottom of the door. Use a replacement stop --- available where vintage Mustang parts are sold --- if the existing one is too deteriorated to use. Push the paper shield back into place. Line up the clips on the door panel with the holes in the metal surface of the door. Push the panel in carefully so that all the clips engage. Replace the door handle, window crank and arm rest and tighten the retaining screws.

7

Repeat the procedure to install felts on the driver's side door. Roll the rear quarter windows all the way down to replace the felts in these locations in the same fashion.