Wedge door and roof seals ....
Discussion
Hi Mate..I found the hardest part was the outer edges of the targa panel...I started from the passenger side seat belt area around the door opening..Up and along the windscreen area and down to the drivers side..The side pillars pressed on with resonable force and with hands opposite each other all the way round applying equal pressure..I used a gentle tap from a rubber mallet for making sure the door openings were fitted securely and also along the rear roof bar..Obviously dont hit the windscreen area with the mallet..Unless the ole eye is twitching..
Chris
The area you mentioned is an awkward part.
The most important areas is the corners at the bottom of the door opening, make sure you get the new seal into them. I have seen examples were the seal has shrunk back a bit and that leaves a cap behind them and that where the water can get in!
Use a rubber hammer were the body is strong enough. One area were the body is a little thin is the rear of the door opening if you us a hammer there you can damage the body!
I hope that helps!
Andy
The area you mentioned is an awkward part.
The most important areas is the corners at the bottom of the door opening, make sure you get the new seal into them. I have seen examples were the seal has shrunk back a bit and that leaves a cap behind them and that where the water can get in!
Use a rubber hammer were the body is strong enough. One area were the body is a little thin is the rear of the door opening if you us a hammer there you can damage the body!
I hope that helps!
Andy
I've done this a few times on different vehicles, and I reckon the trick is to make sure the original trim/cloth/leather etc properly overlaps the body edge. On the basis the new seal grips with a 'U' , if the trim doesn't wrap over then fitting the new seal can rip it, or push it off its glue.
I typically check and reglue as required after taking old seal off. Reglue with office paper clips (no, the bigger spring ones - 'P' or foldback types) to make sure the glue sticks them over the edge...
sharp corners are a bit of a bugger to do, try bending the seal off the car before fitting ....
I typically check and reglue as required after taking old seal off. Reglue with office paper clips (no, the bigger spring ones - 'P' or foldback types) to make sure the glue sticks them over the edge...
sharp corners are a bit of a bugger to do, try bending the seal off the car before fitting ....
Jack Valiant said:
I am especially keen to know about the approach to the windscreen area given the leather trim on the side posts? Chris
IIRC the screen is stuck to the frame and it's the glue that forms the seal. The rubber strip (T-shaped in cross section) is decorative only even though it looks like a seal - or is a seal but not used as one or at least not the primary seal.
Don't start at one end; start in the middle above the windscreen and do each side evenly. The stuff tends to shrink and open up a gap at the top front end of the doors so try and fit it with some compression to hold it into the corners of the door aperture. You can do this by fitting the corners first and having some excess seal between the corners (ie 'bowed' up in the middle); you can then hammer the excess seal into the straight portion which wedges the corners into place - I hope that made sense!
The vinyl/leather trim on my cars was glued onto the fibreglass so didn't move. The carpet's quite awkward too, the 350i was bodged into place but the SEAC had a thin piece of material sewn around the edges of the carpet which was then glued onto the GRP and trapped by the door trim.
Also make sure you buy decent quality stuff otherwise it'll go hard and not last.
The vinyl/leather trim on my cars was glued onto the fibreglass so didn't move. The carpet's quite awkward too, the 350i was bodged into place but the SEAC had a thin piece of material sewn around the edges of the carpet which was then glued onto the GRP and trapped by the door trim.
Also make sure you buy decent quality stuff otherwise it'll go hard and not last.
My windscreen/door seal is made of two pieces glued together - the actual seal of soft rubber-like material, and the part that grips the fibreglass is like a harder vinyl and probably has metal in it. Yes, start in the middle above the mirror. Mine too has shrunk a little (blame the cold weather!) so I have small gaps at the bottom of the doors. Originally I had rivets at the ends, but I replaced with ss screws. I am thinking of adding four more screws at the bottom corners of the doors.
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