Re: [DML] Weather-stripping

[Martin Gutkowski <martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just to stick my 2p in again (sorry)...

I am the one who was selling reproduced original shape door seals on 
fleabay, with the crucial difference that they are made from tear 
resistant silicone rubber.

Why?

On my #1 car, vin #1458, I paid out a lot of money for a set of, frankly 
rather scabby NOS (at the time) seals from DMCH. They're now a lot 
cheaper and better quality remanufactured in natural rubber.

However, I had nightmares with the recommended contact adhesive (the 
off-white stuff that you paint on both sides, count to 30 and stick 
together) because my doors were quite simply too tight a fit. The shut 
lines were/are really very good on that car - maybe as little as 3mm but 
not uneven suggesting a poorly fitted door. I sincerely doubt that any 
self-adhesive would be up to the task either - closing the door simply 
tore the seal off the body.

I subsequently fitted yet another set of rubber seals using a 
polyurethane bondant (known to most as Sikaflex) and this time the 
adhesive was more than up to the task... except that this time around, 
the door simply tore the seal open after about 3 days.

It was then that a friend pointed me to a company he'd seen at a trade 
show offering silicone extrusions. I sent them a sample of original 
seal, and through my (then) company, invested in getting a special die 
made to copy the original pattern, and a box load of seals made in "tear 
resistant" black silicone. It's amazing stuff, and utterly impossible to 
damage unless you go at it with something sharp - we even had a 
tug-of-war with one piece to see if two grown men could snap it... we 
couldn't.

After quite a lot of experimentation with various adhesives (not a lot 
of things will adhere to silicone!), I zeroed in on the best, which 
comes in a handy caulking gun cartridge. I fitted a set for my own car 
and they've been there ever since (around 2 years, now with a new 
owner). I've got through two more batches since the original.

I've sold many sets on ebay with 100% positive, and even some subsequent 
emails praising them, but as sales slowed a bit, I stopped advertising 
them (I have a few projects in the pipeline). But if anyone wants a set, 
I have several ready to ship.

Martin


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