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OK, after slogging through 7 hours of rain, post Carlisle, and after several years (or more) of neglect, I have decided to re-do all of the weather strip on Pearl (just as soon as the freakin carpeting dries out).

 

In doing a search on here, it looks like the closed-cell "D" channel stuff from McMaster-Carr seems to be the most popular (p/n 93085K14 ) for placement under the hood, but are you successful rain-beaters using that for around the doors as well??  I'm also going to finally get around to upgrading my side curtains with thicker plexiglass (from .125" to .250") and will probably find something at McMaster-Carr on another catalog page to seal along the front and bottom of my curtains (I have naked plexiglass windows - no vinyl around them, just the rubber seals - for more visibility).  

 

I may mess around with the windshield again, to see if I can get the lower gasket lip over the bottom "L" piece, the ways it's supposed to be, too.  Worked pretty hard on that when I put the windshield in and eventually gave up trying but maybe the second time is the charm?  The way it sits, now, the top of the windshield sits raked back about 1/2" more than it used to.  We tried mounting the gasket on the glass and then seating it on the "L".  I think if we get the gasket seated on the "L" first and THEN somehow press the glass in, it might work, or press the gasket onto the glass and then use a string up in the lip channel to pull the rubber lip out over the vertical "L" piece.  Suggestions here would be appreciated (Carey?)

 

Lastly, since I'm doing this much, what's the latest state-of-the-art process (Jack - comments?) for sealing along the header.  I used a couple of layers of semi-closed-cell stuff that works, but is kinda hokey and has taken a "set" on compression over the winter and needs updating as well.  

 

Suggestions, anyone?  This will be both a rain sealing process as well as tightening up the cockpit in anticipation of my gas heater this fall.  I know.....If I had the heater going I could just start it up and everything would be dry in minutes!

 

Thanks, all!

Last edited by Gordon Nichols
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Gordon,

 

I can't help you with sealing around the doors since I still have the original weatherstripping from 20 years ago and it still seems to be working.  I'm using the original CMC rubber around my plexiglass side curtains and that seems to be working too.  And, as you know, I still haven't resolved the header seal and am using the legendary blue tape (saw Jack cruised in with that too).

 

But, I'm wondering if you are still getting wet rear carpets from the pan overhanging under the rear of the interior?  I finally solved that this year.  A couple of years ago I used the canned foam insulation but that still leaked.  This year I purchased the canned foam called "fire break" and sprayed more around the top of what was there.  No wet carpets this year so it looks like that is finally solved.       

Gordon,

 

My floors are dry and my bow doesn't leak.  Try what Bruce said for floors---my own solution was to fill the void in front of the rear wheels--tis space is about the same size as your two fists held together.  Impossible to see unless you really get down there and feel for it.  I filled these voids with silicone---it took about 4 tubes as I remember.  This trick was courtesy of John Steele---he does this to all his new cars now.

 

For the bow I first added a third latch---at the center of the bow---maybe you already have this.

 

The product I used to replace the rubber in the bow was from Bob Drake; www.bobdrake.com and it is part number BFG-300-20  and is described as "Small half Round door seal"  I used two layers of thie seal inside my bow glued in with the Green spray can of 3-M adhesive.  This material comes in a 20' roll and is on sale right now for $20 instead of the usual price of $25 per roll.

 

I have a fear of wind getting up under my top and causing it to fly up over the car so I still use the blue tape as a barrier to air getting under the lip of the top at the top of the windshield.  But even without this, I get no water in at the bow where it attaches to the windshield.

 

I lacked Lane's fabrication skills so rather than making the plexi windows I added 3" of top fabric around the windows and find that approach to work beautifully.

 

After Carlisle, our last leg home was from Nashville to Hot springs took us through three separate thunderstorms that were very violent with winds and lightening so rough that I expected hail but that never developed.  Through that the Spedster was cozy and dry inside.

 

Oh--that Drake material is great for doors too---that's the original purpose but it works well in the bow too.

 

Gordon, I used the original speedster door seal and trim setup on my doors and trailered the car to Carlisle through several thunderstorms and one serious micro burst and it did not leak. As far as the side curtains go we are on the first iteration with a leak at the top edge coming home and Dianne used a "D" channel she ordered from McMaster. I've since found a site that sells a bubble type seal with the bubble on the side which I think would allow me to lay the window against the header bow and pinch it inside the frame with the bubble against that area.

 

I saw Lanes setup which I liked as the issue of egress vs sealing is the real challenge or just have a passer by seal you up once your in. Here is the link for the seal and they have some other interesting ones as well.

 

PS. My car is a CMC

 

http://www.perfectfit.com/39289/Tenax-Fasteners.html

Thanks, Mike.  I found the bubble-edge strips elsewhere on that site and they look interesting.  My top material has been "adjusted" to allow easier opening/closing of the door and still provide good sealing, but a bubble-edge at the top of the side window might improve things, as might a stiffener on the inner flap that the window sits against.  We'll see.

 

I oticed on a few newer cars at Carlisle that, at least around the trunk they used a 1/2" high lipped seal that looked pretty nice, so I'm looking into a source for that type as well.

 

I also found a company called "Soff Seal" in the street rodder world and they have a TON of different extrusions, some self-adhering and some not, so I'll be looking there, too (although they look pricey).  This is one of those things I did kinda half-assed a number of years ago, than band-aided things a few times and now I want to do it right and make it last.  I'll do a pictorial post of the progress, too.

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