navy_vette

I've had the weatherstripping for almost a year and finally decided to install it. I was sick of the interior getting drenched when I washed the car. Some of the pictures got corrupted, so I don't have them all. This is what I have.

Sorry about some of the pictures being sideways. I'm too tired to figure out how to rotate the pictures right now. :P

This is the BEST part of the rear roof weather stripping.


This is half way through the top strip. It crumbled in my hands. I ended up having to take the strip itself off to get it clean.


I used a steel dental pic to get the groves clean. It was a pain , but taking the time to get it as clean as possible is necessary.



These are the pictures of the new weather stripping.






I also did the doors and will do the front roof tomorrow. Nothing fits perfectly well right now, but it will all settle in. I don't have the in progress pictures of the door because they were part of the corrupted data.

jon0108

Do the windows go up properly? When I did my new weatherstrip the windows took forever to go up. Still do. I was told the weatherstrip had to "break in". That was 5 years ago. What brand weatherstrip did you use?

RickIsYoDaddy

Where did you get the weather strip from? Im about to buy some weatherstripping for my vette today or tomorrow. I was looking at restoration-warehouse on ebay. I spoke to him and he buys in bulk from lonestar, and resells them cheaper.

navy_vette

I got the set from zip-corvette.com. They are reasonably priced and the kit comes with a tube of weatherstripping adhesive. They have every piece you need. You can do just the driver's area, or the entire car. Part of my next purchase will include the wheel well, the rear dome seal and the door window seal kits.

My windows do go up a little bit slower and it's difficult to get the top on. The door are also VERY tight. Everything will wear in. If you leave the car out in the hot sun for a couple of days the weatherstripping will mold itself.

Wathen1955

I bought mine from Willcox (http://www.willcoxcorvette.com/), and had a member here help me install it. What a royal PITA to remove the old stuff. After the install, the windows when up fine, but the doors were hard to close. The person that helped me said it will be a couple of days for them to settle in, and sure enough, it only took a couple of days and now the doors close just fine.

When you order it (from any vendor), make sure they verify the hatch WS is not cracked or broke at the corners before they ship it. My original was, but Willcox was great and sent me a replacement and a shipping box to send the defective one back.

Frizlefrak

I used Willcox. No issues....fit perfectly from the get go. Windows go up and down just fine, and targa went right back on. Be careful who you buy from on eBay....some is good, some is junk (hard as a brick).

navy_vette

No matter where you get it from, make sure it's a reliable source. I use e-bay as a very last resort. Some of those bulk buyers have their products sit in a warehouse that is not properly maintained for a long time. How many people order weatherstripping for a C4 on a weekly basis? Willcox and Zip are my 2 favorite sites. There are many out there.

Just as a hint though, have plenty of scraping tools ready. You won't have to scrap anything on paint, just on the runners that hold the weatherstripping. Steel dental picks, jewelers flathead screwdrivers, etc. Also, have your screwdrivers and torx tools ready to go. It's easier with those runners off the car. They are secured with very thin and very sticky double sided tape before the screws are inserted.

It takes time. Be patient and make sure you have plenty of sunlight left in the day before you start.

Okay, I'm going to stop rambling now. Too much coffee.

navy_vette

Sorry about the double post, but this is relevent.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-off-site.html

Willcox is have a sale..... again.
If they always have a sale, isn't that their normal price then?

daddysvet92

Nice job on the weather stripping!
100% better on the eyes!

Did mine a few years ago, and purchased from Willcox!
Happy with parts and application but the next summer I did find a small separation with the drivers side halo peice that the drivers door window closes against.
I emailed Willcox, sent them pics, called and spoke to someone who told me another person would call me back and "didn't".
I sent another email and I was not contacted at all, either by email or phone.
Short story: Not impressed with customer service, and if someone from Willcox is reading this and decides to get back to me and resolve this issue, I'll be more than happy to post a feedback resolution and speak well about the company again.
I purchased the whole set, the least they could do is address my issue! (sorry, but I had to vent!)

By the way great job on your progress so far!!!!

Chris

0Willcox Corvette

Chris,

Your purchase was made on 03-11-08 and sales forwarded me your picture email.

I responded to this mail and I've pasted a copy of this email below. I'm sorry no one called you back if they told you they would. I would presume it was because I told them a response email was sent. That has been a year ago so I have no way to know for sure.

The weatherstrips carry a full year warranty just as the same part from GM would carry.


From: Willcox [mailto:willcoxcustomerservice@willcoxcor vette.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 9:48 AM
To: 'Chris Mailloux <mailto:daddysvet92@gmail.com>'
Subject: RE: Response from willcoxcorvette.com


Hi Chris,

I'm sorry you've had a problem with the weatherstrip. However, this product is 2 years old and no longer covered under warranty. Warranty on this item is the same as if you purchased the GM weatherstrip, 1 year.

Regards,

Willcox Customer Service

navy_vette

Dam, 30 mins. The CS guy does have a point :P

Thanks. I just finished the windshield piece. Honestly, it was the biggest pain. It didn't quite fill in all the spaces. I applied a "controlled" amount of weatherstripping adhesive and it sealed up the rest of it. The end of the piece didn't want to stay where they were supposed to, so I'm keeping the doors closed until it drys completely.

PLRX

0Willcox Corvette

I'm not sure where Zip gets their weatherstrips from but I'll address this as if it were a CRC brand.

When you glue the weatherstrips, and I've not read everything above so I may be repeating someone.

But when you do the weatherstrip jobs.. first and foremost you must make sure to clean the weatherstrip with some thinner or cleaner. This removes any left over mold release.

Then you should apply a thin coat to the part, a thin coat to the car. Allow both to dry. Once dry apply another thin coat to the part and it should stick pretty much instantly.

If my memory serves me correct, the lower portion of the A pillar also has two "Push-In" fasteners that help hold this in place. If you do not have these then the end of the weatherstrip will try to come lose from the body. Your solution of shutting the door until dry will work just fine as long as the ends are in the correct position.

Willcox

navy_vette

Oh, those ends are EXACTLY where they are supposed to be. When I end up rigging something, I make sure that at least that part of it is right. It was a HUGE pain getting those new clips in. Several tools went flying, and one went into the street. No wonder my neighbors think I'm crazy. The damn thing is that they don't speak English, and I don't speak Italian :P

It's a match made in hell...

Anyways, the job is done and everything is holding together now. The door shut with that nice satisfying solid thud, and the top fits in nice and cozy. Tomorrow, I'll know 100% that the adhesive is cured and I will wash the car down and check for leaks.

jon0108

let us know how the windows roll up with the doors closed