Are you wondering if there is any way to keep yourself dry during a rain storm in your Corvette? Well, do not feel alone. Keeping water out is a common problem. The environment we live in and common every day use cause the rubber weatherstrips on any Corvette to dry out, crack, tear, compress and generally wear out after a few years.
Thanks to Zip Corvette Parts, worn out rubber weatherstrips are no longer a problem. They carry a complete line for all 1953 and later Corvettes. We called them for help and they were able to supply all of the correct weatherstrips we needed and all of the associated attaching hardware. All of the items fit just as they should and were of excellent quality. We replaced all of the rubber weatherstrips in our Project 73 easily in one afternoon. Now we can put our umbrella away because the rain stays out while we stay dry.
01: Here is everything needed for our installation: The Corvette Rubber Weatherstrip, 1 tube 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive, 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, Weatherstrip Conditioner, masking tape, screwdrivers both flat and phillips, knife or tucking tool and an awl.
02: First disconnect your battery. Your doors are going to be open for quite sometime and you don’t need a dead battery. Next carefully remove the old door weatherstrip. Remember that most of the door weatherstrips have screws holding it in place at one or both ends. Remove these screws first, then the door weatherstrip can be removed.
03: After the weatherstrip is removed, thoroughly clean the old weatherstrip glue off with the general purpose adhesive cleaner. The cleaner the area is, the better the glue will hold.
04: When you are done cleaning the door area, take the new door weatherstrip and pre-fit it. Make sure all of the mounting holes line up and that you have the correct side on the corresponding door. By pre-fitting each weatherstrip, you will then know how it should fit.
05: Thoroughly wipe off the rubber door weatherstrip before you install it with General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, tar and wax remover or alcohol. This will remove any mold release agent that may still be on the weatherstrip and allow it to bond to the door more securely.
06: Place a bead of Black Weatherstrip Adhesive about a quarter of the way around the door first starting at the door jamb end. Let it skim coat over. While this is happening, place a bead of Black Weatherstrip Adhesive on the door weatherstrip starting at the door jamb end. Again, about one quarter of the way around. Let this adhesive skim over.
07: Install the molded end and screws first and slowly work your way down the door. I always like to start at the lock side of the door first and work around to the hinge side. Place the adhesive on the weatherstrip and door together. As you proceed, place a piece of masking tape about 3″ long across the door weatherstrip about every 3″ or 4″. This will hold the weatherstrip in place as you proceed. After you have finished the first 25%, move on to the next and continue until you have reached and installed the other end. Leave each door open for about 90 minutes or until you have finished before you remove the masking tape.
08: To replace the rear vertical weatherstrip, remove the screw at the bottom and pull the weatherstrip out of the channel.
09: Thoroughly clean the channel with adhesive cleaner before you install the new vertical weatherstrip. Also wipe the weatherstrips themselves with the cleaner to remove any mold release agents still left on.
10: Apply the Black Weatherstrip Adhesive to the channel and the weatherstrip just as you did with the door weatherstrip. A bead on each piece. Place the vertical weatherstrip into the channel at the top and slowly tuck it into place with your putty knife or tucking tool, pressing the weatherstrip into the channel. Line up the screw hole at the bottom, insert the screw and you are done.
11: To replace the windshield pillar weatherstrip, remove all of the mounting screws first. Then remove the channel and weatherstrip as one unit.
12: Again thoroughly clean the pillar channel and also wipe down the pillar weatherstrips with adhesive cleaner or one of the other cleaners mentioned before. Place a bead of weatherstrip adhesive on the pillar weatherstrip and also a corresponding bead in the channel. Align the weatherstrip to the bottom of the channel and put it into place. Use an awl to line up one hole at the top and then use the putty knife or tucking tool to push the weatherstrip into place in the channel. Work up the channel one hole at a time. This way the weatherstrip will stay aligned as you tuck the weatherstrip into place.
13: Before you replace the pillar weatherstrip channel back into place you will need to seal the back of the channel. This area has to seal against the windshield frame so some type of sealer must be used to keep water out. You can use Zip’s Strip Sealing Caulk. Make sure the back of the pillar channel and weatherstrip frame is thoroughly clean. Apply the Strip Caulking to the pillar post channel. Then install it into the windshield frame. Place the screws back into place and you are done.
14: To remove the T-Top weatherstrip, start by removing the outer retaining screws. This will release both the weatherstrip and weatherstrip retaining channel. Now carefully remove the remaining weatherstrip and retaining pins. Again thoroughly clean both the T-Top, the T-Top weatherstrip and the weatherstrip retaining channel. As with all of the other weatherstrips, pre-fit it so that you know how it fits.
16: The T-Top weatherstrip retaining channel is just like the pillar weatherstrip channel. It has to have either strip caulking or post sealer installed on it to keep it watertight. Here we are installing the strip caulking but the post sealer will work just as well.
17: The T-Top weatherstrips are first installed into the outer T-Top weatherstrip retaining channel. Again place a thin bead of weatherstrip adhesive both in the channel and onto the weatherstrip. Place the weatherstrip into the channel carefully aligning the holes. Use an awl in one hole while installing the mounting screw in the next. When this is fully installed, move onto the rest of the weatherstrip.
18: Again place a small bead of adhesive on the T-Top and also on the corresponding weatherstrip. Do only a few inches at a time. Let the adhesive skim over, align the studs and mounting holes and push them into place. Slowly work your way all around the T-Top until the weatherstrip is fully installed.
19: While we were at it, Zip supplied us with the T-Top Adjusting Bolt. Someone had placed some incorrect bolts on our T-Top during its life and installing the new ones made the top fit better and best of all, it no longer squeaked.
20: We also installed new T-Top Front Guide Pin Bushings since ours were very worn.
21: We placed the T-Top with the new weatherstrip back onto the body and adjusted the adjustment bolts so that when the latches were closed, the T-Top was even with the rear stationary roof section and fit tight over the windshield.
22: Before we closed everything up, we placed a thin layer of weatherstrip conditioner onto all of the weatherstrips. This product is a weatherstrip saver and prevents weatherstrips from tearing. It keeps the weatherstrip much more supple. New weatherstrips sometimes squeak when first installed. This conditioner will also help prevent this from happening.
23: Now with all your new weatherstrips installed, slowly close the door and let the car sit for a few hours to let the weatherstrips compress naturally. You will notice that the doors will close a little hard, but this is only until the weatherstrips have conformed. This also assures you of a good tight, waterproof fit. Now re-connect your battery and go play in the rain!
Helpful Hints:
1) Make sure that you pre-fit each piece before you install it. This way you will know if it is correct and how it is suppose to fit.
2) After you have installed all of the weatherstrip, it is a good idea to water test the car for leaks. You may find that you have to adjust a door, window or top to fully stop any leak. You want to do this now, not during a rainstorm.
3) Sometimes an extra set of hands will come in handy during door weatherstrip installations. It may be a good idea to have your wife, girlfriend or friend standing by to help. Tell your wife or girlfriend you are doing this so that they stay dry when you are riding in the rain. If it is your friend, tell them they owe it to you.
1973-1977 Corvette Rubber Weatherstrip Installation: Corvette Rubber Weatherstrip Installation
Source: Zip Corvette Parts
8067 Fast Lane | Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | (800) 962-9632
Corvette Parts List Related to Article:
- 1973-1977E Coupe Body Weatherstrip Kit
- 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive
- 1956-1982 Strip Sealing Caulk
- 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner
- 1969-1976 Front Latch Adjusting Bolt
- 1968-1982 Front Guide Pin Bushings
- 1968 Top Adjusting Bolt
- 1977-1982 Top Adjusting Bolt
- Corvette Weatherstrip
- Corvette Shop/Repair Manuals