Not sure if this is the right section for this question. Been through 2 different brands of trunk gasket seals and none seem to keep the water out. Anyone have good luck with a particular brand or vendor?
I've had a Steele Rubber products gasket on mine for 10 years, no leaks. Same for the doors; it's a post car.
I think that all the gaskets are made by the same company. Soffseal and the other comapnies just put it in their own box. Steele's door weatherstrips for the A bodies are made by Metro Are you gluing them in? Also make sure you dont put the two ends together in the middle by the trunk latch
I have mentioned this many times here before but go check out Ames Performance Pontiac. They sell the correct soft foam with the Latex skin which is like original. They call it Stock or sometimes NOS type in the catolog. It is far better than the other types which are rock hard which they also sell so make sure you get the expensive one. Do not even waste your money on any other type. It costs about $80 but is worth it by far. Give them a call and tell them you want the good type. The box says it is for a firebird but it is correct type and you cut it to length. It is made over seas because I have heard it is very toxic to make and cannot pass the EPA Nazi rules. I would not use anything else. Box is marked OER brand and is marked Premium Quality Latex Weatherstrip. A picture of the stuff is below.
Soft Seal is what I used last and although it looks good I do not think it sits high enough. Everytime I wash my car the trunk gets wet. When I checked the gasket it is wet on top as if the water is going right over it. Put my daughter in the trunk as she voluteered and and she could see light between the gasket and trunk lid. That said I don't believe I have a positive seal!
the seal itself is not always the culprit. if you cant see any places where water is breeching the seal, it might be this ..... when the trunk lid is made the outer skin is clamped over the inner skeleton. then a putty is applied to the seam and the the whole thing painted over. over time the putty dries and cracks letting moisture travel between those panels making its way into the trunk.
Don't forget you can lower the catch on the trunk rail or raise the latch mechanism in the trunk lid to make a tighter fit. Over time these parts tend to wander and not allow the trunklid to sit as tight to the body as it should when closed. I had to do that on mine because I was seeing the side edges of the trunklid sitting slightly higher than I liked.
i ended up buying the trunk seal for my '72 gs from an olds restoration shop. it was thinner than one from steelrubber and from softseal. it had to trimmed to fit properly. once fitted in the track and glued in (3m black weatherstrip glue), slammed the trunk lid shut and left it for several days before re-opening. fits like glove and seals properly.
Another thing you might want to check while you are trying to get your trunk water-tight (I am going through this right now): The rear tail light seals. My car was restored, and the old rotten seals were put back in. Most of the water in my trunk comes in from around the rear lights! I am considering using strip caulk to seal the light housings back in...
I have soff seal and I have a hell of a time shutting the trunk lid. After awhile,it settled in. Worked very well for me.
Never had a closing issue. Before installing the gasket for the second time I ran water in the channels and everywhere else with no issues noted. After I leaked into the trunk and when my daughter was in the trunk she saw water come in where ever she saw daylight. She stated that the seal was not butting up against the trunk lid all the way around.
Remove the seal and reinstall it a little taller. Use black silicone caulk to glue it in place, allow overnight for the silicone to cure. Maybe your daughter could sit in the trunk and adjust the seal up against the trunk lid before the silicone sets, just don't forget to let her out.
Was hoping I could just get a different brand gasket that sits somewhat taller which is why I started the thread. This way I could get keep my girl out of the trunk all together LOL!
Mine is soffseal,but the adhesive my restorer used must have been defective.It pulled away from one corner & twisted:rant: And it was lined up wrong,seam should be left of the latch,not centered!
Fusick Olds just sold REAL nos on ebay, $146.70 :grin:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400179523865&ssPageName=STRK:MEDWX:IT
