lt4 coupe

Ok I give up. After over a MONTH of searching, I cannot find any definite answers. I need to remove the weatherstrip retainers from the A pillar and halo (I already removed the B pillars and halo, easily). FIRST it appears you have to remove the windshield trim, but NO ONE can tell me how, no searches and no YouTube videos. Surely someone besides the Auto Glass companies have to know?

Fastnail

The weatherstrip retainers are on top of the windshield trim. When you remove the screws for the retainers, there are some of the screws that are in enlarged holes in the retainers that hold on the windshield trim. If the retainers haven't been removed before, the foam sealer that GM used may try to pull the windshield trim with the retainers. There are different schools of thought on resealing the trim and retainers, some say to use a silicone sealant and others say to use a closed cell foam, so do some research on the subject before you put it all back together. I used a product that I purchased from The Felt Store online when I did my weatherstrips, and haven't had any leaks yet.
Good luck and take your time and plan on maybe having to adjust one or both windows on the car to fit and seal well on the new weatherstrip.


Cheers

lt4 coupe

Thanks a lot! I see what looks like the back side of pop rivets sticking up through the weatherstrip channels so I was worried that they were pop riveted together.

I have spoke in depth with 3M and purchased the original GM part numbers they gave me for the foam tape, the correct weather strip adhesive ("super weather strip adhesive" is NOT the correct adhesive for EPDM), and "strip caulk". Since my car is 20 years old (spent a lot of time in Hawaii) and no signs of leaks, I plan to restore it with fresh, correct, OEM products.

The only exception will be the channel coating. Im afraid to powder-coat the channels as I dont want to warp them. They seem to be aluminum or tin as they are non-ferrous and light weight. I have considered just stripping the old (paint?) black coating and reinstalling them "in the white". I need to talk with 3M and make sure the EPDM formula will adhere properly to bare, smooth, extruded metal substrate.

Right now if I re-coat them satin black, I will most likely use POR-15, which I have never thinned and sprayed before, which worries me! =)

Fastnail

You are right, there are pop rivets holding them together and it has been over a year since I did mine. I tried to find the photos of them but can't seem to find them. You are right about using the strip caulk. I did use the POR-15 to refinish all of the pieces on mine and it seems to be holding up well. I used the product in the rattle cans for mine. Hope this helps.

lt4 coupe

Ahhh, didnt know they had an aerosol option! Thats EXCELLENT! So if i understand you correctly, I will have to start on the top section based on the overlap of the A-pillars. I will have to use a putty knife or such and remove the window trim and weather strip channels together, then drill the rivets to remove the two pieces. This will reveal a double sided foam tape between the two pieces and the car bird cage side as well. I already have the 1/2" foam tape part number for the B-pillar halos so that and the strip caulk should get me through it.