My 93 40th needs new weatherstripping bad... DO you guys recommend doing it yourself? Really hard? ANy good site to by a kit for the car at a good price? any ideas or help would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

Do it your self and I think most prefer willcox for the kit but am not sure. Kinda pricey...


Good luck!

 

Weatherstripping is somewhat easy to change. I highly recommend you buy a set of plastic or rubber coated interior panel removal tools.

I recommend the $4.99 set at harbor freight for all my customers that want to install/remove their own weatherstripping.



As far as brand goes, Ive found them all to be about the same. Except the original GM corvette weatherstripping. The GM stuff is pure junk regardless what others say. If GM weatherstripping was good it would not have failed so quickly. The 93-96 Fbody weatherstripping don't go bad like the corvette's do. No other car ive ever seen has the weatherstripping issues that the C4 does. Maybe it's because people clean corvettes more? Armor-all is real bad for weatherstripping.

 

I tried searching harbor for weather stripping tools and interior panel tools but no dice. Got a link?

 

make your own tools out of old screwdrivers . buy Latex, unless you like slamming the doors but not GM

 

Do it yourself, it's easy to do.

Here's a few links:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...ions-help.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-g...ping-help.html

 

I am in the middle of replacing all the weatherstripping on my 91. So far not too difficult. The doors and rear hatch were straightforward and easy. I am working on the targa roof -front and back - seems to be a little more of a challenge. Get a can of 3M adhesive release from any automotive paint store - helps out quite a bit. I got my weatherstrips as a set from MidAmerican motorworks and it included a set of tools -- an absolute necessity. Their weatherstrips seem ok but i have nothing to compare them to since this is my first time. The weatherstrip for the passenger door did not fit exactly right. there is about a 1" gap on the inside next to the rearview mirror. Not included in the kit was the dash to door strip. you will probably need that too. On mine it was in the worst condition of all the weatherstrips.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...kit-95214.html

 

 

A few years ago I installed the Willcox WS kit on the '88 with good results. I spent days removing old WS, especially from the A-pillar.

I strongly recommend using 3M adhesive and 3M release agent for most of the WS. On the hatch WS I wiped off all the old "grease" and coated the channel with fresh Li grease before installation.

If you are handy with tools and have patience it's a very satisfying project.

 

I just did the B pillar this past weekend. It was worse than the front, but after doing the front I knew what to expect.

Its defiantly a do it yourself job. You really can't describe how to do it on here, its one of those intuitive jobs that you'll instantly figure out when you start taking the old stuff off.

I recommend using carb cleaner to loosen the old glue. And just taking your time all together. Having a friend help, and stopping for a beer every hour helps too.

I went with lonestar for the weather stripping with good results. No glue, or screws were needed for attaching the new stripping. And best of all no leaks.

Total time for A & B pillars was about 5 hours.

 

Thanks, I have a Harbor Freight down the street so I will pick them up. I have to do the W/S around the windshield.

 

I used gasket remover to get the old strip and adhesive out of the channel. Just cover the painted areas. Replacing weatherstripping isn't fun, but it isn't brain surgery either.

 

I just did the weatherstripping around the windshield of my '88 convertible a couple of weeks ago. It was not as difficult as I had feared, just a little time consuming to remove the old adhesive. I don't remember from whom I bought the WS kit (I bought it months ago); it may have been Corvette America. Installation of the new WS was easier than I expected. I can't agree more with 65Z01...by all means get the 3M adhesive remover. I tried several products and nothing came close to it. Removing the old adhesive can be quite frustrating without it.

 

how do you get it off around the windshield???????

 

Just completed on my 90. Having a little problem with the rear hatch. Did you slip it under plastic liner that goes around the rear hatch? I use a little glue in the corners, maybe I should use more. When I close my hatch, the stripping bulges out in one corner.

 

Thanks slovetteman for adding the link for me




Wile your at harbor freight pick up a couple of the $0.50 plastic knifes as well. They will aid in the removal of stuck weatherstripping without scratching the paint up. Get at least one extra, they break at nothing.

You can make your own panel removal tools as suggested above, But at $4.99 it much more simple just to buy some. They come in handy on other jobs as well.

Chemicals like mentioned above will aid in the removal but be careful and don't let them set on the painted surface. A lot of people glue their weatherstripping on when it starts to fail. It can be a pain to remove the glue sometimes. But You can buy a product from most commercial pressure washer supply stores called "Dose it all" (No lie thats the name ) Its used to remove gum, and crap from side walks but it works fantastic to remove glue and adhesive residue from painted surfaces. It will also help to remove the old weatherstripping when it is stuck. Its real cheap and will last a long long time. I pay $8.99 per gallon for it and use a gallon about one a year. Its 100% safe on paint. I use it in a squirt bottle and will let it soak for 20-30 mins. It is 100% safe for all paints. I use it alot to remove vinyl graphics from cars.


Are you replacing the window sweeps (felts) also? If so they can be tricky to remove/install without damage to the paint. Let me know if you are and I will give you some tips on how to safely change them.

 

Im replacing every piece of weatherstripping there is. lol the whole kit.. Its all shot.. They say winshield is harderst and i guess I just have to pry it off

 

I just replaced the hatch stripping and I don't think you are supposed to glue it in.

My original piece was just pressed on and it was covered in a lubricant. I guess it lets it float when you shut the hatch.

 

About how long would the total removal and replacement take. I would
be working outside (daylight hrs. & weather to consider)?