hey all.....the vette is running great so i am starting on my next project. just curious about the difficulty in replacing the weatherstripping esp the doors and roof as they are pretty much gone?

thanks and happy new year to all

 

I will be doing my weatherstrip in the next couple of weeks also,so how about some tips people.I got mine from Wilcox Corvette if that makes a difference.

 

It is not hard, just time consuming.

The key is to get off all the old glue. 3M makes a release agent for this purpose, but it still requires a lot of hard scraping. Get yourself a good selection of scraper tools to get into the channels. Plan on spending a lot of time on the prep. 90% prep, 10% on the installation.

It just sucks that all the weatherstripping for our cars are made of junk and will crack a few years after you replace it. At least I have not found any that lasts, aftermarket or factory seems to make no difference.

 

same here -

 

I think Corvette Rubber is kinda too firm compared to OEM. I like the weatherstripping Melrose used on my top I got from them. It feels like OEM.

Make sure you check your parts out. I've gotten 1 inch short Corvette Rubber weatherstripping for the targa top.

I've got a hatch weatherstripping. And it measured short. I was able to get it on, but the back half is what measured short. And the weatherstripping doesn't sit down all the way in the channel where it makes the 2 curves. Also the glass rubs the corners when you shut it. So, I'm sure the corners won't last long till they start spliting.

I think Corvette Rubber's quality control sucks. And I don't think Willcox measures their parts. As I recall they mentioned they measure every hatch weatherstripping. But mine came in a sealed bag, which I guess was from the manufacturer.

 

I just did mine and it was pretty easy. I scraped most of my off but on the last couple I realized that a die grinder and wire wheel made quick work of the removal. GREAT CARE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.

I got my kit from wilcox and am very pleased with it. The only bump in the road was that there are some small plastic fasteners that hold the ends and corners of some of the weatherstripping and these were not included. I accidentally there some of them away when removing the old weatherstripping before realizing I needed them.

 

I replaced all of the weatherstrips on my 96 project car because of wear and leaks. I also decided to replace the windshield at the same time because it was scratched and the w/shield weatherstrips have to be pulled to replace it later anyway. We'll start with the doors. There is a $10 plastic window guide that is a common C4 failure item and if you will be working inside the doors this would be a good time to replace them. If you don't replace them they will break later anyway. The windows do not have to be removed to replace the outer wipes. There are three 3/16" aluminum rivets that must be drilled out first which will then allow the retaining clips along the bottom of the wipe to be disengaged. This is a good time to retorque the side mirror mounting hardware to 44 inch-pounds, the two nuts are always loose on the studs. The C4 has perhaps one of the most complicated weatherstrip systems ever designed and you will need to be knowledgeable about it to ensure a successful job afterwards. The job can easily be botched and the weatherstrips ruined by someone who does not know what he is doing. Replacing only the weatherstrips is only half of the job. The windshield weatherstrip and the rear roof weatherstrip are attached to the body with weatherstrip retainers. It is common to find that the foam seal between the weatherstrip retainers and the windshield frame or body has deteriorated and is leaking. The retainers should be removed to renew these seals also. Removal is difficult because they are attached with screws and the channels will be full of old urethane sealant. The retainers are expensive (around $500 new) if you damage them during the removal process. I did and ended up buying all new retainers and w/shield mouldings along with the new GM weatherstrips. I searched for and located an experienced Corvette glass man to replace my windshield and he also installed the new w/shield weatherstrip retainers and the w/shield weatherstrips at the same time; I replaced all the others. Having someone do an entire C4 weatherstrip job including the retainers could easily run $1500 and you don't want to let just anybody do it. C4's are difficult so experience here is key. Since the latest C4 is now 14 years old current glass men have probably never done one. The glass man charged me $343 which included the windshield and his labor to install the weatherstrip retainers and weatherstrip that I supplied. I felt like I wanted those parts professionally installed though the door and hatch weatherstrips were easy to do. I thought it was interesting at the time of scheduling the glassman wanted to know if I had bought GM or aftermarket. He said the aftermarket weatherstripping will still work but was more difficult to work with.

I feel the OEM GM weatherstrips are the highest quality available but many of the originals are failing now due to wear and age. GM recommends in your owner's manual to apply dialectric grease or Krytox to the weatherstrips periodically to preserve them but few appear to heed this advice. Perhaps more original C4 weatherstrips would still be delivering good service had the previous owners followed this simple recommendation

 

I think Corvette Rubber is kinda too firm compared to OEM.

I did my doors and rear hatch. Not too difficult but the rubber is firmer causing the doors and hatch to have to be slammed pretty hard to close. I guess that means there is a good seal though

 

I have seen the rear glass cracked around the buttons from slamming the hatch.

 

I should say "shut firmly" instead of slamming. I was concerned about cracking.

 

By the way, how do you like the top from Melrose? Good quality?

 

It seems fine. But I don't have much to compare it to other than Astro Top. And I wouldn't get an Astro Top. The only thing I didn't like is I had them recondition the frame. And they painted over all the hardware instead of removing it. But that did let me put the top back on out of the box without having to readjust anything.

But the paint they use is a shiny black instead of a flat black from the factory. And it looks like someone sprayed it down with paint out of a can as the paint looks blotchy and lots of spots in the paint. Good thing the sunvisor covers up most of the spots on the front of the frame.

But I say they must not paint alot of these. I guess I can't complain too much as I got a deal on it. Just wish the paint work was better as I did pay extra for it.