Many of the C5’s are at or nearing the decade mark. Age is taking its toll on our soft rubber weather striping, which will cause wind noise and
possible water leakage into the cabin area. Replacing your aging rear weather strip will keep water out of your cabin, reduce wind noise, and
only take about an hour. Here is the write up on my install.



Tools Needed:
Phillips Screwdriver
Common Screwdriver
Heat Gun
Green Scour Pad
Tar Remover
¼ Chisel
Small Needle Nose Pliers

Parts Needed:
Rear Weather Stripping
Body Panel Plug
Tar Remover

Removal:
1. Remove Targa top.
2. Remove the two body pin plugs.

3. Remove two Phillips screws at each roof corner.


4. Starting from the bottom, pull the old weather striping away from the vehicle.


5. Remove the top weather striping.


6. Use a heat gun to warm the old adhesive for easier removal.


7. Remove the large hunks of old weather strip with a ¼ inch chisel.


8. Use tar remover to clean most of the rest of the old adhesive from the car.


Installation:
1. The pretty pathetic diagram below shows how the weather strip fits into the channel.


2. Spray a mixture of water and dish washing soap on the top and side channels. This will allow the weather stripping to more easily slide over
the rear channel rail.


3. Lay the weather strip on the retaining channel; start a mounting screw in each corner to center the strip, and to ensure that the strip does

not move when seating in the channel. DO NOT REMOVE THE STRIPS COVERING THE ADHESIVE AT THIS TIME!

4. Put the front lip of the strip into the top channel; starting from the center of the strip (and the center of the top) push the rear of the

strip into the channel working from center to the side, then seat the opposite side. The side strip should squeeze-snap into the channel, but it is possible that you may have to use a DULL screwdriver (so it does not cut the strip) to help seat the strip into the channel.


5. Ensure that weather strip is seated and flush.

6. Temporarily remove the screws holding the strip to the corners of the car.

7. Remove the six strips covering the adhesive patches on the weather strip.


8. Put the front lip of the lower (side) strip into the side channels; push the rear of the strip into the channel working from top down, then seat the opposite side. The side strip should squeeze-snap into the channel, but it is possible that you may have to use a DULL screwdriver (so it
does not cut the strip) to help seat the strip into the channel.


9. Install two screws at each corner.


10. Install the body pin plugs at the lower end of the weather strip.

11. Ensure that weather strip is still seated and flush.

12.Run hose over Targa to check for leaks, then take dedicated hard working crew chief on test drive to make sure that there is no wind noise.

 

Nice write-up.

 

Great write-up, I have been thinking about replacing my weatherstrip and now I have step by step instructions!

 

Parts Needed:
Rear Weather Stripping
Body Panel Plug
Tar Remover

Great write up and very timely for me. I need to do this now. Can you reuse the plugs or do you have to have new ones? What are the part numbers for the plugs and the weatherstrip?

Thanks for your help.

Scott

 

I got mine from Gene at GM Partshouse months ago...been procrastinating, your post has given me the push to do it this weekend.

Great writeup...

 

I was very careful with my old ones and used them again. 20-20 hindsight said that I should have paid the 2 or 3 bucks for new ones as insurance just in case I messed them up. Mr. Murphy was kind to me this time...

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

Great write-up!

Chuck

 

I've been planning on replacing my weatherstripping and your information looks great but I can't see any of the pics. Could you send them to me?

 

I'll send them tomorrow AM (bandwidth issues), can anyone else see them?

 

Yeah I see them....

 

Anyone have part numbers for the plugs and weatherstrip?

 

10329158 weatherstrip
20538173 retainer --> 15762170 latest part number

 

Just one more thing to add, I got my parts from Gene at gmpartshouse.com (supporting vendor) and I couldn't be happier; parts were right and got to me quickly. Gene has always come through for me!

 

How many plugs are needed? Just so I know how many to order.

 

God! Why didn't I find this site years ago!!!

I replaced mine. It looked like an easy job but I ended up sweating my ***** off. I finally got it installed but hell, this write up would have helped. That's it for me, I'm searching this forum for everything now.

Next search: How to put gas in the Corvette. Hey, I might be doing something wrong so I'm just double-checking! I'm surprised that someone hasn't done a "Pickin' up Chics 101" thread!

 

If I recall correctly its 4 total.

 

Great right up, I have the same exact problem and have new weatherstripping at home waiting for install....


Your timing is GREAT.. THANK YOU again....

 

Thanks all for your kind comments. I'm glad it helped someone! FWIW, there are two plugs.

 

Arent there two on each side? One you see and one behind the weatherstrip...I could be wrong....but thats what I remember...as a matter of fact in picture #6 of the how to you can see the second one still in place....its hidden when installed, behind a flap...

 

Has anyone done a thread like this on replacing the weatherstripping that goes on the sides of the removable roof on a Coupe (1997-2004)?