1965 Coronet - Who makes original style deck lid seal?
- Thread starter 65AFX
- Start date
dartforforty
Deceased, But not forgotton
Soft seal makes a nice trunk seal. Put one on my Belvedere no issues.
Nobody makes a correct style trunk weatherstrip with the lip that extends over into the trunk area with the specific areas removed for the rain gutter.
Most of the vendors now sell the basic generic style which is known as a "Y" shaped piece which does not feature the extended lip.
The only manufacture that makes a seal now with the lip or leg is Clester's. To make it work correctly, you will have to hand cut certain areas to remove the lip which is not difficult to do.
Up to the end of 2017, I was able to purchase from an OEM manufacture a nice seal with the lip and I was cutting them for the particular body styles and year models. Unfortunately, I am still searching for a nice replacement.
I have a posted a picture of the two different styles as used from '63 through '72 for the B-Body applications.
Most of the vendors now sell the basic generic style which is known as a "Y" shaped piece which does not feature the extended lip.
The only manufacture that makes a seal now with the lip or leg is Clester's. To make it work correctly, you will have to hand cut certain areas to remove the lip which is not difficult to do.
Up to the end of 2017, I was able to purchase from an OEM manufacture a nice seal with the lip and I was cutting them for the particular body styles and year models. Unfortunately, I am still searching for a nice replacement.
I have a posted a picture of the two different styles as used from '63 through '72 for the B-Body applications.
Bill Monk
Well-Known Member
Bought mine from Steele Rubber and it has the correct lip extending into the trunk. Pricey but excellent quality
https://www.steelerubber.com/
https://www.steelerubber.com/
Bill Monk
Well-Known Member
Wow, I'm not sure on this, you might call Steele and see what they have to say
moparsteve636
Well-Known Member
Call Fran Bishop at 877 272 5275 franbishopracing.com He sells Metro Seals Good guy to deal with!
Bill Monk
Well-Known Member
I like metro but they do not have the lip that goes into the trunk area, as far as I know, Steele is the only one that makes the correct reproduction seal. If this is not a full restoration though, the metro seal will save you some cash
Thanks to 69bfan. I called Clester's. They really know their business. Like 69bfan said, nobody makes a 1965 B-Body EXACT original seal. ( 62-70 should be the same) A 1965 B-Body has a the lip extending down on the inside of the trunk on the top and both sides. Along the bottom (aft side where latch is) it has no lip.
Clester's will make me an original if I send them the dimensions of each side. Or they will send me both styles of seal and I'll cut them to fit. Then send back and they will vulcanize them together. Cost would only be about $30. As this is a race car I decided to just to buy a roll of the lower lip style. All I have to do is cut the lip off along the aft side (latch area) about 3-1/2 feet. The other option is to send back my modified seal and they'll make me a one piece copy.
Clester's will make me an original if I send them the dimensions of each side. Or they will send me both styles of seal and I'll cut them to fit. Then send back and they will vulcanize them together. Cost would only be about $30. As this is a race car I decided to just to buy a roll of the lower lip style. All I have to do is cut the lip off along the aft side (latch area) about 3-1/2 feet. The other option is to send back my modified seal and they'll make me a one piece copy.
@65AFX, the way in which I make my first and sample style of trunk weatherstripping for the necessary cutouts is in the following manner.
1. Position the new seal approximately 3 inches to the right of the trunk lock mechanism.
2. Working in a clockwise direction, lay the new seal on top of the old seal if it is still in place. If not, then it is actually easier, position the seal pretty much where it will be glued to the rain gutter.
3. I use wooden clothes pins, approximately every 6 inches, I position a pin to hold the seal in place.
4. Be very careful not to stretch the seal, especially in the corners. If it gets stretched too tight, it will want to lift in the corners producing leaks and making more difficult to glue to the body.
5. Proceed around the perimeter of the trunk lid in that fashion.
6. Once completely around the perimeter, cut the seal so that you will have approximately 2 inches of overlap.
7. Take a silver Sharpie or other marking device and mark the areas of the seal in which the lip needs to be remove. There may be various areas depending upon the year model and body style your working with.
8. Once the seal is marked, remove the clothes pin and your ready to start cutting the seal. With a new razor blade, cut a perpendicular into the lip so that your to the flat area of the seal. Then score the lip with the razor blade so that the flat area of the seal is your reference point. Continue in this fashion, until the lip is completely removed. Then move to any other areas that needs to be removed and proceed in a similar fashion.
9. Once the necessary areas are removed of the lip, you can test fit your seal again to make sure that it will fit tightly to the rain gutter and trim as necessary.
10. If everything looks and fits good, then you can glue the seal in place. Make sure not to stretch the seal in any one area.
Personally, I had rather cut and make the seal one continuous length vs vulcanizing the pieces together. The original seals were done in that method using a different technology using a rope to remove the seal from the mold. We have worked with vulcanizing the ends together, but the process does not always yield a cosmetically appealing piece that will possibly come loose eventually.
In regards to the seals, the 62 B-Body is a one year only piece which is unique to itself. The style in which you will be working with was used from 1963 to 1969 and some of the 70 applications.
Hopes that this helps and one other thing, if you can recruit a second set of hands to hold the seal in place as you work with it, it will yield a better fitting piece and make the job much quicker. Good luck.
1. Position the new seal approximately 3 inches to the right of the trunk lock mechanism.
2. Working in a clockwise direction, lay the new seal on top of the old seal if it is still in place. If not, then it is actually easier, position the seal pretty much where it will be glued to the rain gutter.
3. I use wooden clothes pins, approximately every 6 inches, I position a pin to hold the seal in place.
4. Be very careful not to stretch the seal, especially in the corners. If it gets stretched too tight, it will want to lift in the corners producing leaks and making more difficult to glue to the body.
5. Proceed around the perimeter of the trunk lid in that fashion.
6. Once completely around the perimeter, cut the seal so that you will have approximately 2 inches of overlap.
7. Take a silver Sharpie or other marking device and mark the areas of the seal in which the lip needs to be remove. There may be various areas depending upon the year model and body style your working with.
8. Once the seal is marked, remove the clothes pin and your ready to start cutting the seal. With a new razor blade, cut a perpendicular into the lip so that your to the flat area of the seal. Then score the lip with the razor blade so that the flat area of the seal is your reference point. Continue in this fashion, until the lip is completely removed. Then move to any other areas that needs to be removed and proceed in a similar fashion.
9. Once the necessary areas are removed of the lip, you can test fit your seal again to make sure that it will fit tightly to the rain gutter and trim as necessary.
10. If everything looks and fits good, then you can glue the seal in place. Make sure not to stretch the seal in any one area.
Personally, I had rather cut and make the seal one continuous length vs vulcanizing the pieces together. The original seals were done in that method using a different technology using a rope to remove the seal from the mold. We have worked with vulcanizing the ends together, but the process does not always yield a cosmetically appealing piece that will possibly come loose eventually.
In regards to the seals, the 62 B-Body is a one year only piece which is unique to itself. The style in which you will be working with was used from 1963 to 1969 and some of the 70 applications.
Hopes that this helps and one other thing, if you can recruit a second set of hands to hold the seal in place as you work with it, it will yield a better fitting piece and make the job much quicker. Good luck.
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