78-80 Regal Cutlass Grand Am, 78-81 Malibu, LeMans,78-87 El Camino Aftermarket Lower Door Weather Strip Seals
After years of promoting only GM seals we have found a few manufacturer's who were able to get the closest possible quality of original GM seals.
While not 100% dead on there are some items that we have taken to shows and watch the customer pick an aftermarket seal over the GM. I have had a few experts in our fields say that is about as close as your going to get with out being GM.
While we believe GM is GM and since they have made it for 25+ years for your vehicle, we are just giving you the customer an additional option. While we do not guarantee these seals we thought enough about these seals to carry them. We have installed & tested them and we feel that for the money the seals we are carrying are tough to beat.
The seals we are carrying are manufactured by 2 different companies we have chosen after a lot of research and development and I feel confident that these seals will satisfy most customers needs.
**We suggest dry fitting every seal for fitment before gluing the seal in. If you do not feel comfortable tackling this yourself we advise that you get a trained professional.
INSTALLING YOUR NEW WEATHER STRIPPING
Nothing is more frustrating than wind noise while cruising down the road. Well, maybe a wet seat or leaky t-top is more frustrating. Installing new weather stripping will eliminate the wind noise and leaks as well as annoying rattles.
For door seals, it is imperative that you adjust your doors to the factory gaps. Consider the age of your car and how long the doors have been opened and closed. You will need to make these adjustments prior to installing your new seals. Also consider the condition if your striker plates and hinges. All these will affect your fit. Otherwise, you will be fighting the door to get it closed due to the improper gaps.
After removing your old seals, clean the surface thoroughly. You can use a wire brush to remove the old seal debris and all the glue. Once the surface is free of debris, clean thoroughly with alcohol or adhesive remover to get that last bit of glue removed. The channel may also contain a bit of mold release agent that can affect your new seal from adhering properly. Be sure to clean and dry the surface prior to installing your new seal. This would be the time for paint (before installation), if applicable.
Depending on the seal, there may be nylon pins that line up with the factory holes that will clip in place. For instance lower door seals come with the pins that will line up perfectly, just like the factory seal. Start in the center of a t-top body seal and work your way out. For door seals, start with the large pin at one end and work around the lower door. Always dry fit to make sure you have the correct pin placement prior to gluing the seal in place. Once you are confident with the placement, apply a thin bead of weather strip adhesive between the nylon pins and work your way along the surface, snapping the pins in as you go. Once you reach the end of the seal, repeat the process for additional applications.
Important for seals on an operating surface (doors, trunks, t-tops, moon roof, etc.) after installing your new seals, we recommend that you lightly spray the seal with water, just slightly dampen it. Then close the door and leave untouched for a minimum of 48 hours. This will allow your seal to form a memory. The chemistry and composition of the rubber is designed to do this. Once it sets, the memory is activated and locked in place and your leaky doors and troublesome wind noise are gone!
