Adhesive for gluing door seals to door panels

[wrndln]

I am getting ready to attach the rubber seals to the bottom inside of the door panels on my 28 coupe. Does anyone know what the best adhesive would be to glue the rubber weather strips to the upholstery material? I have heard that 3M 77 adhesive wont work very well, which I have used for several other glue jobs on my car. It would be nice if the adhesive were clear in case some oozes out along the bottom.
Rusty Nelson

[spike]

They are not glued...put small holes in them and put the clips that hold the panel on the door thru them and then install together....I assume you are talking about the H rubber seal...

[wrndln]

Spike, there are no small holes in the door for any kind of weather strip material. Only the roughly 5/16" size holes that the mounting clips snap into. The rubber weather strip material I bought from Bratton's doesn't reach to the clip holes. The top of the rubber is about 1/4" from the upholstery clip holes. I don't see any option but to glue it to the inside of the panel. Another problem is the rubber weather strip material does not want to lay straight. In its natural state it looks like a big C.
Rusty Nelson

[Marco Tahtaras]

Your door panels are made for more modern off-set clips. When you install the clips into the cardboard you will find the attachment is much closer to the edge of the panel.

[wrndln]

Marco, you are right again. The clips slide into the hole with part of the clip on one side of the hardboard and one side on the other side of the hardboard. I took a picture of one of the clips that came with the upholstery kit. I guess these are modern off-set clips. I have never seen any other kind. If I were to install the clips over the rubber weather strip material to try to hold it in place, I am not sure the clips would accept the width of the upholstery hardboard AND the rubber. The clips are tight just sliding into the upholstery hardboard. In addition, the upholstery panel might stick out too far if I did that and I am not sure the clips would securely hold the rubber in place. It seems like somehow gluing the the rubber to the back side of the panel is the only reasonable way to attach the rubber weather strip material. I am thinking of using contact cement - good idea or bad??
Rusty

[Marco Tahtaras]

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The clips go into the panel and then the rubber installed onto the spring ends of the clips just prior to panel installation. Originally the weatherstrip was prepunched with slotted holes to slip over the spring clips. I have a hand punch for similar holes but have also used a 5/16" round hole punch to accomplish the same thing. The holes must be positioned properly.

[Craig Lewis]

Chrysler used those same clips through the 70's.....just saying.

[Bob/Kansas City]

If you are going to glue the seals in place you might look at "3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive". It's good stuff and does what it says.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've installed the rubber just as Marco said and never had a problem. No glue needed.

[d.j. moordigian]

Originally Posted by Marco Tahtaras

Your door panels are made for more modern off-set clips. When you install the clips into the cardboard you will find the attachment is much closer to the edge of the panel.

Marco,..tho it doesn't apply to my car...can you post some photos of
how this is all suppose too work? I just don't see it. Thanks!

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by d.j. moordigian

Marco,..tho it doesn't apply to my car...can you post some photos of
how this is all suppose too work? I just don't see it. Thanks!

Although I've done it HUNDREDS of times, I've never thought it noteworthy enough for a photograph.

Let's try a different approach. Visualize gluing the weatherstrip to the bottom of the door. In the correct position the weatherstrip would cover the clip holes in the door so it would require prepunching holes in the rubber to match those holes in the door. Then installing the door panel would simply mean pushing the clips through the weatherstrip and the door.

The above scenario is less than ideal as the weatherstrip needs to align perfectly with the bottom of the panel. It would be very difficult following that method.

[Hunter]

Hi Rusty,

I ran into the same problem. If my memory is correct the height of the seal was not "tall" enough to reach the holes in the door where the clips are located. Perhaps the material that Marco used was correct and the material we used/are using is too short.

I used the 3M weatherstrip adhesive. I sent an e-mail to you with a little more info.

Hunter

[d.j. moordigian]

Marco,
I get the gist of how it works...but, how does the door panel attach to the
clips of Rusty's? Some kinda hook on the inside, on the panel, into the "U" shaped
thing? The darn thing doesn't look right, the panel would stand off of the door..
Thanks again.

[wrndln]

Dudley,
The clips work fine. I have had the panels on and off the doors several times. The notch part or slot part of the clips slide on to the hardboard (part of the clip inside and part on the outside. Then the prong part (open end part) goes into the roughly 1/4" holes in the door. The problem, like Hunter stated, is the rubber weatherstrip flat part is not long enough to reach the holes for the clips. The only reasonable way, with drilling new holes in the door, is to glue the rubber to the inside of the door panels.
Rusty Nelson

[d.j. moordigian]

Rusty,
I thought about that also,..laying in the "U" bend. Is that how the original worked?

[wrndln]

Here is a picture of the inside of the panel showing a clip installed. Note there is a large gap to the bottom of the panel. The rubber weatherstrip doesn't even touch the end of the clip.
Rusty

[christian]

not to hijack the thread but im in the process of re paneling my SW fordor with homemade hardboard and fabric. Ive been looking for these U clips but cant find them, anyone know where I can source these ?

Thanks

[Marco Tahtaras]

It looks like the panel is too long. There should be a ridge or step on you doors at the inner door skin that the door trim panel should align with. Close one door and go in from the opposite side and mark that door (grease pencil, masking tape, whatever) on the inside skin even with the top of the side sill. The bottom of the door panel should be 1/16"-1/8" above that mark. From that point measure up to the hole centers and compare with your door panels. The door panel should NOT close between the door and the sill. It should slightly clear the top of the sill. In the pic below you will see a wear mark in the paint along the upper side face of the sill. I believe that is from the rubber weatherstrip.

[Craig Lewis]

Originally Posted by christian

not to hijack the thread but im in the process of re paneling my SW fordor with homemade hardboard and fabric. Ive been looking for these U clips but cant find them, anyone know where I can source these ?

Thanks

That is a very common door panel retainer clip on Chryslers through the 70's and much of the 60's. Stuff like 72 Dodge truck, Chrysler Cordoba, Diplomat.
Seems to me AMC used them as well....
Autobody & paint supply stores can get these clips in a day or two.
I still see them on the "spin around racks" in parts stores.
A big old company that makes the finest replacement clips (by far) is called Auveco.
This link takes you to the catolog front cover and you'll see the clip you want....it's the red one.
http://www.auveco.com/product/index.html
You might even find the ones which came with a foam donut at the base. With these ones, the clips snap into the holes in your door and the foam donut is pulled up tight sealing the hole. I believe these came more on the hard plastic panels used with stuff like Duster, Scamp, Valaire, Horizon, etc and the foamy donut created a "motor mount effect" to deter rattles from the hard door panel.

[d.j. moordigian]

Rusty & Marco,
Thank you....it all makes sense now!