Nothing lasts forever on our Corvettes, and that especially goes for the weatherstripping that surround our Corvette’s doors, windows, and tops. The rubber weatherstrip pieces perform best when its soft, but prolonged exposure to moisture, extreme temperature changes, and the sun’s UV rays can cause that rubber to become hard, worn, and cracked. And if that happens, your weatherstripping will allow water leaks, drafts, and additional road noise into the cabin.
It’s also not just classic Corvettes that need help with replacing the weatherstripping, but later day Corvettes starting with the C4s and up are old enough to require the weatherstripping to be replaced. The next time you are getting into your Corvette, take a moment to inspect the weatherstripping surrounding your windows and doors. Feel the rubber and if it is dried, shows cracks, or is rock hard, those are all signs that it is time for the weatherstrip to be replaced. Another clue is while driving if you hear more road noises or whistling sounds within the cabin. You might also see areas where water leaked into the cabin following heavy rain or after a car wash. If you are seeing water drips inside the car, it’s time to replace that failing weatherstripping before any serious damage can occur.
Corvette Central carries everything you need to update and protect your Corvette from the elements with weatherstripping kits, individual weatherstrip pieces, and supplies for installation and maintenance.
Corvette Central Weatherstrip by Generation:
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Corvette Central also carries all the tools needed to complete your weatherstripping replacement correctly. These will help in the removal of the old weatherstrip pieces and will clean and prep the surface for installing the new weatherstrip:
• Trim and Weatherstrip Installation/Removal Tool With Pry Bar Set
• 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner/Release Agent
• 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive-Black 5 Ounce Tube
Corvette Central Tech Blog Articles on Weatherstripping
Corvette Central’s Tech Blog has a number of articles addressing the maintenance and restoration of your Corvette including the weatherstripping. A new article dealing with changing out the weatherstripping on C4-C6 removeable roof panels was recently added. Check out these articles on Corvette Weatherstripping with a focus on the C3 and C4 Corvette models:
C4-C6 Corvette Weather Stripping Replacement
The rubber weather stripping on C4, C5, and C6 Corvette Targa tops eventually becomes dry and fails to seal out rain and moisture the way it was designed to do. When this occurs, the only cure is to replace the weather stripping. In this article, we’ll show you how.It’s important to note that the project car discussed here is a C4 Corvette, but procedures are essentially the same for C5 and C6 Corvettes as well.
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Sealing a Shark: 1977-1982 Weatherstrip
Using aftermarket weatherstrip pieces in the past, we had to choose either adjusting the windows to seal, or adjusting the windows to roll up and down without the door open. There was no way to do both. ’77 and earlier models used a different style rear vertical weatherstrip that wasn’t solid so it made window adjusting only somewhat problematic. Front vertical weatherstrips are a problem on all years. The dense rubber just wouldn’t seal properly to let the window roll freely. Thankfully, newer offerings are as supple as the factory’s original pieces.
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Weatherstrip 101 for C4 Corvettes
There are many reasons why you would consider changing the weatherstripping on your C4. Over time, the rubber breaks down, hardens and cracks, leaving an unpleasant appearance, poor seal, wind noise, and the dreaded drip. If you own a C4 and actually drive it in the rain, you will eventually experience the dreaded drip, leaving your floor soaked and pant leg soggy. No matter how slick the paint, or well maintained the machine may be, dry, cracked weatherstrip will be the last detail, often overlooked and leaving an otherwise stunning car to just be rather ho-hum.
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Source:
Corvette Central
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