“How to Install Door Weatherstrips”
First of all let’s get a little back ground on the different types of door weatherstrips. The hardtop door this is a door with no post and the door weatherstrips have molded ends that start from the bottom part of the window and run in a u shape and ends up on the bottom side of the window on the other side there are 2 & 4 door hardtops. The convertible door weatherstrips are the same as a hardtop car. A sedan car has a post but some people call those hard tops. This is how you can tell; if there is a frame around the window that is a sedan there is 2 & 4 sedan.
Removal of Door Weatherstrips
This is a fairly easy task. Most hardtop and sedan cars have plastic insert in the door weatherstrips that go in holes in the door if you have a small panel clip tool you can use that. If the door panel is off you can push the clips out from the inside of the door. Worst case you can rip off the door weatherstrips and take some snips or pliers and take the plastic clips out of the holes. Also On the hardtop models the molded ends have plastic clips or sometimes have screws.
Installation of Door weatherstrips
Let’s start with the hardtop basically it’s the same way you took them out just remember that there is a right and a left. If you took the doors off while doing a restoration then you must fit the doors with the door weatherstrips on to adjust the doors correctly. Then you can carefully take them off to paint. Some people like to put some weatherstrip adhesive on the two molded ends that’s up to you. This is what I do I start from one side and put my plastic clips or screws in the molded ends these come with the door weatherstrips. Then push the door weatherstrips in the holes, push where the clips are to insure that you have a good fit. One more thing there is usually at least the brand we care one of the plastic clips is colored red or green the instruction will tell you what color goes on the right or left.
Sedan Door Weatherstrips
There are two different ways that the sedan door weatherstrips go on. 1 Some models have the plastic clips on the door weatherstrips all the way around the door. 2 Some have the door weatherstrips with clips and the top part fits in a channel. So number 1 is pretty easy just find your right and left door weatherstrips, place it on the door some have a 90 degree turn on one corner and that a great place to start. Number 2. I start with the top first and I put some weatherstrip adhesive in the channel. Then start at the first clip before the channel and push it in then start putting your channel in. Usually you can push the back part of the door weatherstrips into the channel and take a paint stirrer and gentle push in the front part in the channel so it catches in the channel. Once you have made it around the channel then start putting the clips in and you are done. One last thing and this goes for all door weatherstrips you shouldn’t have to stretch them a lot. If you do something is wrong. Recheck the door sides. You can also do a dry fit by holding them up to the door to see if the clips line up with the holes.
