My window seals and their replacements

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by Phil, Sam N Gracie, Dec 11, 2011.

  1. Many of you may not be aware, but we have purchased Vinnie - from member Jellytot who is a lovely lady.

    Tomorrow i am going to start a window by window renovate for some of the rust that exists in these areas. I have pictures of the existing seals either shown below or follow a link (until i learn how to get the pic to display.

    My issue is, that i have seen the profile for the new side and rear side window seals, and the profile looks like it is half the seal we have already. Our seals seem to have an extra profile moulded to bridge the gap between window and inner skin. I am trying to keep originality throughout, but will struggle here if the profile is wrong. and we end up having to use another seal to bodge the gap, which i would prefer not to do.

    Can anyone shed some light on the common practice here?

    www.flickr.com/photos/42815136@N07/6493435341
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/42815136@N07/6493431727#

    and i cant seem to get my pics to load. is photobucket a better option?

    phil
     
  2. looks there is a extra bit on the inside of the stock seal to hide the painted metal inner frame never seen anything like that for sale you might either have to go back to the original vw shape or maybe try and remove the extra inner bit if its glued on and reglue it to the new seal? are the original seals in bad condition?
     
  3. on the outside, the seals are rotten or getting that way. When i wash the van, they make the water go black. Way past salvaging. But i did think about cutting or separating the part that is on the inside, as it is like new. I noticed that on my sliding door, this has had a replacement at some point then had a general purpose seal put inside to bridge the gap, but in some areas it doesnt do so well due to the shape of the panelling.

    Any ideas why these are like this? i have only seen one other van with these and they were asking the same and nobody could answer them on the other forums.
     
  4. Hello,
    Congratulations on buying your bus.
    Yours is a panel van conversion so when buying your seals make sure you get those and not the ones for factory fitted windows. As for the rubber around the inside, it is hard to make out from the pictures what exactly is going on but that is definitely not stock.
    It looks athough somebody has panelled the sides of the bus where the single metal skin would normally be and have added rubber to bridge the gap. In that case any rubber would do the job but easiets to reuse whats there if it is good
     
  5. what conversion is it? maybe the converters fitted these to cover the metal work to make the van a little more luxurious? is the van a kombi with sunk in flat windows or is it a converted panel van with curved glass? if it is flat glass sunk in then they have defo been stuck on even a deluxe microbus didnt have these it was trimmed over the metal in fabric
     
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  7. congrats mate,

    doing a window by window refurb myself. have put up progress in resto section.

    Good luck with it.
     
  8. The one piece seals for the double skin window surround were made for Dormobile Ltd of Folkestone so are not of a stock pattern. COH Baines in Tunbridge Wells www.coh-baines.co.uk used to hold the extrusion mould for this section since they produced the originals in the 60s to late 70s. Might be worth giving them a call though their minimum production run was sufficient to do something like ten vans, a few years back.
     
  9. thanks fritt.

    we have ordered non original seals for now from JK and i will invent a cure or adapt the inner part of the old seal if need be.

    I will enquire though.

    Phil
     
  10. I have seen it done where the inner lip complete with the bridging section has been glued onto a conventional single skin seal. Got a feeling the stuff used was Black Witch, an adhesive used for repairing wetsuits.
     

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