Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 19:24:18 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
Subject: Re: Fw: Basic question - poptop seals
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
If Ron is still in business in 15 years when I (may) need a new one I'll
get it from him, I plan on still having my Westy then! (I bought the
WCM seal before I joined the list.)
One tip that was not in the instructions I got from WCM I'll pass on is
to get a can of 3M's General Purpose Adhesive Remover along with their
Weather Strip Adhesive, you will need it to clean up your hands and the
squeeze out. Nothing else cuts this stuff as effectively, trust me!
The Bus Depot wrote:
>
> > I just replaced mine with one from West Coast Metric I ordered a year
> > ago, which I think is also what the Bus Depot sells.
>
> Not exactly, but close. Although they're quite similar, we use slightly
> different finishes. I have mine custom made with a somewhat smoother
> finish, a bit closer to the stock finish than WCM's.
>
> > It is two pieces and works fine. The flat top seal has no metal clips
> > in it so it has to be glued, but the perimeter "bulb" seal has aluminum
> > teeth and grips well. There is no need to have a one piece seal, this
> > looks and works great, and it should last a long time.
>
> My flat seal is basically the same, very close to stock. Beware, though,
> many other companies (including some of the "majors" although not WCM)
> simply provide an extra piece of the 3-sided section as the flat seal, which
> is NOT the correct seal for this application. Also, the 3-sided section
> sold by most other suppliers does not have the insulation bulb in the proper
> location for a tight seal.
>
> > You may not even need to replace your flat seal if it is not torn.
>
> That's why I sell them separately rather than only as a set. About 1/3 of
> my customers replace only the 3-sided section because their flat seal is
> fine.
>
> > I think only the megabuck OEM seal is one piece, and it uses steel clips
> > that rust out.
>
> If anyone else (other than VW) sells a one-piece version, I am not aware of
> it. The VW version is not a realistic option IMHO, considering that for
> about 10x my price it still uses steel clips that rust out (unlike almost
> any aftermarket seal). Butting the two pieces together is not the least bit
> difficult anyway, so there really is no reason at all to spend mega-bucks
> for the VW seal.
>
> - Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> http://www.busdepot.com
> (215) 234-VWVW
Stuart
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