I keep waiting for a more reasonably priced replacement for my rear trank weatherstip. Mine has been torn like in the picture below for about 10 years.


I finally wrote to Metro Molded PArts http://www.metrommp.com/ to ask for advice since that is what they deal with all day. They recommended using super glue so I thought I would try it. My tear was along the entire front end of the trunk. It was so bad it lifted up like in the first picture below. The first try I got some runs of super glue on the area below the join, so I used blue painters tape for the next couple sections. Everything seams to be holding fine. Remains to be seen how long it lasts.

sjmaye

Like you I keep holding out for a cheaper solution.

Thanks for the write up and information. I had attempted the super glue solution in the past but in my estimation, did not produce the results I was looking for. Currently, the torn section of the molding is held in place with "Garrilla Tape". Seems to working okay. The main point it's getting me by until a better solution can be found.

Although you probably have seen my thread, I used this weatherstrip from JC Whitney for $40.00 and it seems to work great. Even though I don't show it in the picture, you can cut a notch in the metal pressure clamp and bend a perfect 90 degree angle for the corners of the GT trunk. To repair your existing weatherstrip, or any type of rubber repair, use this:

I superglued mine. It will get you by for a while but there is another issue at stake.
Mine still leaked and left water in the bottom of the trunk after I repaired it so my
conclusion was that after so many years the weatherstrip gets squashed down
(from the decklid being closed of course) so that it no longer presses against the
underside of the decklid with enough pressure to seal tightly.

I ended up buying one from GMPartsdirect.com but that was when they were around $120.00
I heard they are much more now.....

Kit / 86 GT

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I did forget your post IMSA GT. Good to see the JCW material continues to work well for you.

Funny this should come up... I just glued mine...

There is a super glue known to the radio control car/plane industry known as cyanoacrylate (CA glue) glue. There are MANY variations and manufacturers of this type of glue. The stuff I used has rubber mixed in. Where normal super/CA glue hardens when it sets, this rubberized CA glue remains flexable while still offering the "super" bond...

The band you want to use is Bob Smith Ind Glue, model number BSI118... If you Google "BSI118 IC-2000", you should find quite a few online hoby shops that sell it. Larger local hobby shops may also have it. It comes in a 1oz bottle (should be more than enough to glue one edge of the gasket) and sells for around $6 - $7

This is the stuff you want to use if your gluing rubber moldings, it works great!

Forgot to mention I also use this glue on my nitro R/C cars. The glue is used to mount the soft rubber tires to the hard plastic rims. These little off road 1/8 scale cars take a beating and reach speeds of 60 mph (not scale MPH, actual!). At those speeds, the rubber tires expand about 50% of there size from the cintrifical <sp? force and remain secured to the rim. We often take two different tred-patern tires, cut them in half, then glue them back together w/ this rubber ca glue with great results...

[This message has been edited by ALJR (edited 08-20-2009).]

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: Although you probably have seen my thread, I used this weatherstrip from JC Whitney for $40.00 and it seems to work great. Even though I don't show it in the picture, you can cut a notch in the metal pressure clamp and bend a perfect 90 degree angle for the corners of the GT trunk. To repair your existing weatherstrip, or any type of rubber repair, use this:

Tried that on my car and it was a waste of $45. It was an even worse seal against water than my damaged original--my trunk promptly got soaked in the next rain--and it looks awful. I'm always one for interesting solutions to our Fiero problems, but this one was unfortunately a big disappointment.

3M makes a super weatherstrip adhesive. Have you tried that?
I used it to seal the tear and it looks like it would hold up
OK. I also thought about trying a patch. I took an old bicycle
inner tube and cut it to make a long patch, then use the
3M adhesive to glue it. Just got the a new tube of glue
and will try this in the next week or so as I want it to look
half decent. If it looks like it worked OK and looks good, then I'll
have it up for sale (as I already bought a new one). Maybe
something like $50 as it is still in really good shape otherwise.

quote Originally posted by ALJR: Funny this should come up... I just glued mine... There is a super glue known to the radio control car/plane industry known as cyanoacrylate (CA glue) glue. There are MANY variations and manufacturers of this type of glue. The stuff I used has rubber mixed in. Where normal super/CA glue hardens when it sets, this rubberized CA glue remains flexable while still offering the "super" bond... The band you want to use is Bob Smith Ind Glue, model number BSI118... If you Google "BSI118 IC-2000", you should find quite a few online hoby shops that sell it. Larger local hobby shops may also have it. It comes in a 1oz bottle (should be more than enough to glue one edge of the gasket) and sells for around $6 - $7 This is the stuff you want to use if your gluing rubber moldings, it works great!

i aLSO USED 3M WEATHERSTRIP ADHESIVE, TAPED IT IN PLACE TILL IT DRIED, (oops), worked Very well.

I have also used super glue to repair torn rear trunk seals. It has lasted two plus years on 3 different cars in Arizona.

Rolland

first off, before you seal that tear, you should put some high dense foam strips inside it. you can get that at most home centers, it;s usually black, and the 3/4 wide by 1/2 high stuf will fit in very nicely. Don;t bother with the 3m weather adhesive crap, you might as well use scotch tape for as well as that works. it will peel off and open up again. same is true for silicone adhesives, and the other aftermarket weatherstrip adheasives. I cleaned and lighly sanded mine, and nothing has held it yet. the longest lasting was the adhesive used for the rubber strips on a refridgerator, I can get the number of that for ya, but it doesn;t last either.
For the poeple who found some magic glue that holds it, and still have leaks, be aware that there is no front edge support for the strip at the engine bay, and the whole seal will roll foward into the engine area and the little ridge on the decklid misses the seal altogether. you can see that by the little 1/16th or so wide dent in the rest of the seal. with the front edge supported with some glued in 1/2 aluminum L on the engine side, the seal sits properly, and even tho mine is cacked on the trunk side, with the neoprene foam inserted to give it some upward force, the leaks have stopped.
I will have to clean it off again and try the flexible cyano acrlyc adhesive, that sounds like it may work.