[jcorbs]

New Door Rubber Fitment

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Hi All:

The '74 also came with new door rubbers, but you had to slam the doors ridiculously hard to get the to close fully.

The doors are fitted so that they are flush with the rest of the bodywork.

What am I missing and what can I adjust?

Are some sources of these replacement rubbers better than others?

Thanks

John Corbs

'74 GTV Le Mans Blue

 

[Bill77]

The car may have incorrect rubber seals on it. If you know anyone else witha GTV, try to visual comparison.

Another thing to try is to remove the rubber seals, close the door (very gently!) and look at the gap between the metal flange on the body (where the seal mounts) and the door's sheetmetal (where the seal contacts the door). The gap should be reasonable consistent all the way around the door opening. If there are any tight areas, you can gently bend the body sheetmetal flange inboard a bit. Be gentle to minimize any paint damage. There is a chance that the paint will crack, but since the seal covers it up it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I'm familiar with Spider doors where the door glass and vent window frames are adjustable. I'm not familiar with the GTV, but you can check to see if the door glass or any of the window frame pieces look like they are pressing abnormally hard into the rubber seal as you close the door.

I suspect that the problem is the door seal rubber, especially if you're having the same problem with both doors.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

 

[jcorbs]

Thanks Bill. Good thought.

I am messing with a host of other issues right now, but I'll have a look when I have the seats back in and the other stuff taken care of.

John Corbs

 

[JoeCab]

New door rubber is almost always very tight.

Here are a couple of tips to get the rubber to "take a set" and loosen up.

1) Spray the rubber with silicone spray. This will soften it.

2) Leave the car out in the hot sun for a few days with the doors closed.

After that, it should loosen up to the point where they are not a pain to close.

Joe

 

[jcorbs]

Makes Sense.

Thanks Joe