Topic: Getting those Door weatherstrips to compress

[Dave Stribling]

So you get the car lined up georgeous, and you go to install the crappy Dennis Carpenter door seals and they make the door stick out 1/4 inch and they do not want to compress. The durometer on these seals is just too dense. I really don't want to send it home with these gaps.  Anyone have a really good trick to compressing these things? A couple of notes:

1. Soft Seal does not make the early Mustang pieces, but I hear their camaro stuff is good.  Maybe we can ask them nicely.
2. I was told by one top restorer that Steelrubber sells a "better" one.  Nope, its the Dennis carpenter piece
3. Another top restorer told me he heated them up with a heat gun on the car. Don't think I'll risk that, but anybody successfully heat and compress these things?

Thanks in advance, - Dave

[Armond]

Not knowing your gaps. If your door is too low or too far forward or pitched in at the top or bottom. you will have issues. The most common issue is the door is too low.   I have only used repo's once so far on a customers car and they were less dense than NOS ones. So they shut easier right off. But regardless I will let a car sit with doors closed and after a month they usually settle down.  A couple of days in the sun helps too.  Without it sitting in front of me it is tough to give a great answer. Good luck!

[rayms69]

I bought nos ones because of these stories, I put reproduction seals on my 65 and they are crappy, Virginia mustang

[cobrajetchris]

I have a college degree in 69-70 door, glass and weatherstrip fit issues. My last restoration I fitted my doors before installing the N.O.S weatherstrips I paid $600.00 a pair for. I had very good gaps all around and doors were flush with adjacent panels. Knowing what a pain these are I painted my door jambs and rockers and installed the N.O.S strips. The rt. door closed hard and the lt. one had to be slammed shut. I refused to settle for a poor fitting door just to get the door to close right due to junk weatherstrips. I tried all the tricks: heating them up with a heat gun, setting the car out on hot summer days, and applied soap to the rubber to soften them up. After putting up with this for a year while I was doing other things to the car, I ripped the N.O.S strips off and called one of the known restorer's for this model and he recommended the carpenter weatherstrips. I installed the first on on the rt. side and the door shut perfect the first time. I then installed the driver door and it is much better than the N.O.S but still a little hard to close. I moved on to other things and eventually the driver door did take shape and I am satisfied with the fit. The roof rail weatherstrips on the other hand are better N.O.S than the repops in my experience. In my opinion this is the MOST frustrating part of the 69-70 era mustangs with the door, glass and weatherstrip fit. At times I felt like getting rid of the cars for that reason alone, to give you some idea how frustrated I was. Poor fitting &  shutting doors are not acceptable to me and I wouldn't care if a G.M weatherstrip with bow ties embossed on them fit, I would use them over a poor fitting door with the correct numbers on it. My best advise I can give you is order another set of the carpenter strips and move on to other things as time does help these. If you have about 20 years to kill, install the N.O.S strips like I did on my 70 boss 302 in 1990 and they are sealing very nice now. Good luck to you!

[bryancobb]

...My best advise I can give you is order another set of the carpenter strips and move on to other things...

Randy (I think is his name),

69boss9, the proprietor at NPD says Even Carpenter makes 2 versions.  He says the import Carpenters are too firm, and the U.S. Carpenters are soft and spongy and work well.

[craig429]

Even Carpenter makes 2 versions.  He says the import Carpenters are too firm, and the U.S. Carpenters are soft and spongy and work well.

This is one of the reasons it is so hard to buy parts. One person has good luck and another doesn't but they are from the same company, both assume they are the same.

This forum is great for learning what to look out for.

[70Twister]

Well just thought I would share with everyone what they did at the factory. My dad is a retired Ford worker and I asked him what they did in the 60s? I didn't have to go far to ask him since he is always hovering around my shop but I'm glad he's there! He said they had large yellow heat lamps over the boxes of rubbers and they were HOT when you put them on! They also used glycerin on the rubbers. He said it helped them to stay soft and not to bind when the doors were shut! It also made your hands soft as a babies butt. He worked at the Louisville Kentucky Fernvalley Rd. plant (L.A.P.) till he retired, I wish they had build Mustangs there! I guess the hunt for glycerin is on!

[drummingrocks]

I guess the hunt for glycerin is on!

Isn't glycerin used in hair care products?  I would think that you could find some rather easily.

Edit: Found this on Google: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/africare-100-glycerin/ID=prod4118523-product

[J_Speegle]

Isn't glycerin used in hair care products?  ................

Use to be used aas the liquid/fluid in shocks (30'-40's Ford) when part of maintenance was checking and refilling

Use to buy the stuff at the pharmacy

[priceless]

This is very useful info here on CMF.  I used the Carpenter door w'strips on my '69 purchased from NPD, I have no idea if they were US made or foreign ones. Didn't know the foreigners had their fingers in the Carpenter repops. It's been about 6 years ago. I think I still have my original invoice where I bought the w'strips, would it say on the invoice if they were US or foreign?  And also, like mentioned, how do you know if you are in fact getting the US or foreign mades? 

Like some of you guys, the doors closed really well when adjusted and before the w'strips were applied, they don't close real good now, but are exceptional.

Thanks for any help.

PS, I'm going to look at my invoice and see what info is on there, will update.

UPDATE: My invoice does not say whether or not their foreign or US made. Would like to know though.