C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

[Thomas H.]

I'm replacing the windshield gasket on my 58. This job is starting to rival replacing the seat covers on my 60 in the frustration department, but I digress..........

I'm curious to know what the approx overlap should be between the inner flap of the lower inside gasket section and the windshield post. Both the frame assy from the 58 and the one on my 60 (original) have the gasket overlapping the windshield post by approx 1". The new gasket I'm installing (or trying to install, to be more precise) stops short of the windshield post leaving approx a 1/4" gap.

First pic is the 58 frame with the old gasket (bad pic, but you get the idea). Second pic is of my 60. Third pic is the gap with the new gasket. Now the gasket is not quite centered ( I need to disassemble everything and move it.. again...........) so you can add about 1/4" to what the pic shows, but it still won't reach the post.

Tom

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Tom, It's the new weatherstrips. But like much reproduction stuff these days it needs "adjustment".

The last several I've done had the same issue. When you redo it, stretch the rubber from center, evenly both sides, a bit more out at the ends where it meets the posts so that it covers the gap. Just enough to get it over about a 1/4" or so. But not too much, so it'll show excessive slack coming up the inside w/s post vertically.

Doing this will also help prevent wrinkling the rubber in the inside corners where it curves around and over the front edge curves of the dashpad.

Rich

[Thomas H.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Hi Rich,

I'll give that a shot tonight. I have two gaskets, one has a longer flap by about 5/8" but when I got everything assembled with that gasket I saw that whoever trimmed the area where the two halves are "welded" together got a bit aggressive and it did not cover the top of the lower reveal molding. Removed that one and tried the second only to have the flap issue............

I'm constantly amazed at how simple things on reproduction parts are overlooked. Like the two small ribs on the inside edge of the flap. I'm assuming these rubber parts are extruded, how difficult would it have been to add the notches in the die to make the ribs? Venting...........

Thanks for the tip. I'll take another crack at it tonight. (hmmmmm, maybe "crack" is a bad expression to use when working with windshields........)

Tom

[John F.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Tom, Here is what my original 62 w/s looks like.

[Thomas H.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

The stretching worked but to a point. I now have the end of the gasket flap even with the post on each side. Not enough material to overlap the post.

Next issue is the header stainless. I can't seem to get it tight on the ends. I have had it off a few times trying to tighten the ends up, but to no avail. It seems that the steel header bar is somewhat misaligned with the stainless and when I snug the screw down, the edges pop out. Interesting, the factory missed drilling a hole in one of the support brackets and drilled right into the steel bar. There was a longer screw in that hole.

Tom

[Thomas H.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Missed hole..........

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Tom, that rubber looks fine where it landed. No gaping hole so it'll be fine. Yes originals overlapped a bit more, and I've had some repro rubber overlap more as well, but it's a crapshoot what you get these days.

The header stainless is a real trick. IMO a poor design for attachemnt. Because you really only get one shot at it's installation after the W/S frame is assembled it's difficult to get it tight. I squeeze the ends to a smaller diameter than the W/S post ends, then just snap it over them with a loud nasty sounding clunk! Sometimes it's tight, sometimes it's not.

Unless you pull the frame apart again, it'll have to stay that way. Unless you've come up with a way to get it off of a assembled windshield without damaging it then I'd leave it alone.

Rich

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Yesterday I removed the windshield from a '61 project. It had some pretty ugly wrinkles on the inside corners just like yours Tom. It's a new installation that I inherited. Not exactly my standards so I have to fix it, well, I'm attempting to.

I took it apart, and as anticipated, the repro weatherstrip is too long, which leaves a gap at the w/s post lower flange corners, and causes those gawd awful wrinkles in the lower corners at the dashpad.

With the rubber hanging from a shelf, I used my heat gun and slowly the wrinkles disappeared. Let it all cool down for a while and reinstalled on the glass. I marked the original locations of where the rubber edges laid for reference. I stretched the w/strip around the corners and up the verticals and had to compress the rubber together at the top header area of the glass to make up for the stretching at the corners. It seemed to work better. I've let it sit overnight stretched out and will see if it helps. I suspect the wrinkles are going to come back until I get the frames installed on the glass to hold the w/strip tight.

The wrinkles have been there for a while and may have gotten "trained", so I may toss that one and start with a new one if I'm not satisfied with it.

More later....
Rich

edit....added pics. As removd, then using heat gun to shrink the wrinkles.
PC130002.jpg PC130038.jpg PC130039.jpg

After stretching and overnight rest. Not acceptable. One last try with the frame assembled after heat gun and stretch, then a new rubber if NG.
PC140044.jpg

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

More pictures of the culprit. Before disassembly I marked the ends of the frame and also where the rubber flap ends/edges were located. I eliminated the gaps over the w/s post lower flanges by stretching the rubber, and by default it helped to stretch the rubber to remove the wrinkles in the dashpad corners.

PC140040.jpg PC140041.jpg PC140042.jpg PC140043.jpg

More trial and error to come, but as mentioned, I think a new w/s rubber is in my future.

Rich

[Thomas H.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Funny, we seem to be doing the same thing today. I was also trying to minimize the wrinkles. I used the heat gun and then removed the heat and held the rubber between two pieces of wood until it cooled. Maybe reduce the wrinkles by 50%.
I'm hoping that once installed, the dash pad will hold the rubber up a bit to smooth out the remaining wrinkles. Of course once it sits out in the hot sun, they will probably com back, but who knows, they may also smooth out some more. The hot sun did wonders for the wrinkles in my 60 seat covers after I got them installed. I had a few areas that just didn't look the way I wanted and no matter how much I pushed or pulled the covers I couldn't smooth them out. One afternoon in the 80 degree sun did the trick. Of course it will be a while before we have a sunny 80 degree day here............

Army / Navy playing in the snow down in Philadelphia. The Blue Angles did some fly overs above the stadium. They also went over my house (about 20 miles north of Phila) about 4 times at very low altitudes. Pretty cool to see them flying in the snow.

Pictures Left - before / after and Right - before / after.

Tom

For some reason, I can't attach pictures today.......... tool bar is gone?

[Thomas H.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Let's try this method..........

[Loren L.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

You guys do realize that UNTIL someone returns these weatherstrips for REFUNDS, the supplier has NO motivation to do them correctly........it's not as if they send them to you for free because you're a nice guy....you did give someone $$$$$$ for crap.....This is a tough job with parts that fit, for g___'s sake...

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

You guys do realize that UNTIL someone returns these weatherstrips for REFUNDS, the supplier has NO motivation to do them correctly........it's not as if they send them to you for free because you're a nice guy....you did give someone $$$$$$ for crap.....This is a tough job with parts that fit, for g___'s sake...

Loren, you're absolutely right, but you know what happens. Our suppliers are the middle men for most parts. I believe these are made at CRC, not sure, but I was looking carefully at the rubber for thet "CRC" lettering in the mold. I think I see it. They're very good at other rubber items I've used. If it's from them, they obviously dropped the ball. The rubber I have here was put on by someone else, and I believe it came from CC, but over a year or so ago. I primarily work with Zip Products, and plan to call my CS contact in the morning to get some explanation with their vendor about this wrinkle problem. If it's CRC I'm going to call them directly, that is if they'll talk to me. I don't want to do this any more than once, believe me, but here I am caught up in the middle as usual. Sad part is that it's not going to help me or Tom or whoever else immediately with the problem. Whatever we all try to help fix will be helping the next guy, that's okay, but painful.

And along with every other reproduction part that doesn't fit, we send them back and get another, and that one's even worse. Last year I went through THREE (well known supplier) C1 dashpads becasue of foam defects in the area next to the cluster. Missing and big air bubbled too-soft foam causiing wrinkles(hmmm, the year of the wrinkle I guess) in the vinyl. I spent lots of time on the phone with him, with pictures, etc. Got a second one and it was worse than the first. WTx? Of course it didn't make my job easier, added a month to the project, but I stayed involved to help get their process corrected......for the next guy too. Anyone that buys their dashpads today won't have problems I had becasue of the pain I had then. I'm good with that though to help the cause. I just hope it stays fixed for the next one I get!

And the one I still can't get over. A major Corvette/All Makes carpet supplier sending out not one, not two, but three 59-60 carpet sets for 3 different cars over a one year period with the same mis-cut, wrong size drivers' side section. I worked with the supplier and them for hours to get them to make them right. Other folks here had the same problem. After the 3rd wrong one months later, it was shame on me. NEVER will I buy from them again.

I'm a persistent, anal, engineer always needing to find root cause..... and I'll get to the bottom of this wrinkly rubber thing, don't you worry.

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

Maybe if you supplied us with the name of the problem vendor they will realize a drop in sales and maybe fix the problem. At least will be able to ask the right question before we buy. Otherwise the "next" guy is going to have the same problem

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 windshield Gasket Overlap

If and when I get somewhere with the rubber manufacturer I'd be glad to let others here know.

For the others I mentioned? Okay, here you go............

Dashpad problems: Al Knoch Interiors- Ask them if they fixed the left side foam deficiency next to the left instrument cluster so it won't wrinkle the vinyl when the cluster goes in. Also ask if they fixed the foam deficiency in the lower left side below the left grab bar end cap, which also wrinkled there on the last one I did. Spent a few hours on that one too after the pad was installed and the windshield was done by a prior owner.

Oh, and while you're at it, ask them if their $1200+ C1 deluxe door panels can be shortened about 1/4" or so, so when you install them they don't rub the paint off the B-pillar and crush the end cap on the dash, force the dash forward, and make the perfectly previously adjusted door hard to close.

Carpet problems: ACC (Auto Custom Carpet) - On 1958 to 1960 Corvettes, ask them if they fixed their improper cut on the measurment of the length of the Drivers' Side carpet where it meets the sill step area. It's about 1 1/2" too long there and expect 6 to 10 days turnaround for them to fix it, that's after your vendor du-jour spends a day or so to get you a call tag to you from ACC so you can send it back for them to redo it. Then they tell you that every 1958 to 1960 Corvette is different at that measurement. So.....you can go through all this above crap, or.......you can get some scissors, some thread, a Handi-Stitcher, pull out the beading, cut it, re-stitch it and fix it yourself in about a hour or so. After that 3rd time ACC is off my list forever.

Oh, and here are a few more........

Trim Parts: Did they fix their C1 Convertible Header Latches rivet staking process, so when you latch the thing it doesn't pull out the rivets from the baseplate and fall down and hit the freshly painted instrument cluster and fall further and hit you in the groin. 3 of the last 4 $125(retail) latches I bought needed their base rivets staked before installation. Hmmmm, send them back and wait about a week, or get the hammer and 1/4" drift and a helper to hold them and do it yourself in 2 minutes. I opted to just fix them. Complained long ago to the supplier. One month ago same problem.

Fresh Air Hose Clamps: Correct $25 reproduction from who knows where, probably asia. You tighten it up and the screw galls in the cheap threaded insert. Try to get that one returned for credit! "You must have over tightened it, sorry, you loose".

C1 repro headlight switch knobs: After you scratch your head wondering why it won't lock into that pos repro headlight switch from mehico, (that btw has a out of spec circuit breaker which flashes your lights like a christmas display), you discover that the knob shaft is about 0.087" too short, and you have to scrape paint from the cluster ferrule nut flange and scrape the back plastic of the escutcheon to shave a few thousandths off, then file the grooved tip of that $25 knob to make it fit in the switch. Hmmm, just another 30 second job that takes an hour.

The problem is, every time I have a problem with parts, if I called every manufacturer with complaints and problems, I would absolutely positively get nothing done. It's bad enough the stuff doesn't fit, but spend all of the time trying to help THEM fix THEIR problems is time consuming. I've done it so many times and quite frankly I'm tired of it.

(I'm rambling here, I know, sorry, getting frustrated thinking about these stupid problems we all have, but I'm okay now, I need a drink but it's too early in the day

R i c h &$^^#^@