Windshield to shroud rubber 100-4

[rossco]

So, I get this Taiwanese rubber strip from VB and it's obvious it ain't ever gunna thread into that narrow groove in the lower wind screen frame strip. I'm an old guy and I'm not going to live long enough to hassle with that. I took the belt sander and removed about a third of the bulk of the spine leaving plenty of the T on each side. A blunt blade and an hour later and that sucker is done and in the car; it isn't going anywhere. No soap, no sweat. All those horror stories about putting these in scares me. P.S. The thing isn't long enough to trim to your taste so be careful what you pay for.

 

[stinky60]

Right on dude, sometimes you just got to make it fit yourself well done Rossco

 

[Bob_Spidell]

We just put one in our BN2. This was a better quality one from BCS (we also had one from Moss). No way it was going to slide in--we ended up just working it in with a thin, blunt piece of lath. Insert one side of the 'T,' then work the other in with the lath.

A few years ago there was a molded seal available that wouldn't have the pucker like most of the replacements. Anyone know if those are still available?

 

[WaltCasten]

I need to get a seal also. Hopefully this one you are referring to with the curve in it is out there but for some reason I doubt it.

I've been buying my parts from BCS, in their catalog it says "O.E.M. not available. Our seal comes with how to put in curve". I guess I don't understand this, if BCS knows how to put in the curve...why don't they put in the **** curve and sell it like that?

 

[RandyHicks]

The correct "curve" can be done. A couple pictures of my 100M being done by Fourintune. Restoration was completed last week. Fit is perfect.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Well, what's the secret? I bought a seal from BCS and there were no instructions on how to fit the curve.

 

[zblu]

I think it was Dave Reynolds who put a description of method on here

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Dave Russell, maybe? Unfortunately, that thread was probably lost when the forum migrated platforms (we lost Dave several years ago).

 

[WaltCasten]

Yes, it was Dave Russell. I read the post he made about doing it some time ago. I don't remember how I found it. He points to it in this post:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?15413-Windshield-Seal-BN-2&highlight=100-4+windshield+seal

However if you use the old post to new forum convertor on the post #142688, it converts to some thread about a Sprite for sale.

IIRC, it involves installing the seal by pushing it in rather than sliding and then heating the ends of the seal with a heat gun and stretching it by pulling with a vise grips or something and holding it until it cools again. Even though Dave said you should cover the trim and glass with aluminium foil to protect it from the heat I still think this is taking a chance on hosing something else up. I just spent a lot of money to have these parts re-chromed and the windshield re-assembled using new glazing rubber and don't really want to take a chance with it. I thought about trying to do the same stretching procedure but on the bench prior to install.

More info here:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?18607-BN1-Windscreen-Formed-Rubber&highlight=stretching

If anyone contacts these guys please post up.

Later,
Walt

p.s. Randy, thanks for showing me your car at Road America last weekend it is truly spectacular and a real inspiration to get my (albeit regular) BN2 going again. It was great to meet you.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Thanks, Walt. Does sound like a risky procedure--if you stretch the 'T' at the top of the seal it would likely get smaller and hence may not hold as well. Sure would like to get my hands on one of the properly molded seals.

 

[RandyHicks]

p.s. Randy, thanks for showing me your car at Road America last weekend it is truly spectacular and a real inspiration to get my (albeit regular) BN2 going again. It was great to meet you.[/QUOTE]



Wally, good meeting you as well. What a great Weekend at Elkhart Lake. If anyone has never been there for the Vintage races, it's worth the trip. Road America is a great track and the race car show on Friday night, & the concours Sat. night on the streets of Elkhart Lake were amazing!!! So many well done cars.

Of course it didn't hurt that we won the class for pre-1962 Elite Sports Cars on Sat. Night and then went Best Street Car on Sunday at Road America!!!!!

 

[WaltCasten]

Of course it didn't hurt that we won the class for pre-1962 Elite Sports Cars on Sat. Night and then went Best Street Car on Sunday at Road America!!!!!

Congrats! And yes I heard about the Best Street Car. I wasn't at the track Sunday but got a call right after they made the announcement "hey, that 4 cylinder Healey won...".

Sorry Randy and I are getting a little off topic here...did anyone ever determine if we can source a proper curved seal? I'd like to get one and put the windshield back on the car before something happens to it.

Thanks,
Wally

 

[WaltCasten]

After all these months I finally called Fourintune. I was told he has no more curved seals and the last one was used in Randy's car. He said some guy in California was making them 20 or so years ago and he bought several at that time. He didn't say who it was but it sounded like the guy was long gone or otherwise not doing it anymore.

Has anyone else had any luck?

 

[Editor_Reid]

The guy who made them is Don Rould. He has moved away from SoCal (to the midwest or Great Lakes area somewhere, I think), but it was a long time ago and I'd be 99 percent sure that he sold out of them many years ago. My last contact with Don was long ago that I don't even have contact info for him anymore. Sorry.

 

[WaltCasten]

Reid,

Do you think there would be any hope in contating him? I mean, he must have made a mold or something to produce them. Maybe he still has the mold?

It only takes about 5 minutes to find someone via the internet. If he's a Healey enthusiast, one would ASSume he wouldn't mind being contacted about it.

Just a thought as it seems there would be interesting in reproducing these again and why reinvent the wheel if he has a mold sitting there in his garage.

Thanks,
Walt

 

[Editor_Reid]

Reid, Do you think there would be any hope in contating him? I mean, he must have made a mold or something to produce them. Maybe he still has the mold?

OK, I searched my archives and found him. No, he wasn't in my archives, but his phone number is:

Don Rould (651) XXX-XXXX He's now in Minnesota, so when calling please take the time difference, if any, into account.

Now please Walt will you do this, you be the only one to call him and then report here what you discover. That way Don doesn't get 99 unwanted phone calls and yet we all get to know the result of your call.

Good luck.

 

[WaltCasten]

Thank you Reid. I will do this and let everyone know what I find.

 

[WaltCasten]

I've been trying at various times of the day for a week now and have not got an answer. There's an answering machine that picks up but it has the default robot voice so I'm not sure if I even have the right household because it isn't "Hi this is Don, leave a message". I started leaving messages earlier today. I will keep everyone posted.

Something definitely needs to be done though...I was watching the RM auction last night, the 100M that got bid up to $160,000 and didn't sell had a nasty hump in the corner of its seal. I guess I never realized how noticeable it was until I saw a car on TV.

 

[WaltCasten]

UPDATE

I talked to Don Rould on the phone this past week. None of the phone numbers we have for him including the one in the Healey Club directory are current. I was able to reach him the old fashioned way via a typed letter and he was nice enough to call me back regarding it. We had a nice conversation although he was a little vague about the seals, which I totally understand as he doesn't know me from Adam or what my intent was.

He has "a few" of his curved, molded neoprene seals at his house in Minnesota. He eluded to having more in storage in California but did not come right out and say it.

I told him quite a few 100 owners would be interested in having these. He responded that he didn't think there would be much demand for them anymore. I asked if he had the mold for making them and he said no, it sounded like he contracted a company to just do it and buy parts a long time ago. He also said that the "famous restoration shop in Wisconsin" did not buy the seals they were using from him so I guess there is a possibility someone else was also making them at one time.

I am sending him a certified check for three seals. When I get them and fit one I will let everyone know how that goes. I bought three because he thought one for my car and he couldn't imagine more than two other people wanting them anymore (LOL!). If someone on this list cannot wait, the best way to contact him is via U.S. Mail. When he called, he blocked the caller ID so I still do not have a current phone number.

Later,
Walt

 

[AH100M]

Lots of paranoia in Minnesota?!