Which seals am I likely to need?

Robotsan

Club Member
Hi all,

I'm importing a sunbaked 280z from California (this one), and as I won't be painting the car for a few years I'm thinking maybe I'll get some rubbers and weatherstrips/seals now with the car.

Or is this a bad idea as they need to be glued down, and won't be able to be used again when it comes to paint? Am I just wasting money?

At the same time though I want to be able to use the car while I've got it, and although I'd do my best not to get it rained on, chances are it will happen.

If I were to buy the bare minimum now, to keep water and fumes out of the cabin, which ones am I likely to need? Doors and rear hatch?

I see MSA do a full selection: https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/classic03a
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
Rear hatch and tail lights mainly. I think they are stuck down, but you'll have forgotten about the money you spent on them when you get round to paint.
 

Fairlineguy

Club Member
I’d get a full set .
There all sure to be toasted even if you use just a few of them to start with you’ll be able to pull them off and reuse them
haven’t found a glue yet that really sticks them well.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Rear hatch and tail lights mainly. I think they are stuck down, but you'll have forgotten about the money you spent on them when you get round to paint.

Thanks Jon. It's more about will I have to buy them twice? E.g. if I buy them now to keep fumes & water out, will I have to buy them again in a few years when I get round to having the car painted? As they need gluing down right, so will they be ruined by pulling them off again?
 

Robotsan

Club Member
I’d get a full set .
There all sure to be toasted even if you use just a few of them to start with you’ll be able to pull them off and reuse them
haven’t found a glue yet that really sticks them well.

Ah that's interesting. So you reckon anything I buy now could be peeled off when it comes to paint and reapplied?
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Gone through the photos Mike has sent. Rubbers look ok in some parts but not all the way round the doors or the hatch..

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Robotsan

Club Member
In the M3 community, people have found rubber seals from this company to fit a few places on the e46: https://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/index.asp

They have almost every shape and size you can imagine. I wonder if we sent them a few photos and dimensions of the seals on the s30, they could suggest a product to use? Would work out way way cheaper than buying them from the US.
 

Fairlineguy

Club Member
Ah that's interesting. So you reckon anything I buy now could be peeled off when it comes to paint and reapplied?
Almost guarantee it if you use either loctite or 3m black weather trim glue it doesn’t really stick that well to the rubber
even the two part glue from zdepot seems to come away . That’s from my experience I’d be interested if someone has found something that sticks the rubber and won’t allow the rubber to pull away once stuck
 

Robotsan

Club Member
The 27 piece MSA kit is out of stock.. and I've only found the same one on JDM Parts, but its $390 rather than $360.

I did some reading of other threads on the forum, and the consensus seemed to be that the Precision brand kits (only 19 - 21 pieces I think - but includes all the hatch and door seals) are also a good fit, and I *think* I've found that kit for a very good price here ($249): https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pqp-cwk-244-a

The part number matches what's sold elsewhere for more, such as: https://www.ebay.com/itm/255241381639

And on Precision's own site, where its an unbelievable $512!: https://www.prp.com/product/detail/103416

Do we think its a good bet that its the same kit? It's the same photo, but doesn't list the number of parts, and what concerns me is the list of whats included - it doesn't add up to 19, even when multiplying the door ones by 2:

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Robotsan

Club Member
Does say 'Will be ordered for you'. Interested in this as well.

Yeah that's a slight concern. But it does also say US dispatch time "today". I'm ordering parts to come over in my 280z, so if you'd like some there might be room!
 

Huw

Club Member
Have you looked at these guys?

 

richiep

Club Member
The Precision kit is the most widely used one so grab it for the best price you can find it in stock. One can assume that the price will be going up from every retailer and that the supply chain is most likely fooked like it is with everything else made from essential raw materials like rubber!

Using them now and then removing in the future will not be a problem. Most silicone sealant-type rubber adhesives are easy to remove. Also worth noting that the rubbers for the screens and quarter glasses are not/should not be bonded to the body. In the case of the screens, they aren't bonded at all to the glass or body. In fact, bonding the screens and the outer 1/4 glass seals to the body is a recipe for rust disasters (the sealant can trap moisture rather than letting it escape). Door and hatch seals and other bits and bobs, yes, bond them on, but defo not the glass.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
The Precision kit is the most widely used one so grab it for the best price you can find it in stock. One can assume that the price will be going up from every retailer and that the supply chain is most likely fooked like it is with everything else made from essential raw materials like rubber!

Using them now and then removing in the future will not be a problem. Most silicone sealant-type rubber adhesives are easy to remove. Also worth noting that the rubbers for the screens and quarter glasses are not/should not be bonded to the body. In the case of the screens, they aren't bonded at all to the glass or body. In fact, bonding the screens and the outer 1/4 glass seals to the body is a recipe for rust disasters (the sealant can trap moisture rather than letting it escape). Door and hatch seals and other bits and bobs, yes, bond them on, but defo not the glass.

Thanks Rich. I've emailed Summit, just waiting for confirmation that it is the 19 piece kit before I pull the trigger!

Good to know I can remove seals for painting, and thanks for the info on the screen and quarter glass ones. I'm sure I'll be mithering everyone on here about each seal when the time comes! ;)

I see some of the door seals need riveting with plastic rivets - are they removable and re-usable too?
 

richiep

Club Member
Thanks Rich. I've emailed Summit, just waiting for confirmation that it is the 19 piece kit before I pull the trigger!

Good to know I can remove seals for painting, and thanks for the info on the screen and quarter glass ones. I'm sure I'll be mithering everyone on here about each seal when the time comes! ;)

I see some of the door seals need riveting with plastic rivets - are they removable and re-usable too?
Rivets, yes, removable.
 
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