What Do Weatherstrip Kits Accomplish?
On a restored classic Chevy, a weatherstrip kit goes a long way. It helps keep the interior of your car dry. If you're restoring a classic Chevy, we strongly recommend investing in a weatherstrip kit.
Whether you're trying to figure out if you should install new weatherstrips on your classic Chevy or you're just curious about what weatherstrip kits are, you came to the right place. You'll find all the information you need about weatherstrip kits right here in this article.
What is a Weatherstrip Kit?
A weatherstrip is a high-quality rubber strip designed specifically to seal openings like doors, windows, and trunks. A weatherstrip is normally installed around the edges of the openings to fully seal them.
A weatherstrip kit contains enough weatherstrip and all the parts necessary to install on the trunk, doors, and windows. A good kit usually comes with weatherstrips specifically made for doors, a weatherstrip specifically made for trunks, and strong adhesive. A good quality weatherstrip also matches the shape of the OEM weatherstrip exactly. You just need one kit to seal your entire car from the elements outside.
A typical basic weatherstrip kit contains weatherstrips for the door and trunk. A deluxe weatherstrip kit has more bells and whistles, including a quarter window vertical seal, vent window seals, and a window felt kit.
A basic Soff Seal weatherstrip kit for 1963-1964 Impala 2-Door Hardtop/Convertible models
How is a Weatherstrip Kit Installed?
Installing a weatherstrip kit is really easy. Below is a general overview of how to install a weatherstrip kit. The steps may vary between brands, though.
- Remove the old weatherstrip (if there's one).
- Clean the areas where you'll be applying the weatherstrip. If there's old adhesive, remove it with adhesive remover.
- If there's adhesive on the back of the strips, peel off the backing.
- Apply the weatherstrip along the edges. Be sure to press it firmly against the edges to get the adhesive to stick.
What do Weatherstrip Kits Accomplish?
The purpose of weatherstripping your car is to seal up the gaps between the doors, windows, and trunk doors and the rest of the body. Doing so keeps dirt and moisture out of the car and ensures that the doors stay closed.
Some classic cars made before the 1970s weren't built with weatherstrips. If you find an original weatherstripped classic car, it's very likely that the seals are no longer good. Weatherstrips are not designed to last decades. They'll degrade due to:
- Wear and tear
- Exposure to heat and moisture
- Weakened adhesive