Installation

Not as bad as you would think. Follow the instructions on the adhesive tube. I installed the front and rear pillar posts first and allowed to dry overnight. Then installed the tops on the second night and allowed to dry overnight, and finally the doors the third night. As a general note, the 3m adhesive I used would become tacky in about 5 minutes or less, so once you apply adhesive make sure you are ready to work quickly. Also, some people recommend washing the new weatherstripping with soap prior to assembly, to make sure there isn’t any exposed anti-stick material on the surface that could interfere with your new adhesive. The weatherstripping must be completely dry before assembly.

*A second person is very helpful for installation, to help hold weather stripping in multiple places while it dries!*

Let’s start with the doors.

Apply adhesive at each end where the screws are located and install the screws. The screws will hold the weatherstripping while the adhesive sets. After it has set, start at one end and begin working your way around the bottom of the door. Apply adhesive to the door/weatherstripping as you go. I used painters tape to hold the weatherstrip in place as I went, which worked fairly well. Pay special attention the doors bottom and corners to make sure the weather strip is in the correct location and hasn’t popped off or slid. The adhesive sets quickly so be ready before you start with all your needed tools at hand, including paper towel and goo-gone to clean up any mess. Also, be sure to apply the adhesive well in areas that are hidden, but be careful not to smear adhesive in visible areas, as it does not look very good. This is where the paper towel comes in.

I left the tape on the whole night, and shut the door after the weatherstripping was completely installed to hold everything in place. After 12 hours of leaving the door closed with the tape on I took a look and everything looked ok. I recommend leaving the window up so you know that the weatherstripping won’t interfere with the up position.

T-Tops:

I actually decided to clean up with T-Tops and paint the inside before doing the weatherstripping. After cleaning up the old adhesive etc, I painted the entire inside of the T-Tops flat black with automotive paint. Make sure you tape off the chrome, T-Top release handles and edges around the perimeter so you don’t paint them. I then installed the weatherstripping (over the new paint). Make sure you do a test fit BEFORE applying any adhesive anywhere. You want to be sure the weatherstripping is rotated correctly, so all of the push pins line up with their holes. I started by filling the aluminum track area with adhesive and snapping the weather stripping into place. If you did a good job removing the old material, this part should go very easily. I then worked my way around the T-Top applying adhesive and pushing the plastic snap pins into place. Be careful not to apply adhesive too close to the outer edges, as it will look sloppy. After completing the weatherstripping install, I put the T-tops onto the car overnight to press the weatherstripping into the correct shape. Again, the adhesive dries quickly, so make sure you are ready before you start. Unfortunately I neglected to take pictures after painting and install, but the painting made the interior of the T-Tops look much better. Note, the new weatherstripping will be stiffer and thicker than the old weatherstripping, so you may need help getting the T-Tops on without messing up your new and still-wet adhesive.

Windshield Pillars:

The easiest of them all. I started at the top and went down. Apply adhesive in the aluminum track near the top and at the top of the pillar where the old gummy putty material was located as a filler. Apply a little extra here to make sure all the gaps are filled in. Make sure you have goo gone and a paper towel ready, as you will need to wipe up any adhesive that squeezes out to make it look clean. Insert the new strip into the aluminum track and install the top screw. Install plenty of adhesive as you move down pushing the new strip into place. Install the bottom screw. Done. One note, make sure you do a test fit with the new strip BEFORE applying any adhesive. You want to install the strip and close the door, to make sure the position doesn’t interfere with the door in the hinge area. In one of the below pictures, the strip was too low, and wouldn’t allow the door to close. The strip can stretch/compress somewhat to get it just right. On final assembly with adhesive in place, closed the door with the window up and applied painters tape to apply extra pressure between the window and the strip, and left it overnight to cure.

The rear posts:

Very similar to the windshield posts. I started top down. Be careful where you apply adhesive so it doesn’t show. After sticking the new strip on with adhesive, I applied a couple strips of painters tape, and closed the door with the window up to hold everything into place overnight.

Conclusion

One final note is with regard to window adjustments. Your new weatherstripping will likely require drivers and passenger side window adjustments for the windows to seal completely. This is the scope of a different article, but removing the door panel will give access to the bolts necessary to make this adjustment. Most of these corvettes have worn out rollers, bearings etc, making window adjustment a nebulous task. This may be a good opportunity to do that window restoration project.

Congratulations, you just made your corvette water proof and much more pleasant to look at! It should be much quieter at speed now as well. The next item on my list is to rebuild the windows so they are held in place better and hold their position adjustments better. Good luck!

Of course the work always goes smoother with help!

Left Lane Brain