Entry 16: Weather Stripping, Dew Wipes and Rear Hatch

When I acquired the car the rear seats had been removed and discarded, given there were only lapbelts for the rear passengers in 86' plus the 30 lbs+ weight savings I decided to delete the rear seat. Kits on the internet are $300+, with the roll of carpet from when I purchased the car I decided to make a run at it myself. Using a cardboard template I cut a piece of aluminum to go over the spare tire well and glued the carpeting to it. Fit really nicely and the carpet flows over the rear seat pan well into the passenger area.Used an extra piece of interior trim moulding spray painted black to cover the seam/transition to the carpeting in the front cabin. Actually turned out nicer than I expected, when I get a chance I'll upgrade to a nice polished aluminum piece.

Next up was weather stripping, CJ Pony Parts sells a WSKIT32 kit for $47 which includes both door seals and a hatch seal. They were easy enough to install with a heat gun, rubber mallet and a screwdriver. Just loosen the interior trim pieces, pull out the old and in with the new. The old hatch weather stripping was so flat following installation the striker had to be adjusted upwards 1/4"+ so the hatch would latch. The doors sound solid with new rubber.

Beltline weatherstripping (also known as exterior dew wipes) are an interesting installation, for what they cost be sure to do it correctly. The part has the rubber portion along with the metal piece to hold it in place. You need to remove the knob from the mirror and the metal trim piece, exposing two screws which hold the mirror to the door. In order to replace the wipes the mirror has to be removed, the old piece taken out and then a new piece installed and the mirror re-attached. The only tricky part is to ensure the clips are to the inside of the pinch seam or it will not attach properly. This is a really nice part and went on easily, plus it really cleans up the door line. WSBL17P

Scuff plates are always fun, hosed the old ones down with brake cleaner and sprayed with Trim Paint. I'll install tomorrow after they have a chance to dry.