Bringing door seals back from the dead?

Here’s the deal: The door seals on my Falcon were crushed flat and painted over. They don’t seal, and that’s horrendously awful in the winter. I have new seals, but until I’m ready to redo the doors it seems a waste to install them (they’re to be glued in, apparently - thanks McNamara!).

Any suggestions on how I might revive my clapped out door seals so that my doors actually seal in the meanwhile?

Thanks,

Dave

 

If the door seals are hollow, you can find a diameter of rubber or plastic tubing that will slip inside the original door seal. You may have to make a cut to start inserting the tubing. The new tubing will "swell" the flattened door seal and restore it to it's original contour. I've used this technique successfully many times to make an old rubber seal usable.

Jim

 

The tubing idea is kool. If the seals aren't hollow sometimes you can use windshield washer hose behind the seal. Barring that, can you get the paint off? If so, go to an electrical supply house for commercial electrical contractors. There's lubricant for sliding wire through long lengths of conduit. That lubricant is mainly glycerine. Glycerine will revive rubber and replace some of most of it's elasticity. Be generous with it and let it soak in overnight. Once revived then apply some baby powder to them to make em slick again. Wet lubricants provide traction and make doors and decklids a pain in the *** to close. Good luck. BTW, the powder gig works great with new weather stripping. Makes the doors close like new without waiting for it to take a seat.

 

Great ideas guys, thanks! theHIGHLANDER, I'm going to try that baby powder trick on another car I've got. The doors have never shut quite right since I replaced the seals.

-Dave

 

Good luck there 'cheese. Not only does the powder make the rubber slippery, it leave your car smelling "baby fresh"...

 

If it's a sponge rubber type seal, a shot of steam from one of those handheld clothes steamers will revive it . Also works very well for bringing back compressed foam on seat cushions. Been doing it for years.
These steamers are available at Walmart and the like for cheap.
Try it you'll like it!