german rubber?

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:21 pm

I put in quite a bit of time today, perusing sites purported to carry german made rubber door seals for a '70 ghia. I can't make heads or tails of some of the websites I checked out, and if the seals were offered, I couldn't find them.

West Coast Metric carries them, but only parts of the "kit" seem to be german with nary a mention of source on the rest, and the one seal I need most doesn't seem to be included.

I think the window seal I got for Bertha was from West Coast Metric via Ashley at Always. It seemed fine.

Suggestions? Vendors? Help me blow away the fog!

thanks,
neal

tristessa · Post by **tristessa** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:25 pm

While I know nothing about their rubbers being German or otherwise, you might want to get ahold of House of Ghia down in Salem .. they have Ghia stuff. The website isn't teh best but I've heard good stuff about them for years.

http://www.house-of-ghia.com/

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:37 am

Yes, another website frustratingly frustrating.

But on the other hand. Does NOS stand for New Original Stock? Shopping to replace the "euro" aftermarket some other market mirrors currently mounted on both sides.

They sag, they droop, they are marginally settable.

Shopping.

neal

Bookwus · Post by **Bookwus** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:46 am

Hiya Neal,

Were it me, I'd give the guys down at The House of Ghia a phone call.

But do know that buying seals is a tricky kinda business. I had always thought that West Coast Metric had a flawless reputation regarding rubber products. Then I ordered front door seals from them for my Bus. They were terrible! I checked in with Ron Salmon (who has probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about importing and quality) at the Bus Depot. Seems that WCM either fabricates or imports the rubber products they sell. When they import, the quality is not always the best. The door seals I bought were from the Brazillian aftermarket - very shoddy stuff. Ron set me up with VWBrazillian seals and they fit like a glove.

All this by way of saying names are no guarantee when buying this stuff. OEM German parts are almost always the way to go. New Old Stock is great when you can find it, but these are rubber seals. Rubber ages and after 30 odd years of sitting on a shelf, I don't know that they would be my first choice.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:29 am

Search thesamba for feedback on OE VEEDUB
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... edub+seals

Post by **Amskeptic** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:07 am

NOS German seals in a plastic bag on a shelf will be fine. The VW door seals were good stuff from the get-go. The NOS window rubber, however, is indeed likely to deteriorate if you do not treat it frequently with glycerine after a couple of years. I have found that frequent simple water washing can help. The rubber has a sealed quality when new. When it ages, the upper layer wears away and suddenly things are porous and blacken your washing or drying towel alarmingly. Keeping the outer layer clean of airborne corrosive contaminants while new helps keep it new.

Alex at ISP West has been experimenting with new compounds for window rubber that are lifetime supple. . . major problem has been dimensions. The Brazilian crap is just that, crap with a capital "C".
Colin

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:57 am

I bought German seals from OEveedub a couple years ago. Not NOS but not new either. Both sides are already showing signs of cracking/drying out. I'm not thrilled, they weren't cheap. Everything is a coin toss these days.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:29 am

hambone wrote:I bought German seals from OEveedub a couple years ago. Not NOS but not new either. Both sides are already showing signs of cracking/drying out. I'm not thrilled, they weren't cheap. Everything is a coin toss these days.

What sort of preventive care have you given those seals? I bought mine from RMMW in 2002 and they are as supple and beautiful as the day I installed them. Lots of talcum powder has visited those seals. Talcum powder is no preventative ministration, I just used it to keep the seals from abrading against the paint in the door opening from all of those miniscule shear movements that occur when the body flexes.
Colin

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:53 pm

Actually, the NOS was in reference to the side rear view mirror. I have two ugly "euro" mirrors on now that shake out of adjustment. House of Ghia may have one for $100. I'm pretty sure a '70 ghia had no passenger side mirror originally.

For the rubber, still looking. Scrapers, front and back windshields, are the most horrifically cracked dried brittle bits I have ever seen. Haven't isolated where the water is coming in yet, but suspect doors. OE VeeDub seems to be a concensis, West Coast Metric iffy, haven't checked ISP West yet, and KGPR or KGRP have to look into also.

neal

Bookwus · Post by **Bookwus** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:45 am

Hiya Neal,

So...................how are coming along in the hunt for rubber? Find a suitable supplier?

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:24 pm

Bookwus wrote:Hiya Neal,

So...................how are coming along in the hunt for rubber? Find a suitable supplier?

I've decided to trust Mike of House of Ghia in Salem. OEM. Hoping to drive down and meet him April 7, 8, or 9. He also has a side mirror for me.

neal

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

german rubber?

german rubber?