Fender Skirt Seals
- Thread starter Patrick brophy
- Start date
paul2748
Well-known member
Last edited:
Patrick brophy
Senior Member
Sorry Zuburg, I have been away for a few days.
First, I don't think the contact cement type adhesive is what you should be using. You will find that there is going to be many adjustments before you are through. You will need a adhesive that will allow that ,at least for a short time. I was told to use 3M 08115 panel bonding adhesive. It is a two part adhesive that requires a mixing tip,(disposable).
Start in the middle.
When you do these ,you need to take your time and use small clamps. The clamps can be as small as the clamps you use foe attaching 15-20 pieces of paper. Do small sections at a time, have a few q-tips to use to adjust the glue bead.
When you do the glue up, you want the bead of the seal to just nudge the edge of the skirt. You will find the in the middle of the skirt there is not much skirt to work with. That will help you adjust where you are as far a the bead to edge.
Your photos only show the back top of the skirt, but it looks correct. Just keep the front round bead flush with the edge.
You need to keep in mind that when you are finished ,you will need to install the skirt. The new rubber is larger then the old compressed junk that you took off. It will be a little tougher to put on now. I know you wanted to hear that.
First, I don't think the contact cement type adhesive is what you should be using. You will find that there is going to be many adjustments before you are through. You will need a adhesive that will allow that ,at least for a short time. I was told to use 3M 08115 panel bonding adhesive. It is a two part adhesive that requires a mixing tip,(disposable).
Start in the middle.
When you do these ,you need to take your time and use small clamps. The clamps can be as small as the clamps you use foe attaching 15-20 pieces of paper. Do small sections at a time, have a few q-tips to use to adjust the glue bead.
When you do the glue up, you want the bead of the seal to just nudge the edge of the skirt. You will find the in the middle of the skirt there is not much skirt to work with. That will help you adjust where you are as far a the bead to edge.
Your photos only show the back top of the skirt, but it looks correct. Just keep the front round bead flush with the edge.
You need to keep in mind that when you are finished ,you will need to install the skirt. The new rubber is larger then the old compressed junk that you took off. It will be a little tougher to put on now. I know you wanted to hear that.
KULTULZ
Well-known member
Let me guess, a fast turn to Paulsboro for an Italian Meatloaf dinner?
I surely miss S. JERSEY ...
Patrick brophy
Senior Member
Let me guess, a fast turn to Paulsboro for an Italian Meatloaf dinner?
I surely miss S. JERSEY ...
I wish. Man I do miss the food.From the Pizza, Steaks, Italian Ristorante's, Hell ,right on down to the Hot Dogs. Nothing better than a ripper.
Here, I got Walmart.............
KULTULZ
Well-known member
Have you tried any RAJUN CAJUN yet? You're near Mobile, right?
I think the hot dog is a lost art. Crazy for corn dogs ...
zuburg
Senior Member
Thanks. Any suggestions on how the wide section at each end bend to follow the curve of the skirt? It’s like a compound curve. First the curve from the thin part of the seal that follows the edge to the end of the skirt and the need to curve the wide part of the seal 90* to fit the curve of the body of the skirt. Hope that makes sense.
Patrick brophy
Senior Member
The seals that I used were fairly soft and pliable. I just started in the middle and worked outwards. When I got to the wide ends I just started with the outside edge and got that straight, and then worked the inside wide part . It followed pretty easy.
My seals appeared to be a little short, not by much but it was noticeable. I cheated to the rear of the skirt ,as there is a ,at least on mine, a chrome stone deflector in the front that would hide the front edge of the skirt.
My seals appeared to be a little short, not by much but it was noticeable. I cheated to the rear of the skirt ,as there is a ,at least on mine, a chrome stone deflector in the front that would hide the front edge of the skirt.
I have owned several small thunderbirds for the past 50+ years and the fender skirt seals were all attached with staples. Since yours does not have the staple holes, I am guessing that you purchased or have new fender skirts never had the weatherstripping attached or the holes were filled in by the body shop when they were painted.
In any case, all the early Thunderbirds with skirts had black weatherstripping. The weatherstripping was never color matched to the paint, but I have seen some repaint jobs where they just painted the rubber too.
I would not use a two part epoxy to attach the weatherstripping as it will be difficult to remove once it hardens. I would use the black 3m weatherstripping adhesive. OR, purchase some staples and find an original skirt with the weatherstripping attached. using a small drill bit, you can start in the middle and work out to the edges and hand staple the weatherstripping onto the skirt. When I replace the weatherstripping on my cars, I remove the staples, and then reuse the holes and then hand bend the staples onto the skirts.
In any case, all the early Thunderbirds with skirts had black weatherstripping. The weatherstripping was never color matched to the paint, but I have seen some repaint jobs where they just painted the rubber too.
I would not use a two part epoxy to attach the weatherstripping as it will be difficult to remove once it hardens. I would use the black 3m weatherstripping adhesive. OR, purchase some staples and find an original skirt with the weatherstripping attached. using a small drill bit, you can start in the middle and work out to the edges and hand staple the weatherstripping onto the skirt. When I replace the weatherstripping on my cars, I remove the staples, and then reuse the holes and then hand bend the staples onto the skirts.
zuburg
Senior Member
I bought a tube of the 3M weatherstripping adhesive too. It appears to be contact adhesive where you apply to both surfaces and wait until it gets tacky, then connect the two pieces. Is this contact adhesive the kind where you get one chance to position the pieces? or do you have some time to adjust before it cures?
KULTULZ
Well-known member
dmsfrr
Well-known member
Example photos. Just to have a general idea of how these replacements fit.
Not an example of how it should be done, it was a quick & dirty rush job at the time.
This is the left / drivers side skirt. Photos 1 thru 3 are the front edge, 4 & 5 are at the rear.
If the release lever in #4 looks different than yours, it's from a '57, not the same as '55 & '56.
The lower end of the seal in #5 looks crooked. It does pucker a bit over the latch and was trimmed slightly around it. photos 4 and 5
In reality the seal below the release lever looks better than in the photo and is low enough on the car it's hard to see when installed.
Not an example of how it should be done, it was a quick & dirty rush job at the time.
This is the left / drivers side skirt. Photos 1 thru 3 are the front edge, 4 & 5 are at the rear.
If the release lever in #4 looks different than yours, it's from a '57, not the same as '55 & '56.
The lower end of the seal in #5 looks crooked. It does pucker a bit over the latch and was trimmed slightly around it. photos 4 and 5
In reality the seal below the release lever looks better than in the photo and is low enough on the car it's hard to see when installed.
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zuburg
Senior Member
Thanks, these pictures were very helpful. I did not notice the flap on the wide part that went over the edge of the skirt. Your seals look a little longer than mine, you even were able to trim the point off one end. Did you stretch the seal to get the extra length, or were your seals just naturally longer?
dmsfrr
Well-known member
I had to make a small cut on the back edge at the release lever, that was the only cutting. I don't remember trimming them for length, they could have been an inch or so longer. IIRC they came from Casco 5 or 6 years ago.
zuburg
Senior Member
Well, I got too impatient and wanted to glue the fender skirt seals on, but this hot weather (over 90*) the adhesive got tacky immediately making installation a real pain.
I’ve glued the top first and am planning to glue the ends next. I have done a dry fit using clips and clamps. I put the flap on the inside of the wide section over the inside edge of the skirt as shown in DMSFRR’s photos in post #36.
It looks great on the end with the stone deflector but doesn’t seem to reach the edge I expected it to reach on the other end. My first photo shows the end with the stone deflector. The second photo shows the other end with an arrow pointing to the edge I expected the seal to reach. Is the seal where it is supposed to be? If it needs to reach the edge at the arrow, I won’t be able to put the flap over the inside edge.
I’ve glued the top first and am planning to glue the ends next. I have done a dry fit using clips and clamps. I put the flap on the inside of the wide section over the inside edge of the skirt as shown in DMSFRR’s photos in post #36.
It looks great on the end with the stone deflector but doesn’t seem to reach the edge I expected it to reach on the other end. My first photo shows the end with the stone deflector. The second photo shows the other end with an arrow pointing to the edge I expected the seal to reach. Is the seal where it is supposed to be? If it needs to reach the edge at the arrow, I won’t be able to put the flap over the inside edge.
