Soft top seal repair

[DABgp]

Is this repairable or would a new a complete new soft top be required?

[Megwenda]

That doesn't look like the soft top itself, but rather the header rail seal. This seal goes all the way around from right side to left side.

I have just bought one from Paul Matty sports cars, and it cost me £254.- .
See my post 4 down from this one asking which header rail seal for m100 1991

I haven't got round to fitting it yet, but i understand it is not difficult.

Regards
Dave

[DABgp]

That doesn't look like the soft top itself, but rather the header rail seal. This seal goes all the way around from right side to left side.

I have just bought one from Paul Matty sports cars, and it cost me £254.- .
See my post 4 down from this one asking which header rail seal for m100 1991

I haven't got round to fitting it yet, but i understand it is not difficult.

Regards
Dave

Thanks Dave.
I'm probably being a bit dim here, because I don't yet own an Elan. This is a potential purchase. How are these seals fitted. Is it a sewing job or are they attached to the metal work of the hood frame?

[Rice crispy]

They are attached to the metalwork, if you can look inside you will see how

[Megwenda]

Hi

As lansledj says, it is attached to the metalwork, and held on by a few screws and a bit of glue.

Get yourself access (if you haven't already) to the Manuals section of this site.

Then download the Service Manual (V6) pdf)

On pages 65-66 it gives detailed instructions on how to remove and replace this seal

Regards
Dave

[Andy_J]

That header seal looks too bad to fix, so would need replacement. This can be done without replacing the entire soft top. Looks like the A post seal is in a bad way at the top

[Pascal]

Hello from France,

to my opinion, those rare spares are really too expensive for a piece of foam.
I have reshaped mine ( but was not so injured) using black silicon paste as a glue and a filler. It is not perfect but it works.
At least, i repaired for 5 GBP, if is does not last years, it is not an issue.

If you want to try, do in two steps :
1° 'close the crack' , glue as much as you can the remaining foam to have a functional shape, to do so, use PAPER adhesive tape upon the foam/silicon glue.
The reason for paper is that silicon solvant may disolve a plastic tape and make the next step more difficult (or try on before).

2° shape with a sharp 'new blade' cutter, to achieve an acceptable part

3° complete the shape with the silicon, less is better than too much, put just what is needed.
finish shaping with your wet finger.
Do in two steps if uneasy.

Don't expect perfect finish but at least it makes the job to enjoy the car soon.
I did 'black silicon shaping' on other seal (doors and Hood).

Pascal

[Fredjohn]

Salut Pascal

Any photos of repaired seal?

Merci

[DABgp]

Salut Pascal

Any photos of repaired seal?

Merci

I was going to ask the same!

[Rice crispy]

You can use cling film to mould the sikaflex to shape and leave it on till it sets which means no mess on your hands.

[Jeemy]

I picked up a little pack of a product called Sugru the other day. I cannot put the packet to hand but according to the website:

sugru is designed to stick to as many other materials as possible. It forms a strong bond to aluminium, steel, ceramics, glass, wood and other materials including some plastics like perspex and ABS and rubbers like silicone and butyl rubber.

It works like modelling clay, and cures like, well, things that cure.

So when activated, it is adhesive, seems to reject finger grease, and is malleable, to what extent, I do not know.

When finished, it is apparently watertight and strong, and very heat- and elements- resistant. Think the rubber seal between a trainers or walking boots' fabric toe, and rubber toe surround.

I have kept the perished pieces that were ready to fall off my seals - I just pulled them off. I hope to use a mixture of Sugru and Sikaflex to stick them back together, rebuild them and fill gaps.

My plan was to use either Sikaflex or this Sugru stuff to rebuild the seals where necessary and then find some kind of latex paint, abrade the seals a little and paint them over with black latex to finish them.

My window leak is 50% of the way up the drivers' A-pillar. This ignores all the other leaks of course, they have other causes and I am on them.

So the seal needs built up at the area where it does not seal properly. I either plan to use Sugru to build up the area in a thin layer by rolling a small piece out with a rolling pin, applying it and then shaving the excess with a razor blade, or to rub sikaflex on with a latex-gloved finger over a period of days to build it up bit by bit, using the latex paint (if such a thing exists) to finish the area cosmetically.]

The difficulty with me is not the repair, I am sure that can be done in a functional way, its the overcoat to give the whole thing aesthetic consistency. Latex paint is not something I've found, acrylic latex paint exists but its bonding capabilities are what concerns me. I think a tack coat of PVA followed by an acrylic latex will be the way to go but this is early days and assumptions just now.

Of course when I get round to it results will be on my rebuild thread.

[DABgp]

That doesn't look like the soft top itself, but rather the header rail seal. This seal goes all the way around from right side to left side.

I have just bought one from Paul Matty sports cars, and it cost me £254.- .
See my post 4 down from this one asking which header rail seal for m100 1991

Regards
Dave

I've just phoned Paul Matty and they don't have them for the S2, which are different. Other than trying the repair ideas suggested above, does anyone know of another source?

[Rice crispy]

could try DVB douglas valley breakers. Stevestrange on eBay

[Pascal]

Hello,
herewith some picts of reparations with black silicon, i agree that it is not perfect but it works for a few GBP, i shall take time to make better work in winter, now i drive under the sun.

Note that i had to mould both door corners, and also the the ''lips , they were completely off.

Surprisingly; it looks better in truth than on picture. I think it is because the silicon is a bit transparent with the flash and it gives this dusty look, in reality it is satin black and looks correct.

I also repaired the Hood belts, i shall open a topic with a picture soon

repair.jpg

.

Pascal