Looking for a "Seal of approval"

[mikeydude]

For some (long) time now I have been developing a set of modifications to the elans window seals. A few Norloggers and LECr's know about my work on this.

I have not made it public since I knew it would take ages to do and also new that projects can sometimes be misinterpreted by some misguided members (nice way of putting that I have had the piss taken out of me in the past for just trying to help).

Anyway,

The basic version is there to improve the look of worn and cracked seals by covering the damaged lip section of the A pillar with a rubber extrusion as opposed to the time honoured...bodge it with sikoflex technique. This was the easy bit. And it really does look quite nice...effectively new a pillar seals for five quid.

I took the same extrusion and glued it onto the A pillar seal upside down to form a gutter on the top and a slot at the bottom for the window to rise up into. This reduces wind noise and stops water leaking in at that point.

I then used the same extrusion to improve the effectiveness of the intermediate seal and the seal in front of this that is part of the seal that goes all the way around the front of the hood...I am sure it has a name shorter than this
This works quit well as it when finished it results in putting a bit of the rubber seal across the notorious leaking section where the intermediate seal joins with the falling seal and the front seal.

Then I sourced a more complex seal which is normally used as a compression door seal and push fits onto a metal strip.
for our use, it forms an inner gutter on the inside of the window and also a collection "bowl" at the top by spreading out the extrusion this collects water from the notorious area where the roof meets the window right at the front .
It then has a polypropolene tube glued onto the gutter at the other end to take the water that is collected by the bowl and gutter to the inside of the door hinge area , down to the bottom and out of the car!

I will do some pics eventually.

Now, unfortunately , after months of trying to find the right inside gutter extrusion, I have been told that it is no longer made. It was a UK make part. I only have a couple of sample metres of the stuff! I wish I was told at the time I bought it.

Anyway, there is a foreign made version..guess what..it's slightly different and stops the car door closing properly and tends push the extrusion off it's mounting on the A pillar.

So I am back to square one with this.

Back to the new side window seals. as you might guess, having slots in extrusions for the window to slide up in to necessitates the incorporation of a device that can remotely drop and lift the windows from the outside of the car.
I noticed posh cars do this automatically when you open the door!
I have managed to get the kit to do it from china for about 20 quid (maplin do one but it is twice this price).
I have tested it , but it has a limitation, the up and down operation is latching so it takes four button pushes of the remote to drop an lift the window into the extrusions...so that's still under development!

OK, I will probably do a kit for people eventually or just some instructions so people can do it themselves.

But one things for sure..every Elan seems slightly different, even different from one side of the car to the other in my case.

So these kits go out with no warranty, either on there effectiveness to stop rain OR there actual application to the car. you will just have to Fettle each one for your particular needs.

The full kits complete with a tube of sikaflex will cost in the region of 50 to 70 quid.


Right, I want to start one of those lists to find out if anyone is remotely interested....this is only an interest list so I can see if it's worth bothering with.

It's no big deal if no one takes it up as I am quite happy to keep it for myself...it has made my car much more water proof, and it has less wind noise....no more drippy wrist...

so, if you don't want soaking carpets and wet thighs this winter put your name down.

[HJ2]

Even without the pictures i admire the work you have put in to this!
You've got my attention, but i would like to see some pictures first

[racerstev]

I'm there!

1) Racerstev

[Nige]

Definitely interested. Good work and I appreciate the time and effort that will have gone into this. It would be particularly good on my NA which is back in use as an everyday drriver and has to sit outside all the time, the alternative is a bilge pump!

1) Racerstev
2) Nige
3) Nige

[Specky]

Mikey have you thought about contacting "Walker rubber" about the extrusions. They make the fellas to your spec and as you have a template, you might be on to a winner.

Failing that, you could purchase just the front lip spoiler.

TTFN

[steve matthews]

Yes, front lip spoiler like LGM's
Steve with rubber crap spoiler.

[mikeydude]

Thanks for the replies, it looks as though it might be worthwhile to carry on with this,

I am not sure what the reference to the front lip is about perhaps you guys could explain.

Thanks for the tip about the extrusion company, it could come in handy

It is a real pity about the other one though..the foreign one looks the same at a glance..but it is just not right for the job

[addict]

great work mike a picture tells 1000 words thou

[Specky]

Walker rubber made the front lip spoiler for the Elan. They make hundreds of parts to order, so they may more intrested in helping you than another company.

TTFN

[mikeydude]

cheers for that!

[bubblehead]

Nice work fella, i'm very intrested, hats off to your hard work .
Bubbles.

[mikeydude]

First bit of good weather we get I will take off the cover and take some pics.
The poor thing is outside at the moment due to the new conservatory being in the garage!

[niall]

1) Racerstev
2) Nige
3) Nige
4) Niall

[Andy_J]

1) Racerstev
2) Nige
3) Nige
4) Niall
5) Andy_J
6) Andy_J

[Elanlover]

Interested but not sure about the lowering and raising of the window part. Any creative ideas to eliminate this? Something that perhaps pushes the seal out at the bottom when the door is open (so the lip that rolls over the window is out of the way) that collapses when the door is closed? I dunno

[mikeydude]

Nice work fella, i'm very intrested, hats off to your hard work .
Bubbles.

Cheers for that....just hope it goes some way to solving the problems.

[mikeydude]

Interested but not sure about the lowering and raising of the window part. Any creative ideas to eliminate this? Something that perhaps pushes the seal out at the bottom when the door is open (so the lip that rolls over the window is out of the way) that collapses when the door is closed? I dunno

It's not as bad as it seems.
To open the door you just open as normal as the seal is so soft the window just flips out of it.

But when the door is subsequently closes the window sits on top of the new seals!!..its easy to do the passenger side you just drop and lift the window after your passenger has got out.

But the drivers door need this remote (in fact it goes on both window switches just in case you need to do both sides)

So that from outside the car you can the the window into the seal again.

If anyone can think of a way of getting the windows to drop by one inch when you open the doors then go back up when you close them then that would be ideal (this is how porsche deal with the problem).

[lotos]

I'd be interested too in this. My seals aren't terrible, but certainly not in tip-top shape. I doubt anyone's are perfect after all this time.

[Gazza]

If anyone can think of a way of getting the windows to drop by one inch when you open the doors then go back up when you close them then that would be ideal (this is how porsche deal with the problem).

TVR Cerbera is the same

[GeoffSmith]

Looking good Mike. Everything you need for the drop/lift function would apperar to be in the modules in the footwell. I suggest you want something like this (seperating the LH and RH door switches would only activate the door that was being opened):

Window drop-lift outline.pdf