Herald/Vitesse Hood to Door Window seals

[garyf]

Ever since the completion of the rebuild of my Vitesse back in 2006 I've never been completely happy with the seal between the side windows and the Hood frame?

I've used new original style Aluminium channels, with the proper profile new seals, but found it impossible to get the profile of the window to match exactly with the seal to provide a water/draught resistant seal no mater how much I try and adjust the hood frame?

Has anybody else tried to fit any different seals of a larger profile to the aluminium channels?

Surely Modern cars like the MX5, MGF & Z3/4 BMW's don't have this problem!

Anyone fitted alternative seals which do what they are supposed to and keep the draughts/water out?

It would be nice to travel in a bit more comfort with the roof up, as it looks like the chances of hood down motoring this year are going to be limited! :B

[MarkB]

When rebuilding my Vitesse and aligning the front and rear tubs along with the doors I had the hood frame fitted as there are so many variables to get the window to fit the hood frame correctly. Door alignment and height is crucial as well as having the correct door rubber fitted. The first two sets I bought that most triumph places sell are to thick. Replacing the Quarter light  channel felt helped to hold the window tight when fully raised. It's a lot of p-ss balling about but you can get a reasonable seal in the end, I wouldn't say water tight though.

Mark

[bxbodger]

The body fitting manual for dealers, which I can't remember the name of but someone else will, refers to placing packing between the hood frame and the channels to bring them closer to the glass for a better fit. This is probably going to be your best option. Recheck the hood frame fit, get that as close as you can on the B post and header rail adjustment first, then if it still isn't right remove the sections of seal with a poor fit, peel the hood back, pack them, reglue the hood, fit seals- probably not as easy as it sounds and something I need to do too at some point!

[Elma fud]

It's really only in the last 10 years or so that car manufacturers have been able to make a watertight convertible, when l worked for Aston Martin on the DB9 convertible we did a lot of work to make it waterproof with seal profiles and door glass that raise into the seal when you close the door and drop down when you open the door.
A Herald/Vitesse was built with a token effort at reducing the ingress of water, and really with all the worn joints and hard seals it's going to be almost impossible to get the glass to make 100% contact with the glass.
I'm going to replace everything to try and get to a factory fresh condition new door seals, glass runners, and hood seals and then try and improve it from there :-/
One thing check the tub spread, measure the distance between the top of the B pillars as the tub can open out with age and this will effect the fit off the glass against the seal, can't remember the dimension but one one on here will know ;)

[garyf]

I suppose the packing out of the seal retainers is an option, it's where the window curves where I have a gap, its worse on the pasenger side, I don't want the window hitting the aly channel when i shut the door though ??)

I don't think the actual profile of the original seal helps, they could do with being larger and circular in section I reckon, like some of the reproduction door seals that clip on the bulkheads to seal the main frame of the door?

If you could get seals that fit in to the aly channel like the standard type, but of a larger circular profile then you don't have to get the window lined up with the hood frame exactly?

I've look on the Web for alternate seals, but no one seems to manufacture a suitable larger circular section seal which will clip into the aly channel :(

Never had chance to study an MX5, MGF or BMW Z3/Z4 to see how they seal the windows to the hood?  



  

[Elma fud]

Yer the herald seal is too small and the rubber to hard for the glass to depress, modern door seals for convertibles have a large bubble for NVH whidh is soft and a lip for water control and quite large rubber moulded seals at the top of the A and Billars.
The other problem with just a bubble is that with movement of the body the water is able to leak through the joint between the glass and seal :-/

[garyf]

I was thinking of one of the circular profile seals that are hollow, if I can get one about 25-30mm diameter that will fit into the channel then it should be big enough to compress and also be big enough to give some movement but stay compressed against the window when you get the inevitable Herald/Vitesse Chassis flex ;D

I suppose I need to keep trawling the Internet, maybe E-bay might provide a solution ;)

Either that or a walk round a scapyard with a section of the aly channel to see if I can find something off a car that fits the channel :-/  

[garyf]

Ive had a quick look ay my Sis's friends Early MX5, the seals seem to be a similar shape and they look like they fit into similar Aly Channels :)

Anyone tried the MX5 Seals on a Herald/Viteese?