Got mine yesterday as well, will leave feedback soon. Just wanted to let everyone know these things look great and are really showing up on our doorsteps, so get in on these seals while you can!
Ok, let me be the first to post pictures of Will's GT seal. It fits perfectly. At first I was wondering about the fit but then realized I had to press it into place. My old seal was so sloppy it just slide on with no effort. (and thus not a great seal either.) This is a winner guys.
This is my ratty patched up seal.
The new seal in place.
View from the passenger side.
View from the driver side and showing the fit around the latch.
If you need a new GT seal it's time to step up and and order it from Will. Larry
------------------ "Life is short. Drink the good wine first"
[This message has been edited by Larryh86GT (edited 05-01-2010).]
Question on above pictures with new seal installed: Are you sure you installed the seal correctly, by stretching lengths so they aren't in compression ? Reason for question is that it doesn't appear that the corners are going there correct position, meaning they are being pulled inboard. From your photo's, either the individual lengths are too short, or installation needs to be readdressed.
The seal is installed correctly. I just went and rechecked it. No stretching or compression. It is tight to the steel lip all the way around and in tight to all 4 corners. Again: a perfect fit.
Larry
[This message has been edited by Larryh86GT (edited 05-01-2010).]
Question on above pictures with new seal installed: Are you sure you installed the seal correctly, by stretching lengths so they aren't in compression ? Reason for question is that it doesn't appear that the corners are going there correct position, meaning they are being pulled inboard. From your photo's, either the individual lengths are too short, or installation needs to be readdressed.
in the last picture is the corner coming apart or not ???
With 3 bonding agents, 2 of which that are heat cured, the only way that corner is coming apart is in a tug-of-war and even then the rubber will fail before the joint will.
Judging from the pictures, it looks like it fits exactly the way my NOS one does. Thanks for taking on this project and seeing it through until the end.
I mark the seals for correct installation. The red sticker is on the short (engine side).
Looking good Larry
\/\/
I truly admire the efforts of people making reproduction parts, I mean that. However I do want to understand what I'm getting in advance, please explain the difference shown in the below picture:
Full photo of Factory Seal to show all corner fully in position:
[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 05-01-2010).]
Interesting comparison. You might notice how the factory seal was seated on Larry's car, which is nearly identical to the new seals shape. Maybe the problem isn't the seal, but more likely the shape of his trunk lip? My car current car (the one in the video) doesn't look like Larry's either but it isn't as square as your example which fits exceptionally square (very nice BTW).
You can see his OEM seal fits just as badly. No offense Larry, I like your car, just for the record.
quote
Originally posted by Larryh86GT:
This is my ratty patched up seal.
If you look at the green circles I have added to cali kids image below, you can see on Larry's GT that the bottom edge of the seal starts riding right up against the part of the fastback clip that bends up towards the decklid and tail lights. In the pic on the right, the yellow GT, in the green circle you can see there is a near 1/4 inch gap that runs the entire length of the bottom edge of the seal.
On Larry's, if the seal is pulling too much towards the back of the car and up the clip as it appears to be, that could account for why the corners are pulling in to the trunk area and away from the sides of clip where it should be making a nice flush and straight seal.
The reproduction seal in his video doesn't seem to have the issue from what I can tell and it looks like the bottom edge in the vid isn't riding up the back of the fastback clip either. you can see the near 1/4 inch gap as it should be.
[This message has been edited by FieroMonkey (edited 05-02-2010).]
Thanks for the replies, appears to be a "body issue" from the comments made. I know you can stretch or compress a few millimeters on installation, his car seems to have variations beyond that limit.
You can see his OEM seal fits just as badly. No offense Larry, I like your car, just for the record.
Hey no offense taken. I know my GT was involved in a collision back in 1992 according to Carfax. I suspect it was rearended. The old seal never fit on properly and I never noticed the distortion or had another GT to compare it to. I would never had posted my pictures had I known it as I wouldn't wish any harm to Will's project. Even with my distorted trunk the seal fits all the way around and into the corners and it looks a world better than my old seal. Maybe someone who has the new seal and a square trunk opening would post a picture of it and put the issue to rest.
Larry (my GT's been beaten and rode hard but I still lover her)
Hey no offense taken. I know my GT was involved in a collision back in 1992 according to Carfax. I suspect it was rearended. The old seal never fit on properly and I never noticed the distortion or had another GT to compare it to. I would never had posted my pictures had I known it as I wouldn't wish any harm to Will's project. Even with my distorted trunk the seal fits all the way around and into the corners and it looks a world better than my old seal. Maybe someone who has the new seal and a square trunk opening would post a picture of it and put the issue to rest.
Larry (my GT's been beaten and rode hard but I still lover her)
It should be a relatively easy fix, if you want to that is. Sounds like it isn't a major issue really since the seal does it's job and is really only a minor alignment issue anyways. I think the upper metal edge is what the seal hooks onto and if I recall it is relatively easy to bend and shape the trunk metal there. It could probably be bent or pried in towards the trunk pretty easily.
I have owned a few Fieros, and most of them had been tapped in one place or another. Over the 20+ years these cars have been on the road it is a miracle when you find one that hasn't at least been bumped at one point. Good thing these are so many parts out there to straighten them out again. Yours looks good to me!
Given that there are so many "crooked" body panels out there I am wondering if it might be prudent to look at modifying my tooling. It "might" be possible to make the outer flange a few mm longer (it is already long than stock) but I really hate to mess with somerhing that is finally correct. Each tooling set is $4k+ and it will likely not make that big of a difference.
I'll look into it for the next extrusion run (won't be for several months) but no promises.
\/\/
[This message has been edited by infinitewill (edited 05-02-2010).]
Here is the installation sequence I use when installing the seal:
- Seat corner 1 through 4 first, making sure they are fully seated, sometimes requires a lot of force, take care not to damage seal bulb.
- Seat short legs, start at center, push on toward each corner
- Seat long legs, start at center, push toward each corner as numbered on illustration below:
I remove my seal just about every time the car goes into the shop so that it doesn't get damaged (it's an easy thing to lean on when working in the engine compartment, and the seal bulb doesn't like too much force pushed against it (reason for bulb tears). This method has always given me a great fit the first time, without having to do it over. It's kinda like torquing a cylinder head down properly.
I haven't seen any thing yet, can you give me an idea of when mine might be shipped?
Thanks,
Scott,
Check your email. I just sent your the tracking information from the USPS web site. It shows they attempted to deliver your seals last Thusrday and left notice on your door (the package is insured). I also just left a message on your voice mail as there was no answer at the number your PM'd me.
My old 86 (oem) seal fit much better than the one on my 88 does.....the 88 looks like the pics above in which the seal doesn't appear to reach the plastic body panels. It also leaks like a sieve........and I can find NO evidence the car has ever been hit hard enough to move any panels........soooo.....
I got mine, either the post office put the delivery notice in the wrong box here (They like to deliver our mail to different addresses - maybe they think it helps us socialize), or the daughter lost it when she got the mail. Thanks for the reply Will. I plan on installing one tomorrow on my 88.
Got mine last week, looks great, will install sometime in the future. maybe I'll actually get to it this summer. Thanks again, Will, for seeing this thing through!
