I found the link for treating weatherstripping on Georgia Fiero Club..but I might be alittle lost on what they mean by castor oil... because all I can find is the phamaceutial stuff that clears zits and grows hair. Is that the right stuff to use or am I completely wrong. Also Anybody have any other lubricating treatments they use on their weatherstripping that swells it and prolongs life? (<<crucial since you cant really find t-top weatherstripping anymore)

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1988 Pontiac Fiero Gt (has every option available from that year including factory leather, 5-speed, and the rare T-Tops: Black w/ gray interior and blk wheels)
1992 GMC Typhoon #0203
1971Chevorlet Corvette 454cu/ LS5/ 4-speed/ convertible
1993 BMW 850 Ci 6-speed V-12

Just wipe on silicone spray with a rag. Been doing it for years with great results. I normally do it spring and fall. May not give much swelling to the seals though as other treatments bt will keep the seals nice.

Never have used castor oil for weatherstripping. My whole life I have always treated weatherstripping with spraycan silicone. This protects the WS from hardening, cracking, and oxidation. Silicone will not swell the WS, but it works wonderfully to extend its life against the elements.

Caster Oil is a type of oil that is more oil for people than for cars. Not saying you can’t use it as you want just that you’ll need to look in Walgreens or CVS instead of AutoZone. Think internal lube, not motor lube.
Edit to add..
http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/c...tion=jump&navCount=3

[This message has been edited by DLCLK87GT (edited 12-28-2011).]

Today castor oil is remembered mostly for its medicimal uses. A hundred years ago it was added to aviation fuels to lubricate the two stroke aircraft engines.

That is why the early pilots wore a long scarf. It was to keep the castor oil from getting in their nose and mouth. Because if it did, they would have to make a quick trip to the outhouse when they landed.

Gummi Pflege. Look this up on your google machine. I bought some after hearing BMW owners rave about it and it does work great. I will try to get some before and after pictures up in the next day or so.

Oh thats why they wore scarfs... I thought it was because they were cold up there lol

...and one more thing anybody actually try this on their weatherstripping? I know the georgia fiero guy swears buy this

quote Originally posted by Kevin87FieroGT: Just wipe on silicone spray with a rag. Been doing it for years with great results. I normally do it spring and fall. May not give much swelling to the seals though as other treatments bt will keep the seals nice.

This is what I do as well.
Also on winter vehicles it keeps the weatherstripping from freezing to eachother and thats how people end up with broken door handles.

Always used black magic thick silicone on mine and have had great luck... perfect for dashes to keep them supple too

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Rescued & resuscitated 1984 Indy Fiero SE Pace Car Replica #770 presently reversibly modified!
SE: Stormtrooper Edition


Everything is the Previous owners fault

http://www.303products.com/...space-protectant.cfm
I believe this to be the best product on the market but I have to confess I never get around to using anything on my cars (plus I don't have the money anyway).
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Custom Fiberglass Parts

quote Originally posted by 2.5: Also on winter vehicles it keeps the weatherstripping from freezing to eachother and thats how people end up with broken door handles.

I dont really have the freezing problem since I live in southeast Florida lol but I do have wind noise and water leaks

[This message has been edited by gmctyphoon1992 (edited 12-28-2011).]

The 303 product is great. But simple KMart spray silicone works just as well. We used to spray all the rubber seals around doors and windows, trunks, etc with it on new vans and RVs as part of the delivery prep. Also if you have freezing temps, spray it into the outside door and trunk locks to keep them from icing up from being wet.

The use of Castor Oil is discussed in several locations on the Georgia Fiero website. There are 2 mentions of it in the forum, and there's an article on the home page Tech Tips section. That came from this forum with permission. Since I became aware of the Simple Green/Castor Oil method, that's what I've used and I'm very happy with it. I haven't followed the recommendation of a monthly application, but it's something I regularly do in the summer. I haven't noticed any ill effects to the seals.

Silicone products work well to repel water and dirt, but can be a real problem. Never never spray them in the engine compartment of a vehicle that has a catalytic converter. A small amount may not be harmful, but regular treatment of rubber engine compartment components can destroy the converter.

Other discussions on this forum are: http://www.fierosearch.com/...0oil&Action=DoSearch

Best pictures I could get with my phone. My weatherstripping was already in good shape, but after using the stuff, it does seem more pliable, soft and has a darker color. The pictures don't show as big of a difference as what I can see in person. I should also mention I spent about 3 mins on this project because it's 25 in my garage!

Before:


After:

[This message has been edited by brownc00 (edited 12-28-2011).]

Your right about spraying anything on engines. With all the critical sensors these days, anything on them can cause all kinds of problems. I never spray anything on engine, i spray a rag and wipe it on things like hoses and ducts.

alright bought the castor oil from CVS for 5.49..(seems like a rip off but well see). ill post pics tomorrow when I finish

If you woman is prego Castor oil works wonders on sliding that kid out on time. Family tested!

quote Originally posted by gmctyphoon1992: alright bought the castor oil from CVS for 5.49..(seems like a rip off but well see). ill post pics tomorrow when I finish

I tried it on my sun roof seal and didn't like the results. It has a tendency to be sticky and will harden a bit if allowed to dry out. I've gone back to regular silicone treatments.

Honestly I just tried it following the steps at the Georgia Fiero Website... and I saw ok results at first..After about a day or so though my weatherstripping swelled up and my car is much quieter now on the road... I cant wait for the raining months to see if it stopped the usual T-Top leak and door leaks... I did see some stickyness and wetness in some areas but i applied it very liberal so I expected alittle bit of that... Otherwise im going to apply another very light coat this time to make sure I didnt miss spots. The weatherstripping much more pliable now but I understand the excess is annoying cause it gets all over the car.. I Mean ALL over lol..A simple wipe and wash to the outside and it will go away.

If your seal was really dried out, apply it about once a week for 3-4 weeks, then just once a month. If the car's inside and warm, the excess wipes off much easier. Be sure to use the Simple Green to clean it as dirt builds up over time.

Well I didnt have simple green but regular soap was said to be ok from a local weatherstripping expert.. but yea I had to clean it a few times before I could finally get it clean.. rreally dirty lol..I figured it would take a few more coats also gonna probably do what you said for a few months

i have used silicon brake lube. it does great, and is thick enough to not get on paint (the body shop guys wont let us have spray silicon)

Just something to think about if you have any ladies getting in your car. The castor oil remains on the rubber and if she wipes her clothes across it, it can get stained. Silicone wont stain even if its on the seat itself.

That's why I use it only on my sunroof. If she's hanging out the sunroof, she doesn't have clothes on

I've used both successfully. I can say this though, the silicone spray is faster, but with the castor oil, you wipe it on with a finger and you can feel the condition of the rubber as you go. It helps early detection of deteriorating rubber.

If you use a clean cloth after applying the castor oil, maybe a 1/2 hour after, you can wipe off the excess and there won't be a staining problem.

The additional issue is relative cost. A small bottle of castor oil will last a long long time and there is very little wastage.

Also, when you spray silicone next to paint, some overspray goes on the paint and if you know anything about painting a car, it is hard to get silicone out of a paint job.

Arn