Restoring the rubber seals and trims on a classic car can be a difficult challenge. The sealing profiles are often badly damaged, or in a lot of cases, completely missing. This can complicate the restoration process as you are left guessing at what rubber seal you need to purchase to create a reliable watertight seal. It is often a case of purchasing a sealing profile that is a close match to the current section, rather than searching for an exact replica which is no longer in manufacture.
We had the pleasure of helping Paulies Garage with the supply of various seals and trims for their Citroen Super DS21 restoration. The Citroen DS21 Super is an iconic French luxury car, renowned for its design and technology when it was first introduced in the 1960s. With its sleek aerodynamic body and powerful engine it remains a highly celebrated model among classic car enthusiasts.
This restoration included replacing the sealing profiles on the doors, boot and various other hidden parts on the vehicle. Although the parts we supplied would have been slightly different to the profiles included on the car when it was first manufactured, Paulies Garage were good at looking for the ‘next best case option’ and trailing a range of alternative products that would work as a suitable replacement.
The doors were fitted with a rubber P section that comprised of a long flange and a compressible sealing bulb. The flange was mechanically secured onto the body of the car using big headed rivets to stop the fixing pulling through the 2.6mm thick rubber. When the door is closed the top part of the P compresses to create a reliable watertight seal. Looking at the photographs provided by the restoration garage, the profile was fitted to act as a secondary seal in support of the primary seal at the bottom of the door.
We also supplied Paulies Garage with an edge trim that covered the edges of the metal sill protector at the bottom of each door. This created a smooth finish that protected the edge of the 1.6mm sheet metal. The restoration garage decided to use a small edge trim which could be bent around tight radiuses, as seen in the corners and at the top of the sill protector.
In a similar manner to the doors, the boot also needed sealing. Paulies Garage used a range of automotive boot seals with the aim of creating a watertight seal when the boot is closed. Unlike most vehicles that only require one type profile, we can see that the restoration garage used a top seal on the sides and a side seal at the top of the boot. It looks like Paulies Garage were presented with a vertical flange on the side and a horizontal flange on the top, so needed to use edge trims with sealing bulbs in different positions. This is uncommon with modern vehicles but anything goes for older classic cars, such as this Citroen manufactured in the 1960s.
Whilst replacing the rubber seals and trims on older vehicles often takes an out-of-the-box solution, Seals Direct are a leading supplier of over 700 rubber sealing profiles that can be used for automotive applications. Our extensive stock and combined technical experience allows us to find a sealing solution for most vehicle restoration projects. Speak to our technical team via phone on 01425 617722 or via email at sales@sealsplusdirect.co.uk for expert advice and support.