Installing weatherstripping

It's been a few weeks now, but I installed the weatherstripping on the trunk lid and doors.  There are a few tricks to it that don't seem immediately obvious as first.

I used Carpenter Reproductions weather stripping that I ordered from CJ's.  My panels were off the car laying upside down when I installed.  I did a test first first, just a mock up to make sure the stripping was going to be the correct length.

The weather stripping has a mold releasing agent on it that can make it so it doesn't adhere to the adhesive well, so first clean the weatherstripping with wax and grease remover.  I've read that some people have had to scuff their weatherstripping with a red scotch brite to make it adhere better too.  Then scuff the surface on the car that the weatherstripping will be adhering to with a red scotchbrite, and clean the surface with wax and grease remover and let it flash off.

I used 3M Super Black Weatherstripping Adhesive, applying a light coat to the panel as well as the mounting surfaces of the weatherstripping and letting it set up for a few minutes  until it was tacky before setting the weatherstripping on the panel, working in sections a few feet long at a time.

A tip I discovered...the adhesive is like black rubber cement, it will be stringy and get on the panel, and it will squish out and get on the panel.  This can easily be removed by the sticky side of some masking tape...it just pulls it right off, providing the adhesive isn't fully set up and cured.

Some areas of the stripping, especially the corners, I had to tape down to hold it in place to make a good seal.  I let it cure overnight at least before messing with any of the panels or trying to mount.

One word of caution, be prepared for your doors to not close well or all the way initially.  Eventually the stripping will soften and collapse a bit, but in the meantime, I have raised the latch on the trunk and will lower it over time as the weatherstripping settles.  The doors take some effort to close, but I've been keeping them close to train the weatherstripping as well.

I have tape holding down the weatherstripping on the trunk lid.  The weatherstripping should butt together at the striker location.  Sitting looking at my trunk lid upside down and backwards, I realized after the fact that I made my butt joint at the front center of the trunk, thinking it was the back.  Oops, but not a big deal.  At least it won't be real visible this way.

Trunk weatherstripping is completed.

This weatherstripping fit well.  The top is both adhered and secured into plate with a small screw.