TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:58 am

nellie is our 66 westy. today we took her to the body guy for paint. while standing there and sizing up the job we decided to up the ante. we stripped her naked. we took everything out of the interior, all the glass is out (except the windshields, they have new seals), all the lights are out too. that is one solid bus. no real rot. she is going to be painted inside and out, all new seals. we even took the front doors apart to install new seals. my question is, where should be get the seals? we are willing to pay for quality.

kahuna in kanada

Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:28 am

If you have gone that far don't be a cheap ass and pull the windshields too.

For rubber go to Wolfsburg West or West Coast Metric.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:37 am

Agreed. Windshield seals are cheap and easy to install. Pull them and do it right the first time. I've been very happy with the rubber we've been using from Wolfsburg West. I like to get the german window seals (front and rear) with the pre-formed corners. It makes installing windows MUCH easier. I don't much care for West Coast Metric window rubber.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:44 pm

When I had to re-paint my bus because of too much orange peel, I had installed the windshields and rear window, with new seals, and, instead of removing them, I did this: I used a plastic knife to lift up the outside edge of the rubber seal, went around and scuffed it up with sandpaper, then poked in an electrical wire around the frame, thick enough so the outer edge of the seal was lifted up. By doing this, when I re-painted the body, the paint went on the window frame, beneath the seal, so there was no line of paint when it dried. Since your bus wasn't already painted, though, you might consider just removing the glass and seals so the whole window frame could be painted.
I've had good luck with both W.W. and West Coast Metric window seals.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:17 am

the windshield seals are less than a year old. will post some pics. ok, wolfsburg it is.

kahuna in kanada

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:49 am

When they do the windshields, tell them to rope the seals. There is a product that they can insert beneath the seal lips to lift them off the metal. That way the paint goes under them. If you don't do that, it's likely to peel.

Don't paint up against seals. It's not worth the crappy way they will look.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:52 am

notsobigkahuna wrote: the windshield seals are less than a year old. will post some pics. ok, wolfsburg it is.

kahuna in kanada so get a incomplete paint job to save 30$ a touch silly dont ya think

Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:14 pm

why are you painting such a soilid bus? is the og paint not in nice shape?
post some pics