What door seals are you all using?

[busben]

I'm really struggling with door seals for my bus projects here in the UK and wondered what everyone was using. I've usually used the thicker, sturdier foam rubber ones available from places like WW, Schofields, Machine 7, etc, but they really are too hard compared to the original rubbers that VW used. They do look correct, except that they supply the same profile for every part of the door surround.

An alternate supplier in the UK, MonkeyDub, supplies much better fitting seals with hollow centres; but they do not look anything like the original VW items.

Are the US guys still using WCM seals in their buses as per this old thread on the split buses forum?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197414

Anyone got any good recommendations for me?

Thanks a lot.
Ben

[Fast Eddie]

Ben,
I recently struggled with the same problem trying to figure out door seals for my 50 bus.
I like the size and color of the West coast Metric seals but the rubber is to hard, especially when used on the cargo doors. Plus the profile of the West Coast Metric front door seals is not correct for early buses.

The current Wolfsburg West Rubber has the right softness, but is not wide enough and the rounded profile is a bummer. I tried installing the WW seals with the square profile facing out but because the seals are not the correct width it looked and fit horrible. In the end for now I installed the WW seals. Once there installed they look alright. I included a picture of pieces of the WW seals to show the profile and a picture of them installed.

[busben]

Thanks a lot for this post Ed. Really helpful and I think I’m going to give these a try myself.

All the best

Ben

[djfordmanjack]

Ben, jfyi. I am using foamband made from natural rubber, it is water repelling and is available from industrial hardware stores specializing in rubber and plastics. you can get it in every mm thickness and every other mm widht cut. The stuff is cheap and very correct in softness. it also sets easier than all the hard repro stuff. unfortunately it is dark gray and doesn't have the smooth light grey look like the original. But for me I'd rather sacrifice in looks than having to slam and bend those original metal doors. We all know how annoying the fit on cargo doors can get, especially with the flimsy Barndoor cargo doors.
I really HATE the repro foam seals. How is it possible that nobody can come up with a proper material. You would think they would be able to sell 1000s of meters of the correct stuff.

here's how it looks on my34 Ford doors. it is self adhesive.

_________________
Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !

52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, custom color Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior

[busben]

I totally agree. Near every other rare part is available repro these days, but no decent seals for the 1000’s of buses out there on the road. I’ve looked into seals from generic classic car parts suppliers, but found nothing better than the various vw stockists. And yes, trying to shut my Barndoor cargo doors is annoying every time .........

[Fast Eddie]

I also agree. Every bus whether undergoing restoration, preservation or used as a daily driver, needs new door seals. It's baffling to think with all of today's modern equipment that we can't reproduce parts as good or better then what was manufactured 50-70 years ago for a reasonable cost. I wish I had the time to pursue making them. Hopefully someone will take up the challenge. I'll take four complete sets

[chthemonkey]

after a little look online I found this https://www.letuautomotive.com/extruded-rubber/rectangular-foam-rubber-seals/
they seem to have loads of sizes

[RockStock]

Is anyone ok with buying Chinese at the moment?

It is really strange how none of the VW suppliers sell a cock-on door/decklid seal
_________________
-StockRocks-

[EA57RHD]

I purchased some NOS door seal years ago. It is quite different then the stuff being produced today.

_________________
----VW's in my garage----
March 1959 Mango Standard
November 1958 Single Cab
********WANTED********
Whittier Lee Wood VW dealer license plate frame

[Fast Eddie]

Not sure how the rest of you think, but for me the details you can't see are just as important as the ones you can see. I think because generally you don't see the door seals that we the Volkswagen community has just accepted what is being sold.
I'm sure the cost to manufacture seals like the originals, especially the molded cargo doors seals (See pics) would be expensive. It would be interesting to hear from anyone that has ever look into having better stuff made and what the estimated costs to have better seals made would be. Hey Bob at BBT or Tony at WW you guys up for a challenge.

[Lowdown Dirty Rat]

Florian is going to want them spot on for his 51 Samba so maybe he will start selling them?
_________________
1951 Samba 20-017894
1952 Samba 20-028952

[Huetti_1989]

any update on good Quality door seals?

i have only one strip of a Repro seal that is soft enough that it could work, and reverse installed it not looks that bad but i could´t remember from what Manufaktur i bought it....

-Christian

_________________
My 1957 semaphore Single Cab:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=605363&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
MY 1967 Sparsamba:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=757182
My 1954 Deutsche Bundespost Barndoor:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=621802
My 1961 SO34 Flipseat Westfalia:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=716285
My 1991 Westfalia California:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=650751