Using mexican style seals but what about rear of hood??

Hi all,

As the title suggests the PO of my beetle has destroyed the seal retainer for the hood. I had planned to delete the seal retainer during the resto to prevent them rusting 🙂 However everywhere I have look says to use the original seal at the rear of the hood if I use the Mexican style seal elsewhere.... I really dont want to replace the seal retainer and buy two seals if I dont have to.... What have others done ????

Thanks in advance

Dane

I have mexican seal fitted but not top seal near window. So far no water has gotten in even in heavy rain and washing car. So i haven't worried about fitting one.

Sweet.... Another idea I had was to glue some compressible dense foam rubber along that lip. Do the Mexican seals stand out ???

No they dont stand out and they seal the hood better reducing airflow.

Giddyarp wrote:Sweet.... Another idea I had was to glue some compressible dense foam rubber along that lip. Do the Mexican seals stand out ???

That is what I did ant I think it came up well

They are good for getting rid of the rust problem. For me, that's where it stops. I don't like the look of them, they make the bonnet/decklid look heavy (thick, black edge) when up, and they get knocked where as the og seal doesn't so much as it's protected by the steel raised lip. As for better sealing.....I think wether it seals or not is down to the bonnet fitting correctly (body work at the front is a big portion of that). Without any seal at the rear edge of the bonnet, the rain gutter is very good at diverting water that gets by, but it can get overrun easily and you will let water in, you must be just lucky so far Damo 😉. A small stick on seal works here, I normally put it on the body like Bizzare, but my preference is to leave the og seal strip, just get the rust issues under control. 🙂

Giddyarp wrote:Hi all,

As the title suggests the PO of my beetle has destroyed the seal retainer for the hood. I had planned to delete the seal retainer during the resto to prevent them rusting 🙂 However everywhere I have look says to use the original seal at the rear of the hood if I use the Mexican style seal elsewhere.... I really dont want to replace the seal retainer and buy two seals if I dont have to.... What have others done ????

Thanks in advance

Dane

I have used them for many years and just have a flat piece of foam across the top edge of the bonnet.. and I've never had any water come in.

also use the Mexican seal on the engine lid too

LEE

Awesome thanks guys 🙂 I can understand the argument for keeping the OG seal. But this car is never going to be perfectly original...... I will get around to putting some pics up soon 🙂

You can buy the seal at clark rubber by the meter

Even better !!!!

Grippy and Spectrum do them as well

http://www.grippyrubber.com.au/page/industrial_extrusions.html

http://www.spectrumrubber.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2