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Melun Retro Passion windscreen / rear screen seals

angel

Enthusiast
Messages
2,439
Location
Athens, Greece
I ordered a pair of seals for windscreen and rear screen from Melun Retro Passion, type with groove for plastic chrome trim. Decided to fit the front windscreen first. Seal would not seat correctly at the bottom edge and corners to allow the rest of it to be fitted around the glass, no matter what I tried. Seems that both the groove for the glass was too tight, and the seal would not follow glass corners as it is not formed to shape but rather a profile cut to length and joined. I gave it another try and fitted the seal on the body aperture first, and then try to fit the windscreen, a technique commonly used with Mini windscreen and seal. No success, either.
Frustrated, I moved to rear screen believing that, being smaller it would be easier. I managed to fit the seal around the glass but it was obvious that it was not right: there was a large gap between glass and seal ath the inner side, and seal would not want to follow screen corners. Tried to fit it on the tailgate with a cord and of course it would not go in.
Then I remembered I had bought another rear screen seal from Melun some ten years ago, and got it out to compare it along the new one, and the seal that I removed from the car. Difference was more than obvious: "old" Melun seal was preformed to shape, and, more important, glass groove was much wider and smooth inside, while "new" one is very narrow, plus there are ridges on both sides of the groove.
Has anybody experienced this? Is this another poor refabrication (like loads of new parts) or am I doing something wrong?
 
Hi Angelos-
this seems to be the "norm" as near all things repro are made in the cheapest way possible and so leave the problem of fitment
to the buyer. PS: if your old seals isn't cracked -only dried out and hard as rock, do try to rub them in with ordinary Glycerine
(Glyceroleum/Glycerol) -same stuff they use when making marzipan-cakes and also in liquers (!) they will have the stuff at a well-
sorted bakery/confectionary-shop or at the chemists. small bottle will last 4ever. just dab a tiny rag or bit of sponge and gently
rub it into all kind of rubber parts to restore the shine and also to make them soft and pliable. Best part -when done it will stay
soft for a long time..(mine is on the 3rd.year and all good! I had a rear-seal that was dried to charcoal so no way to remove it with-
out destroying it or breaking the glass in the effort-so wiped it with Glycerine over a 2-3 days period (3-4 times a day) it was
then Easy to get the glass out and soften the seal and re-use it.
It is still nice and tight and do not leak at all... -Reid
 
Hi Angelos-
this seems to be the "norm" as near all things repro are made in the cheapest way possible and so leave the problem of fitment
to the buyer. PS: if your old seals isn't cracked -only dried out and hard as rock, do try to rub them in with ordinary Glycerine
(Glyceroleum/Glycerol) -same stuff they use when making marzipan-cakes and also in liquers (!) they will have the stuff at a well-
sorted bakery/confectionary-shop or at the chemists. small bottle will last 4ever. just dab a tiny rag or bit of sponge and gently
rub it into all kind of rubber parts to restore the shine and also to make them soft and pliable. Best part -when done it will stay
soft for a long time..(mine is on the 3rd.year and all good! I had a rear-seal that was dried to charcoal so no way to remove it with-
out destroying it or breaking the glass in the effort-so wiped it with Glycerine over a 2-3 days period (3-4 times a day) it was
then Easy to get the glass out and soften the seal and re-use it.
It is still nice and tight and do not leak at all... -Reid
This is great. I'll try to find some for the glass seals on all of my vehicles.
 
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