boot rubber profile

[renegadealfa]

Hi,

I have a 1960 series 1 1720,  how can I confirm the correct profile for my boot lid rubber seal, I think there are low and high profile, the current rubber seems to be to high and pushes the lid up.

Thanks

[McAnnik]

    This request comes under the heading of "Ill fitting rubbers.Ohhh! the pain."  See my previous post's on this drawn out topic. You will have to trawl through many back pages to find them,try the  search engine for starters!  If your present boot seal appears to be too snug, ie: difficult to close boot lid without a lot of pressure then you need to try the next size under. Dunno where you got your current seal from but it is most likely cut from a generic roll that some Alfa Parts Suppliers insist on sending to purchasers. It does appear that there is a difference in some body dimensions regarding boot lid closure gaps. "One size fits all" is  not applicable here!  I suggest you take a sample of your boot seal to "Clark Rubber" and check on their extruded rubber sample board (they should have one!)  and buy about  3 metres of the next size down. They do have available a very "short " profile which is quite likely a bit too "short" but it looks good even if it does'nt seal all that well. Actually, a little pressure on boot lid closure can be a good thing! At least the lid will open when you pull the string! The lid "springs' are most likely stuffed so some springy rubber can be to advantage here!.................................................Cheers.

[colcol]

I would like to endorse everything McAnnik said, if you can't find a suitable rubber at Clark Rubber, try a restoration shop, in Melbourne we have Bill Thomson Auto Rubbers in Bayswater, Rare Spares in Roxburough Park and Bayswater and the Purple Pig, [not a massage parlour], but does rubber products, [no really its not a massage parlour], in Brisbane, just find the Queensland version of these places.
When you find a suitable rubber, thats a bit smaller than your current one, put a bit of packing strap between the bootlid and the rubber when closed and see if you can pull the packing strap tape to see how tight the rubber is, use the latch at the end of the boot to set the tightness at the back of the boot and use the adjustment on the hinges to set the tightness at the front of the boot. that is the up and down adjustment.
When you think you have it about right apply some talcum powder to the rubber seal to lubricate it so that the bootlid slides over the seal easier, and as the months go on, the bootlid will crush the rubber to match the contour of the bootlid, then do another check with the packing strap tape to see if it is still tight when the rubber gets crushed, Colin.

[McAnnik]

  Col, your comments are correct,however there is another Resto rubber Supplier that wasn't mentioned. That is Scott's Old Auto Rubber Supplies in Oakleigh, they have an on line website, same name, with extensive catalog,including Alfa suitable window baily channels and window scraper rubbers, and / or original  furry felt style. Gotta mention these people, they support a small scale industry and without them life would be all the more difficult for us as known Alfa outlets cannot always supply the correct item,relying in some cases on just supplying anything thats close enough,but never fits in a fit! ''Ohhhhh the pain"was not voiced in jest!!... Well! it was actually! (Col knows what I'm talking about!)..................................

[renegadealfa]

Thank you gents, appreciate your notes.