7 replies to this topic

[crazirob]

I have had the pickup back for a while now and am struggling a bit, the doors shut and sit fine with no seal in and they are Mk 1 doors I have tried the original sharp seals from Minispeed but forced the doors at the b pillar end to poke out loads, now tried a different seal from pheonix as recommended by MR padmore and the same problem is occurring, is there a way to adjust the doors on a Mk 1 ? Am u doing so thing wrong ? I have tried moving the door shuts back in the b pillar and still doesn't sit right bit worried I've spent all this money and the doors look crap with seals on .......

Will post up photos once uploaded

[crazirob]

Passenger side door



Drivers door



Any help would be great thanks

[dklawson]

It has been years since I put seals on my doors and I do remember having this type of problem.  However, my problem was localized at the bottom rear corners, not along the entire vertical rear edge of the door.

 

The seal I used had the original "V" profile.  My fix may seem a bit of a bodge but it has been working for a decade.  Again... my car's issue was only at the bottom rear.  I took the seal in the bottom rear corner and razor cut it from the bottom, outside into the "V".  That left the V attached only at the top towards the passenger compartment.  Now when I close the door, rather than asking the V to collapse like you were pushing down on the top of a tent, it is like pushing down on a cantilevered spring.  The V collapses and moves downward.  It provides an adequate seal and still looks original.  When the door is open you cannot tell the seal has been cut.

 

Acquaintances of mine have used a couple of other methods.  Some use brute force to bend the door into alignment (again... bottom corner issues, not entire trailing edge).  Others have had some luck using cork cutters to make small holes along the bottom edge of the seal (where I made my razor cuts).  They say the small holes let the trapped air in the seal out.  I don't know how successful that really is.

 

If you push on the door near the latch will it move in further?  If so, perhaps altering the striker plate mounting holes on the car body would allow you to move the door further "in" when closing.

 

Sorry I cannot offer more specifics.  I did not have quite the same gap issue that your car is experiencing.  

[Daz1968]

A bit late now but I fitted my doors with the seals when trial fitting and welding a panels on as I have had this issue before, another thing that may help you is if you could locate some original door seals as they will be compressed more and the correct profile, I have been warned about the new seals and a few people I know have had issues. I am refitting original ones as they are still in good condition.
Also maybe bend the flange back on the body so the seal sits further back, but you could crack the paint if not careful.
Hope you sort it easily as the finish on the car looks very good.

[bmt216a]

I recently had the same problem with mine as I replaced the door frame a panel seals etc. Ended up bending the lip which the door seal slots in, now the door fits near perfect.

Wish I lined the doors up with the seal on before welding commenced. Will know for future ref now.

[mk1leg]

they will fit it just takes time for the seals to settle as the new rubber is hard........have you tried moving the checp plate in tighter.........it took about 3 years for my mk1 to settle......

[crazirob]

Yeh I have tried moving the check plate in tighter and still the resistance is massive, I am not using a v shaped seal either I'm using a M shaped one so collapeses easily

[corrado vr6]

I had this issue when I first did mine with new seals, now after a year from the resto the doors shut flush and positively without doing anything but using the doors and I guess bedding the new seals in