Coupe door seal

[p5andrew]

Happily, all work to fit a replacement subframe is now complete and I just need to set the tracking to finish the job. Attention is now turning to other tasks, the next thing being to fit new door seals.  As most will know, there is a choice of supplier; Wadhams or Scott’s Old Rubber.  I have used Wadhams seals in the past but found they needed a lot of fettling.  I would be interested to hear opinions, particularly if anyone can offer comparisons.  Any thoughts?

[lagain]

I used Scotts, but they are a compromise as they are not specific to the P5.
It took me about 10 hours on each door as I fiddled to get them right.
My doors have never been off, but without rubber the gap between door and frame varies by as much as an inch and it has taken 4 or 5 years for them to bed in and the doors to close like they used to.
The doors close easier if the window is down.

[enigmas]

Well, you've certainly managed to seal your coupe effectively George if you have to open the windows slightly.

Inhibiting air leaks between the doors and the apertures they close into is an incredibly time consuming task on a P5 coupe. I also use Scott's seals as he's local to me.

A test I like to use to confirm acceptable sealing around the perimeter of the doors is to cut strips of A4 printer paper lengthways, then insert them into various positions around the closed door to gauge resistance withdrawing them. Some pieces withdraw with no resistance at all. An area like this exists on my coupe's front doors at the front lower radius where the A pillar joins the top of the sill panel. It's about a 4 to 5 inch section and for the present I've fitted a small section of rubber bubble seal. Modern bubble type seals are much more effective in sealing large gaps than the solid rubber seals and also offer less resistance on door closure.

[MK IA Norway Viking]

Can you send us pix of the bubble type seal you use, for I should think nearly EVERY owner of a P5 is struggling with the door seal. It's annoying to have road and wind noise in an otherwise very well insulated cabin. Thank you !

[enigmas]

Norway Viking...my P5 coupe use Scott's repro P5 seal kits exclusively. My 1958 ZB MG Magnette uses the bubble type seals rather than the OEM solid composition rubber type seals as they are a direct fit on the door apertures.

With my P5 coupe it is only the small sections of the lower front door (as outlined in the previous comment) that the gap is excessive. These are the two areas that I'm experimenting with various seal configurations to irradicate the gap.

[dorchester]

I was told that David Green can provide good door seals fit for our coupés coming from Australia.

[MK IA Norway Viking]

Very interesting and thanks for sharing. 

I have the Saloon and the principal difference is that the seals are mounted ON THE DOOR while on your car the seals are mounted on the body itself (as the arrangement is on many modern cars).

I use the solid rubbers that Jon Wadhams is supplying and these are largely fine except there are places where air and road noise enter the cabin. This is what I am trying to eliminate. 

I was thinking the bubble type seal could be useful to this end.

Any proposals and recommendations will be most appreciated.

[Steed]

It's the gluing I wouldn't relish!

[Steed]

I'm more concerned with keeping the dreaded rainwater out!!

[lagain]

Thanks, enigmas,
The first time I washed her, she got a puddle on the seat, I was very fed up, so I did what you suggest, but with a length of ribbon, then when I went to the auto jumble at Buelieu I found a stall selling just lengths of rubber.
I bought what I thought would work and then spent some time fitting it. In places I had to stick rubber onto rubber and I also stuck lengths onto the window frames to close the gap between frame and body. It has made her quieter and only a purist would notice it.
I am not into concourse type competitions, I just like to enjoy my car.

[p5andrew]

Many thanks everybody for your thoughts. 

I think I will give Scott’s seals a try. It’s just a shame that economy of scale makes production of original pattern seals uneconomic.  I remember the original seals to my mk3 coupe were quite a soft sponge type and both easier to fit and more effective.  

[enigmas]

Apr 26, 2024 19:40:21 GMT lagain said:

Thanks, enigmas,
The first time I washed her, she got a puddle on the seat, I was very fed up, so I did what you suggest, but with a length of ribbon, then when I went to the auto jumble at Buelieu I found a stall selling just lengths of rubber.
I bought what I thought would work and then spent some time fitting it. In places I had to stick rubber onto rubber and I also stuck lengths onto the window frames to close the gap between frame and body. It has made her quieter and only a purist would notice it.
I am not into concourse type competitions, I just like to enjoy my car.

The gap variations on panels and doors really does indicate that P5s were largely hand fettled cars from the Rover Factory George. Silencing the air leaks and the noise created by the gaps takes considerable time to correct but is well worth the effort. In my view, a quiet car with regard to wind noise is preferable and more enjoyable over long distance trips even if a few non factory seal placements upsets the purists. The enjoyment of using my coupe is what it is all about for me.
~ Vince 😎 👍

[lagain]

Quite agree 👍

[p5andrew]

Sounds like a good plan Vince.  In a previous life I was a working musician and used to repair and service wind instruments to help supplement my income.  A standard technique when checking the seating of pads in woodwind instruments is to use narrow strips of cigarette paper - the only difference between P5 coupe doors and musical instruments being the obvious one of scale!  I still have a few packs of papers about the place left over from those days.