Anyone know where to buy new chrome strips that go in the windshield gasket on a Gen 1 Brat? Mine's looking pretty nasty.

 

I'm hoping that if the real stuff isn't available, that someone might know of replacement that will work from some other application.

 

Thanks!

 

-Ben

Best bet is to get the chrome molding from a later Gen 2 Subaru. The later stuff is actually metal backed with plastic, unlike the earlier 'plastic chrome'. It does require some trimming to fit but looks great and does not deteriorate like the original plastic.

 

I should add this information is something I read on SUBARU3's vintage Subaru website many years ago and not an original idea of mine! However once you trim the ends the fit is perfect.

Edited January 17, 201016 yr by Leeroy
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Thanks for the tip! Now the search starts :-)

 

-Ben

Post your results! I'll be looking soon too.

I'm not having much luck and am thinking about prying out the strips to see if I can get them made. Perhaps just a strip of stainless? Curved a bit?

 

I'm a bit hesitant to do it, though, because even though they look pretty ratty, they're better than nothing and I doubt they would go back in.

I was talking to my glass man about the stripping around the window and he told me he would push the window and rubber out then take the stripping out so not to damage it.

Sorry for the hijack, but have you had a gen1 windscreen seal changed in NZ?

 

Mine is pretty perished, wondering who does it and what they cost as the price I saw for seal alone was like $250 or so.

Sorry for the hijack, but have you had a gen1 windscreen seal changed in NZ?

 

Mine is pretty perished, wondering who does it and what they cost as the price I saw for seal alone was like $250 or so.

 

 

Whoa dude! I still have a few from our group buy where we had them manufactured NEW not too long ago. You'll also see some guy on eBay with them but he refuses to say when they were produced...:-\

 

Contact me and I'll work one your way. Not many left and I'll need around $75 USD plus shipping.

 

As for install it's REALLY a lot easier than you'd think. I'll walk you thru that too if nobody else does beforehand.

 

 

Also sorry for the re-hijack

 

Bump!

Whoa dude! I still have a few from our group buy where we had them manufactured NEW not too long ago. You'll also see some guy on eBay with them but he refuses to say when they were produced...:-\

 

Contact me and I'll work one your way. Not many left and I'll need around $75 USD plus shipping.

 

As for install it's REALLY a lot easier than you'd think. I'll walk you thru that too if nobody else does beforehand.

 

 

Also sorry for the re-hijack

 

Bump!

 

Hey dude if you buy one maybe we could get two sent out and save on postage?

Whoa dude! I still have a few from our group buy where we had them manufactured NEW not too long ago. You'll also see some guy on eBay with them but he refuses to say when they were produced...:-\

 

Contact me and I'll work one your way. Not many left and I'll need around $75 USD plus shipping.

 

As for install it's REALLY a lot easier than you'd think. I'll walk you thru that too if nobody else does beforehand.

 

 

Also sorry for the re-hijack

 

 

I was just looking into having some made from stainless steel, but would much rather ride the coattails of a group buy. I PM'd you for details. Sounds great.

 

BTW, I'm also looking into having the chrome molding for on top of the tail gate reproduced. Any group buys on that floating around :-)

 

Thanks,

 

-Ben

Ben,I have a few gaskets,no insert strips.

 

Have to fly,talk soon ...

My gasket is in really good shape -- replaced it about 10 years ago when it was starting to crack and they were still readily available locally.

 

Anyone interested in a group buy for chrome and/or stainless for the inserts? I'm going to poke around in the coming weeks to see if I can find someone who can make a set at a reasonable price.

 

-Ben

i'd gladly go for a set.....i have nothing....just empty windshield rubber(that moosens so nicely sold to me)

Life and the recession got in the way of my fun. BUT, I finally was able to make some progress on this.

 

I got some Gen2 stainless/chrome that Brat82 so nicely sold me (NOT easy to find in So Cal). While the concept of putting them into a Gen1 is a good one, the results are a decent compromise at best. Here's why:

 

1. The side vertical pieces work pretty darned well. They don't quite have the curve that the Gen1's have, but with a little trimming, I was able to get them in quite nicely using a 2-inch wide plastic putty knife. They look great.

 

2. The bottom, horizontal piece is significantly longer than the original and the curve is different enough that I could not get the metal into my gasket without some dimpling in the first 8 inches of metal on both ends. Also, the curves that fit the original gasket best are on the far ends. In other words, to minimize the dimpling, I had to trim to length by cutting a piece out of the middle of the piece and leave a seam. This is an OK compromise for now, but but I'd still like to get something better eventually.

 

3. The top horizontal piece is not long enough to fill the space at the top of a Gen 1 windshield gasket. If you had two Gen2 bottom pieces, you could probably trim one to fit fine, but I had a heck of a time finding one set, let alone 2. For now, I'll probably live with my old plastic piece as it was the only original piece that was still in OK shape.

 

So, hopefully, I'll be able to resurrect the idea of making some new pieces out of stainless sometime. For now, it looks far better than it did, which is great. BTW, the gauge of the Gen2 metal is very, very thin. If I were to make some, I'd beef up the gauge a bit.

 

-Ben

Edited August 30, 201015 yr by bendecker