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Old 08-11-2006, 11:16 AM   #1
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Car: 1995 Formula
Engine: LT1
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Metro T-Top Seals

Not wanting to go broke buying GM replacement t-top seals, I bought a set from 1a Auto on eBay. The seals are manufactured by Metro Moulded Rubber.

I found the material to be of good quality. The rubber is soft and supple. The molded rubber ends are shaped as the originals, and fit well in their respective corners.

The seals were of the proper length, I did not have extra material bunching up, nor did I have so little that I had to stretch the stuff piano-wire tight to make it go the distance around the t-top area.

My only concern was with the plastic reinforced corner attachments that exist at the outside front and rear of the seal strip, right where the t-top adjustment pieces are. The front one was slightly less wide than the original, although not by enough to matter. However, the rear plastic piece was noticeably undersized, and this prevented the seal from being properly held in place in that area because the plastic portion did not fit snugly into the metal u-shaped bracket where it is supposed to be inserted. I do not believe that the overall fit was greatly affected, but I did find it to be an annoyance.

Here is a pic that shows the difference in size of this piece on the Metro part (on the left) and the original GM seal (on the right)


For me, it was the right choice to get these seals at a significant savings over the GM pieces. But, be aware of the above issue if you are making a purchase and want only 100% identical-to-original seals.
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Old 08-27-2006, 09:56 AM   #2
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Thanks for the info Bull, Ima check into that.
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Old 08-27-2006, 11:17 AM   #3
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You are very welcome.

You know, looking at the pic I posted, it also seems as though the Metro seals is a bit narrower than the original.

Either way, my t-tops no longer leak, and I saved quite a bit of money, so what more could I ask for?
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Old 08-27-2006, 11:28 AM   #4
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Old 08-27-2006, 11:50 AM   #5
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Wow, that's a lot of money to drop, but it seems like you get just about every seal possible for your car, which is pretty awesome. I'm sure if you bought all those pieces individually, it'd cost more than that price.

100% positive feedback, too.

Let us know how it works if you go with that...I'd be curious to know how the SoffSeal stuff is compared to the Metro that I used.
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Old 08-27-2006, 12:11 PM   #6
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Ya its a lot, but it covers everything. from trunk to hood, even window sills and door triangles.
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Old 08-29-2006, 02:43 PM   #7
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How old are those stock seals you have there Bull? Mine are still original in my 90 iroc. They are starting to leak a bit in the rear of the left t-top but only if its raining real hard. I can still give her a bath if I need to without gettin water in there.
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Old 08-29-2006, 03:10 PM   #8
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I have no way of telling for sure, but I think that the seals I replaced were original to the car...so fourteen years old.

You might be able to buy yourself some time by adjusting your t-top so that it compresses the old gasket more, slowing or stopping the leak. You can also try to apply some dielectric grease to the seals and hope that helps them to seal to the glass better.
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Old 08-29-2006, 04:37 PM   #9
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Great info! I might have to end up buying new seals for my 89 Formula. The guy I bought it off of replaced all the seals and said that none leaked I got a good shower the 1st time I took it to a car wash.
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Old 09-16-2006, 11:02 PM   #10
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Rain and a pressured car wash are two completly different things
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Old 09-16-2006, 11:02 PM
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