EDIT: Post edited in this thread to clean it up once I figured everything out.

I'm putting this here since replacing weatherstripping is probably most akin to part of a restoration.

Looking to do all new seals on a car with factory GM T-tops. The best source of part numbers and exploded diagrams to date I've found to be www.gmpartsgiant.com. You can search by VIN and pull everything up for your car, and see the corresponding exploded diagrams. You can even buy parts through them (though I have no experience doing so, I went through resellers or GM Parts Direct [Flow Chevrolet]). Usually the site above doesn't have the first two part numbers (replaced by asterisks), but usually going to Google and typing in "GM XX123456 thirdgen" can get you the part number you need if you substitute 10, 14, or 20 for the first two Xs (possibly some others but these seem to be most common). So if you don't know the first two digits, just try a couple different searches and you should be able to pull search results up, which is how I verified the parts I was looking at were correct. Hopefully this thread will pop up in Google now for other people as well. Compnine has exploded diagrams, but is 100% worthless for part numbers, so www.gmpartsgiant.com wins this hands-down.

So I'm looking at a lot of weatherstripping, and when I started this thread I just wanted to know if all of it was identical from all years Camaro/Firebird 1982-1992 as is often advertised by sellers (for factory T-top cars), or if there were different variations used throughout the years/models that I needed to watch out for.

Upper door weather stripping, R/L, respective PNs 20350900/20350901:

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...herstripr.aspx

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...herstripl.aspx

Lower door weatherstripping, R or L (not side specific, thus same part number, PN 10125220)

Outer window sweeps, R/L, PNs 10124264/10124265:

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...eltstripr.aspx

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...eltstripl.aspx

T-top Body Mount, R/L, PNs 10198208/10198209:

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...herstripr.aspx

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...herstripl.aspx

T-Top, R or L (side not specific, thus same part number, PN 10165500):

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...fthet-top.aspx

Rear Hatch (10212939):

http://moderndaymuscle.com/inc/sdetail/890

Cowl Seal (14019217):

http://moderndaymuscle.com/inc/sdetail/891

--So I wanted to make sure that all of these would be correct for a 90 Camaro, and that all of these seals are correct (not just work, but actually correct) for my model, or if there were differences to watch out for. Turns out in my case that they were all correct, and generally, according to GM Parts Giant, most of these pieces will work across a few years in the later cars. I believe all pieces will work in all cars '82-'92, but in terms of correctness, you will need to run your VIN and verify what is correct for your car.

 

I did not look at all of the links or the part numbers but thought I'd answer a few questions.

First off, the White Book does not provide part numbers. It only provides specific year model information on options, colors, quantities and a few other details pertinant to the model year you're looking at.

As for the rest of the questions, there were a differences in the years for a few of these weatherstripping options. At one point, the TTop weatherstripping was changed to include an internal drain. I believe this was implemented in 1989 or 1990. I have been told by some that ordering GM weatherstripping today will get you the newer style with that integrated drain. I replaced my WS a couple years back and was able to get hold of the older style which is correct for 1987.

Also, the drip rail that hangs on the edge of the ttop itself changed from a rubber piece to a hard plastic. Again, not sure when this happened, but it was after 1989 also. All of these parts will work for 1982-1992 models, but may not be exactly as the original style was on the car when new.

 

GM went through a process where they redesigned the weatherstripping to fix customer leak complaints. A set of late T-tops from my old Firebird wouldn't fit into my 87 Iroc because of the change. The early t-tops would almost fit the later car with some force but the weatherstripping wasn't too close.

The solution is easy enough. But an entire matched set and be done with it. The later style is better about not leaking.

 

Honestly, I would recommend the GM kit if you can find it or Afford it. The OER stuff is not too bad, but it is not the quality of the GM... However OER had gotten vastly better the last time I looked at it at a show than the first time I ran across it...

John

 

Great, this is exactly the kind of info I was looking for;

From what I found, though I can't verify 100%, the drip rails changed from rubber to plastic in 1991--possibly mid-year, given the long production run of 1991 due to a half year for 1990.

I couldn't get any concrete info on the internal drain; Gm Parts Giant shows that the T-Top body mount weatherstripping, RH/LH 10198208/10198209 was used from years '82-'90. However, it is broken into three parts on the site; '82-'88, '88, and '89-'90. I was certain this must have meant that, as Scott mentioned, one version was without the internal drain, and the other was the later revision with the internal drain, but that it was a "silent update" in which they used the same part number. I searched high and low, called around, and emailed people who carried this weather stripping to ask if theirs had an internal drain or not, and nobody had a clue what I was talking about. I explained to Hawk's that I had reason to believe there were two versions under the same part number, and they just told me give them my VIN and that the above parts were correct; they didn't seem to understand that there were possibly two versions under the same part number, or that all I wanted them to do was take 30 seconds and look at the pieces they have to tell me if they see a drain hole or not. So unfortunately, I have no idea if there ever was a drain hole or not, or if it was ever under this part number. Perhaps it wasn't added until the drip rails were changed to plastic, in which case I then have no idea why PNs 10198208/10198209 are broken into three sections by year on Gm Parts Giant's website. All I know for now is that according to all sources, the above part numbers apply to all '82-'90 cars and are correct. I was really hoping to document the internal drain issue if such a drain does exist, but nobody understood that I just wanted them to take a look at the actual weather stripping they were selling. perhaps someone here with original weather stripping can take a look at where the T-Top seal butts against the body mount seal and see if there's a drain hole--I'm overseas and away from my car so I cannot. I get into this in post #11, but I was never able to confirm when the difference, if any, was made.

I believe now that this happened in 1991, along with the change from rubber to plastic for the drip rails. This is key, make sure that the T-Top seals match the body mount seals for your year--don't mix years just to be safe.

The GM kit has long been discontinued and is impossible to find, PN 10164133. However, if you do find it, be careful if you are looking for correctness--I've heard it is of the last style made for third gens, which would be 1991-1992, which may be completely different from all of the PNs in my OP. The metal retainers in later years are also believed to be different than in earlier years. I tried to verify the individual part number components for the full GM kit since it has its own part number just so we could know exactly which pieces were in the GM kit for documentation purposes, but nobody seemed to be concerned with which pieces they had, as long as they had the whole kit. This of course supports what Drew said--get a matching kit.

 

If you look through the TSB's and recalls, GM was messing with leaky t-tops all the way to the end of production. I want to say the last version was developed in 91.

 

Do you by chance know if the body mount T-top weatherstripping with the drain hole has a different part number from the earlier, non-drain version, or was this a "silent" revision?

At times I wish my car was a '92, it'd be a lot easier to tell what's correct...'90 is particularly difficult, being the cross-over year for several major components, let alone the smaller stuff like this weather stripping.

Also, aside from the body mount T-top stripping, and the drip rails changing to plastic, were any other known changes to the weatherstripping throughout production?

 

The angle of the joints where the body rubber meets the top rubber is different from early-late cars.

The shop manual doesn't contain any part numbers. P&I catalogs only contain old and largely obsolete part numbers. They also tend to be very expensive.

 

In what way? The body mount pieces are heavily angle cut (45* or thereabouts) where they meet the removable T-top pieces.

 

The angle is different... I've never measured either setup, but the angle is several degrees different. Hence, get a matched set of seals and it's not a problem.

 

I may have made some headway on determining the proper T-top body mount weatherstripping, and the appropriate seals for the T-tops themselves as well:

http://www.gmpartsgiant.com/Page_Pro...exID=1F1230401

Look down at Key #7, the first one with part number 10198208 (note it's the same 8208 in my OP). It says:

WEATHERSTRIP LIFT OFF PNL OPG ON BODY-RH (1982-88)

However, look down at the third listing under Key #7, same part number:

WEATHERSTRIP RF LIFT OFF WDO BODY SI, (1989-1990)

You'll also note similar entries for the LH side, part number 10198209 (same 8209 as in my OP).

The two descriptions given just look to me like two different descriptions of the same part, the body mounted T-top strip (verified by the exploded diagrams under the "get info" button at the top of the listing).

So what am I looking at here? Looks to me like the weatherstripping was the same for 82-90, with a possible change (internal drain?) coming in 1989, as Scott said. However it looks like it was a "silent update", in that the part number remained the same.

So what I'm gleaning from this is that all cars 1989+ came with the internal drain, but the part number did not change. And, given the availability of the weather stripping, it would make sense to be the later, improved, drain version, the one actually correct for an '89+ car.

Does that sound accurate?

 

Putting this in a separate post to keep things separate and clear.

In regards to the actual T-top seals, look at key #29--it lists part number 10165500, the same 5500 in my OP.

So it looks to me like the 5500 T-top seals are the matching ones for the 8208/8209 body mount weather stripping, for all cars with GM T-tops, 82-90. And thus, there must be a separate redesign for 1991, perhaps with the changed angles as Drew mentioned.

I do not know what "SI" stands for though.

So in summary:

--Cars can be broken into two classifications for T-top weather stripping: 1982-1990, and 1991-1992.
--All cars 1982-1990 use the identical T-top strip on the removable T-top, PN 10165500.
--All cars 1982-1988 used T-top body mount pieces 10198208/10198209.
--All cars 1989-1990 used T-top body mount pieces 10198208/10198209, but there may have been a change made in 1989, but the newer pieces can be used on all 1982-1990 cars.
--1991-1992 cars likely different all around (did not research).
--Drip rails changed to plastic in 1991, probably mid-year.

 

Additionally, the door weather stripping, PN 20350900/20350901 are showing as correct for '88-'91, as are the lower door weather stripping pieces, 10125220, and the outer window sweeps, 10124264/10124265.

*These above may apply to other years as well, but on that website they are listed as correct for at least '88-'91.

EDIT: Also came up with PNs for the cowl seal and the rear hatch. FTR, the cowl seal number PN I edited into my OP is only for '89-'90, and the rear hatch is only for '87-'90. Again, I'm sure all the parts will work with all years, and in terms of correctness, those in this post may not be comprehensive, but they are believed to be correct for at least the years listed. They may be correct for other years, searching by your VIN will help you verify this.

 

Nice post, I'll be ordering a full set of weatherstripping soon for mine. I'll keep this post in mind. Thanks!

 

Actually Scott--If memory serves me right, my body mount weatherstripping has a small hole smack dab at the top corner of the A-pillar, right where the T-top would seal/butt to it...is this the internal drain?

 

Well, I got it all figured out and ordered it all just now. I was able to get a complete set of weatherstripping, except for one lousy driver's side NOS drip rail, but I have a lead that I think will follow through successfully. Everything I ordered is correct for my car. I was actually able to track down a pair of metal retainers as well from dealers, luckily one for each side, the apparent last of either in the country. One was five minutes from my dad's house in Minnesota and was dropped off the same day I ordered it, the other was in Maryland.

I ordered:

Body Mount T-Top Weather Stripping, RH/LH: 10198208/10198209 (still available as of 01/2011)

T-Top Weather Stripping (same for both sides): 10165500 (still available)

T-Top Metal Retainers, RH/LH: 20623610/20623611 (DISCONTINUED)

T-Top Drip Rail, RH: 10198352 (DISCONTINUED)

Outer Door Window Sweeps, RH/LH: 10124264/10124265 (DISCONTINUED)

Door Weather Stripping (Upper/Main), RH/LH: 20350900/20350901 (still available)

Door Weather Stripping (Lower/Auxiliary, same for both sides): 10125220 (still available)

Hatch Seal: 10212939 (still available)

Cowl Seal: 14019217 (still available)

Hurt the heck out of the wallet, but it feels really good, assuming all the parts are indeed available to fill my order. Most of the parts are still officially available as of the time of this post, but more than likely they won't be for much longer so waiting any longer now is playing with fire. It'll be a while until I get them since I went through GM Parts Direct and every piece is a special order, but that's ok...I've got plenty of time. I'm just hoping they do in fact have everything I ordered, and that it all comes correct and in GM boxes as it should. I realize GM Parts Direct is slow, I just hope they are accurate.

If the other drip rail pans out, and everything above, I'll have everything I wanted.

Car'll be a beaut' when she's done.

EDIT: Also bought a seal to go around the windshield awhile back, PN 10103279

Can't think of any other pieces of weatherstripping other than the side window triangles (don't need) and the inner window sweeps, but those to me seem like interior trim more than weatherstripping. Other than those two pieces and the driver's drip rail, AFAIK I have every major piece on order.

EDIT 2: Went through and edited each post with the knowledge as I have it now, in a best-effort attempt to document. Hopefully this helps someone in the future.