68442Convertible

The underside of the pinchweld on my convertible has putty that is haphazardly applied. Leaves a stripe on the top that is visible when the top is lowered. The putty under the pinchweld doesn't really seal the pinchweld, so I am not sure why it is there. Maybe as a partial seal against the top, or to protect the top from metal edges?

If I keep the putty there, I need to add some to make the edge more uniform. What should I use?

My Fisher Body manual says the pinchweld should be sealed with tape (vs putty), but I have no sign of any tape. Should I remove the putty and apply tape? Anybody know what kind of tape and where to buy it?

Modern convertibles have rubber weatherstripping around the opening so the top sort of seals against this when it is up. Seems like a good idea, but not sure how to get a piece of generic weatherstripping to stick and stay in place. Has anyone upgraded to this, and if so how did you do it?

Another possibility is remove the putty, clean, and apply a modern material like a caulking, sealant, silicone, etc. Something that gets firm and will stay put.

68442Convertible

I finally took everything apart, removed the 50 year old putty with a plastic scrapper, and cleaned the residue. There are some small gaps in the pinchweld, and I think the putty was suppose to seal these gaps. Much of the pinchweld does not have a visible gap - the two pieces of metal are touching, sealed with paint, etc. 99% of the putty was under the lip, and I'm not sure what function it served.

TripDeuces

Show us pics of what you are talking about.

rcorrigan5

Interesting. I have a '68 convertible (Lansing car) and a '69 convertible (Fremont car). I had the pinch welds on both completely off when we did the restoration. I don't recall seeing any kind of putty or sealant under or near the pinch weld on either car.

Randy C.

68442Convertible

Here is a pic of a piece of the removed putty. I think I am going to seal the pinch weld with brush on Plastidip. Also put some under the lip where most of the putty was applied. My car was also built in Lansing.

schlitzguzzler1

I am right there with my 65
it looks like the same tape that they wrap the wiring harnesses with. Kinda like a real thin duct tape

cherokeepeople

that is called friction tape .

68442Convertible

Finally - someone has tape.

cherokeepeople

well as i told dan.friction tape really only wants to stick to itself.and if it is in contact with the top it might leave a residue on it.i was kinda wondering about upholstery tape,but alot of that is 2 sided.

68442Convertible

I wound up brushing on several coats of Plastidip to reseal the pinchweld and cover any metal edges. Seems very durable, but was tedious to apply without dripping and making a mess. It does dry hard and doesn't stick to the top.

A good house sealant in a tube with a caulking gun would be faster - although the one I like best (OSI Quad) is so sticky that it makes its own kind of a mess.