Home from the paint shop and starting to install all the trim and such. Putting on new window felts (bought the good ones from the parts place ). The front ones on the doors no prob at all. The rear window ones do not have the same curve as the originals and may need shaping a little. Anyone have any experience with this? I thought maybe a small tube bender like used for forming brake and fuel lines might work. Thanks ahead for any info !

 

If they are that far off, that you can't form them a little as you put them on, I would call them and ask to return them for ones that fit better.

 

X2, you might need to send your old ones to them for a better match..this is a common problem it seems.

 

I wondered if anyone else had run into this problem. They are not that far off, just the radius of the curve at the back of the piece where the tab fits in. If I'm correct the tab has to go in first and work from back to front anchoring screws as you go?

 

May have sent you chevy felts. Do you have the old ones? If so snap a picture of the old & new then send to vendor. Parts place deals more with other GM modles. But give them a chance to remedy. I usually stick with the guys who have been in the Olds arena for many years with the specific parts...Fusick, Year One.

 

Oh I have no beef with parts place. They have done a great job so far on items for this car. Just thought it might be a mfg. issue. I'll send pics to them. Never thought about it being another GM make part by mistake. I'll check the tab on the box end also

 

Sounds like you got the "repops" brand - mine were like that.
I had to make some relief cuts (3-5) in the rubber covered metal strip that the screws go in to get the curve right. I have some details on my flickr site.
Do it carefully and make sure you do not cause a lot of tension on it so it bows away from the glass.

 

Personally, I would return them. When I ordered replacement felts for my '71 cutlass, I got them from OPGI.com and they fit perfectly, no bending or cutting required.

 

After further dry fitting and measuring they are also a full 1/4 " longer than the originals and stick out too far over the edge of the door jam. Gonna call this morning and return them. The bitch is I have already installed the ones on the door and got them perfectly lined up.The four pieces came in a set. Hope they don't want all four back

 

Finally had time to post pics. Could these be for a convertible?

 

I had the exact same problem, sent an original back to Fusick, they sent back a perfect fitting pair..

 

Those do not look convertiblish to me - mine were nothing like that.

 

I was half kidding about the convertible thing but how can those be sold as "Exact replacement for OEM". They're not even close to the originals.

 

I ask myself this same thing for almost every reproduction part I try to install...

 

Just wanted to make sure I posted the very positive way that Parts Place handled this. After sending them photos and description of the felts, they are sending replacement parts today. Thanks The Parts Place !

 

Did the replacements they sent you fit any better?

 

I'll never understand what these companies are thinking. What is the market for an incorrectly copied part? And how can they screw it up so well? You take a factory part and duplicate it. Seems like a no brainer. If you can't manufacture it to fit, don't make it. There's my rant.

 

I have questioned this so much I have given up. Apparently they do not employ real engineers...

 

I think there is a lack of engineers in China. They need to engineer the parts here and then have them made maybe.