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Can I expect better than this?


JSabah

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I’m usually a perfectionist but in this case I’m just beat and hope this is par for both a 40’s car and parts being made today, just so I don’t have to do this job again ?
 

I am putting my front doors back together and the part in question is the seal for the wing windows/ vents. It seems as though the rubber was not consistent along one edge and it will not seal. See below. (Also, if need be I’d probably be up for re-doing after a break- The winds are just out of my sails at the moment)

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Where'd you buy it?  I bought my first set at Andy Bernbaums.  Didn't fit worth a darn.  Second set I bought off of ebay and they were made in Brazil with no maker's name of the bag.  Fit perfectly.  They were most likely a one off buy.  I'd try Steele's rubber.

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And just to confuse the issue..........I have been buying from Andy Bernbaums for over 30 yrs without any problem from them........the correct parts, packed well, shipped promptly.......the only issue I had was when I ordered 1/4 vent rubber for my Oz 1940 Dodge Sedan..the correct rubber arrived but I had failed to notice even after having the car for 25 yrs when I ordered the bits that the Oz cars 1/4 vents pivoted in a different spot.......I couldn't bring myself to cut up the lovely pair of vent rubbers so I kept them..............10 yrs later I bought a US Factory RHD Sth African assembled 1941 Plymouth Coupe......and guess what it needed .........and those 1/4 vent rubbers fitted perfectly........

...........now......as for Steele Rubber........about 7-8 yrs ago I needed a cowl vent seal, Baunbaums were out of stock so I rang Steel Rubber from here in Oz.......those bastards sent the wrong piece, in a plastic bag with the correct number on a sticker on the bag BUT the wrong profiled seal inside the bag...........I rang those bastards back who refused to consider that THEY had made a mistake......"being in Australia I had no idea what I needed and they would not consider a refund or exchange even if I paid to send the rubber seal back"..........I will never buy from Steele Rubber again and as you can see I don't mind going out of my way to badmouth them............nor will I recommend them to my worst enemy..........and yep, lol......I don't forgive nor do I forget............Andy Douglas

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Interesting. I have had good and bad luck with Steele parts.

 

My 1949 Desoto vent rubber they sent of not correct. Not even close. I sent them photos of theirs and the factory one I took off and they went and checked their blue prints. Mine and the prints were the same, their part was not. I sent them back and a couple of week later they showed up. They fit, gut they are too tight in the cross section. It is hard to open and close them without using two hands.

 

On the 1946 to 1948 Desoto and Chrysler they use four rubber bushings on the steering where the tie rode connect. Those things get loose with oil dripping on them.  I have tried NOS, NORS and they all fail after about 24 months. Now the big Desoto is heavy and the steering box has a greater ratio than the regular sedans. But, I tried delrin and bronze in place of the rubber and in 24 months they all "cold flowed". I talked with the production manager at Steele and he made a set with their high durometer compound that they use for NASCAR parts and it has held up longer than anything else.

 

Basically, with Steele you can get what you want, sort of, if you treat them nice. But in some cases, you get what you can get, like my vent windows, and there is no alternative.

 

James

Edited by James_Douglas
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for the Plymouth the Steele vent rubber is nice and easy to install....their product for a D24....forget about it...they suck and are not near correct and they argued that my originals were replacements and that their is spot on....funny....mine were factory marked...and old and dried still looked better than theirs....it is spotty hit miss market out there some times...they did not even want me to send my originals for samples.....

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Nice to see others have had issues with Steele Rubber, although actually its not nice but still at least I have some consolation that it wasn't just me, they screw most of their customers around evenly.......lol................Andy Douglas    

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their attitude is such that they feel they can do no wrong.....twice I have called them on products..first as mentioned above they blew me off as it was my fault for buying a mopar….yes that was their words....you should not have bought a mopar...second they agreed with me that the product was wrong and assured me they would correct the product in time and the catalog immediately....never followed up the second item, just not worth it for me.....

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OK, I'll jump on the band wagon too about Steele Rubber. Also have vent window rubber seals

on my  p-15 coupe & 38 Dodge sedan. Neither fit properly. Sorry I can't suggest a supplier who

makes a good repro. When someone does they're really going to clean up!

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Nothing like good original mopar rubber.

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I've had my ear to the ground on the rubber seal issue for awhile, and y'all are all saying things that others have said, which almost seems like it boils down to a bit of luck at getting a decent seal from Roberts, Andy B or Steele...occasionally I hear a recommendation for Clester's, and I remember them advertising in the Hemmings for years, but considering the volume of these parts they move annually, I kinda wonder if these vendors are sourcing their rubber parts from the same building...

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Well..........like I said the 1/4 vent rubber I got from Andy Bernbaums for my 40 Dodge, which was listed to suit 1940 to 1948 Dodge & Plymouth fitted my 1941 Plymouth perfectly.........it didn't suit the 40 Dodge because the car, being an Oz version had vents that pivoted in a different spot to the US cars, which the 41 Plymouth was...so yes there were/or is vent rubber that did/does fit........lol......the mistake was MY FAULT.........lol..........andyd   

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Update: I called AndyB and after confirming that I received the correct parts and sending that same pictures as I posted they said, “These were definitely made incorrectly. We will send out your replacement set today.”

 

Hopefully the next set will be better. 

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