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MG MGA - Coupe - roof/door opening dripway

I am about to fit these dripways to my car with the 52 SS pop rivets. The previous owner had put silicone sealant between the dripway and the roof. Do you think this is necessary, or a good idea?
Peter.
P. Tilbury

NO Most silicon contains an etching agent that would CAUSE rust underneath. Even if you found a silicon that didn't it is a extra and not needed step.
R J Brown

Hi Peter. I don't have an opinion on the use of sealant when installing the coupe drip rails, but I do have a question. I'll be doing this myself in a few months and would be interested in what other coupe owners have to say. My question - were the rivets originally aluminum or steel?

Thanks, George

G Goeppner

George - I am using all stainless steel pop rivets, as I have rechromed the strips and did not want steel ones rusting. Aluminium rivets would be ok, but might loosen over time if there is any movement. (Although 26 rivets would seem enough to prevent that happening!)
Rick - I think the theory was that should rain or water from a hose get between the strips and the roof, then it would not find its way on to the window frame and the door seal. I agree and do not like it.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

Stainless rivets only. Al will react with the steel when wet, and fall out!
A sealer between the trim and the frame? Hhm. Sounds like a good idea, but have you every seen that part of the frame rot out? Also if it is sealed, and for whatever reason want to get the trim off, it aint going to come off straight!!

Colin
Colin Parkinson

Strange, because I remember ,on my coupe, that there was a hard black sealant between the body and the drip rails. When I re-installed my drip rails I just used pop rivets and no sealant. Anybody want to guess what the hard balck stuff was. It look almost like the stuff you would find when you remove the windshield seal. Similar to very dry hard rubber...and thin like a strip of rubber.
Gordon Harrison

I did not use any sealant on my car. My theory is that this car is not going to see much rain in its future. I drive it whenever I can but not in bad weather. I used aluminum as that is what was on my car. Have a good day!

John
John Progess

Gordon, that may have been a product called Dum Dum, a non setting sealer, which did eventually set after many years.
Thinking about mine, I may have cleaned some off my trims.
I do have some Dum Dum still, but it has probably gone off in the tin!

I think it may be available from Frost Restorations, in Rochdale.

Colin
Colin Parkinson

Just checked. See this link http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8317&frostProductName=DUM%20DUM%20Sealing%20Compound%20(400g)&gclid=CJPulKbapKACFc9k4wodwBX_aA

Memory isnt totally shot yet!!

Colin
Colin Parkinson

In 1971 I removed my drip rails when I repainted the car. There was a black rubber like sealer. I scraped it off and used a thin strip of rubber (from an inner tube I think) and pop riveted back with aluminum rivets. Drove this car year round in CT, summer, winter, rain, snow, salt, until 1981. Then it sat in a garage until 1993 when I tore it down for a resto. The rivets and rubber held up just fine.

Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

Have a look at this eastwood.com part number 31050 3M flexible calk This is what I uses on my coupe, for the dripways & floor boards also any leaks. It worked great.
Best of luck: Cliff(SC)
Jones

Peter, I initially tried S/S pop rivets but found them very hard to install so finished up using aluminum ones that worked great. If you haven't already done it yet I installed as many pop rivets without crimping them to ensure that the strip was aligned correctly. Even then a couple were hard to install. I also remember the hard black sealant on the back of the trim when I removed it and can't remember if I used any sealant or not. What a memory, I only did this last year.

Andy
Andy Preston

Andy's point is correct. You cannot start at one end and rivit on. by the time you get to the other end the holes wont line up. I had to start over on the first one when this happened.
R J Brown

Hey guys,

Mine also had the very hard black whatever under the drip strip. Seems that without something to seal the water out water would simply seep in, albeit just a little. I went to Lowe's of all places and found a light grey, non-silicon, forever flexable, lifetime chaulk. I went for the grey since I painted the car Dove Grey and should any little bit get squeezed out when I pop riveted the drip strips to the car, it would show.
Robert Maupin

You'll have the best luck if you start in the middle and work your way to both ends...middle, one left, one right, next left, next right, an so on. Probably best not to crimp untill their all in, if they stay put.
Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

I used a thin layer of black sealant as per original.

You can buy tubes of it - 3M Fast N Firm. It does harden but doesn't shrink - very much like the original dum dum.

Don't use more than you need as it is a pain cleaning off the excess.
Bill Spohn

Thanks for the suggestions. This same black goop is also between the window frame and the top of the door under the quarter light window. It seems to take paint well.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

This thread was discussed between 05/03/2010 and 08/03/2010

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