silicon is the answer for everything

April 27, 2009, 07:18:57 PM

i decided it was finally time to install the window weather stripping, and i got to work. the drivers side went on perfectly. no issues at all. this is where it gets fun

i go to the passenger side next. as i start unscrewing a screw and find this weird clear stuff coming with it. what could it be, but silicon. ok, whatever. i continue on, and find there was more silicon put on the arm rest. then there is a makeshift metal piece with silicon over it holding the part that the door lock and unlock switches.

next, i get the down to the panel itself, i start pulling it apart where the push tabs are in and find a few art stuck to the door, not coming off. i finally get the whole panel off and find those push tabs are too silicon into place.

now that the door panel is removed, i find why there was silicon all over the place. who ever owned the car prior to me (whether it be the previous owner or the owner before him) seemed to like silicon. it looks like the silicon was used in places where some of the screws went, like they lost the clip and used silicon to hold the screw in place. the push tabs were siliconed into place because the door panel slots were ripped where the push tabs connect. i still dont know what that makeshift piece was with all the silicon on it, but ugh. there was one screw that seemed to have been lost and replaced with possibly the largest, widest screw that could possibly fit.

it took me about 1 hour or 1 and a half hours for the drivers side, taking my sweet time since it was 90 degrees outside, and about 3 hours for the passenger side. i am going to have to take apart the door panel again and make notes of everything messed up and order some interior clip and screws since 95% of the screws were not original, too large, and some not the correct color. also, the arm rest is all messed up because there was so much silicon put on it that it doesnt sit right...and maybe it originally worked, but the heat obviously caused it to let go.

silicon seems to be the answer for everything

i have a lot of work ahead of me