Have you ever opened your trunk and smelled a musty odor? Does the stench remain even after that gym bag is removed? Lifting up the carpet or mat might reveal mildewed carpet and rusted sheetmetal. There may even be small holes in the trunk floor.
GM A-body vehicles ('64-'72 Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and Chevys) are particularly vulnerable to trunk floor rust caused by water leaking in due to poorly installed, missing, or rotted trunk weather stripping. This common problem can be fixed using the right products and proper installation steps.
Where To Begin
The '69 Pontiac shown here suffered from improperly installed weather stripping. We removed the rubber and found sanding dust from a previous paint job under the adhesive that sealed the replacement rubber. The channel was dirty and strewn with pieces of original rubber. This trunk was only partially sealed-and the poor installation allowed water to sneak in and rust out the trunk floor.
Removal Details
The channel must be scraped thoroughly to remove old adhesive and residue prior to installing the new seal. The adhesive needs a clean area to bond to in order for the seal to be weather-tight. It's almost impossible to remove every piece of old adhesive, but a careful, thorough cleaning should be sufficient. Consider using a releasing agent to help loosen stubborn areas, and then use black weatherstrip adhesive for securing the new rubber.
New Technology
The trunk weather stripping used here is an exact duplicate of the original factory piece with the exception of the actual rubber material, which is softer thanks to new technology. It fits tightly into the channel and doesn't affect trunk closure. Replacement weather stripping is available for most popular makes and models of cars and trucks.
