32 replies to this topic

[hatchssv8]

Found enough of the seal channel had rusted and decided to replace the offending 3 sections.

lwr left & right curved, and the lwr straight sections.

Went out and bought the RS replacement channels. when I compared the curved pieces with what I removed from the car...…..good match.

however when I compared the straight section I found the following difference. I will let the pic describe the difference.

 

So my question is....Has any one else encountered this.....and what did you end up doing?

 

The section I bought was dated 2018, so I thought it may be an old design, hoping now that RS became aware of this difference and subsequently updated the design to better match the original channel used by Holden.

 

So I called RS and detailed the above to them,,,,,,,,in a nutshell they confirmed that they have not changed this part at all...….and they know 'joe blow' has used this on his car and has not complained or raised any concern.  Not the response I was prepared to hear. 

 

I know I will get better feedback here.

 

thanks

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[308 Sunbird]

Yep they can be very hit and miss with the fit of some of their parts. That's a miss and would have been just as easy to make properly in the first place.

[Toranamat69]

Is the new RS one on the right?

If so, it actually looks like it would suit the profile of the RS hatch rubber better and the rubber will sit lower in the grove and conform better to the shape.

Have you checked to see how the rubber fits?

I have a new hatch rubber from Torana RPA I can check later.

Edited by Toranamat69, 10 June 2020 - 10:08 AM.

[Toranamat69]

So very interesting. I have a new hatch seal here I recon I got from Torana rpa. It's in a muscle car parts bag sealed. It would suit the left profile above but for the one on the right, the lip would cut into the side of the rubber instead of over the top to retain it.

The Rares Spares rubber seal looks to be spot on for the rhs channel above.

Apart from the lower corners, I guess the rest of the channel on sides and top doesn't matter which type as it doesn't have those lips folded over.

[hatchssv8]

it is so interesting.....based on your findings  I now know there are at least 2 aftermarket type of hatch seals. one to suit original hatch channel (RPA), and the other to suit the RS repair channel (RS).

 

but how will the RS lwr corner channels retain the RS hatch seal???????

 

 

is it also possible that the above difference contributes to the problem of hatches being hard to close after a new seal is fitted?

 

Is there a straight seal channel available that matches the original on the market  ?

 

lots of other questions making my brain sore...…...so a simple repair is now blowing out to a nightmare.

 

PS: the original hatch seal will not fit into the RS straight seal channel

[Toranamat69]

Rares redid these corners back in 2014 because they made them too tall and no ones hatches would close.

http://www.gmh-toran...repair-section/

I have a pair of the too tall rates ones. I never went and got the correct height ones as I have some Rodomo made for me about 20 years ago. I can't find the thread where it was discussed but I measured the old rare spares ones against my car and they were too tall.
I understand they fixed them.

[hatchssv8]

Yep. I can confirm that I have corners that are 'acceptable' and with minor rework I will fit to the car.
The rubber hatch seal I bought is a Muscle Car Parts item. It will fit the original channels on the hatch and the new lower corners from RS. it will not fit the straight channel from RS without major trimming.
I also tried to fit the RS rubber seal and it will not sit in the straight channel at all.

Both aftermarket hatch rubber seals have different profiles from each other that differ again from the original fitted in 1977.
I would prefer to get a good straight channel before I commit to modifying it and welding it all to the body.

Does anyone know if I such a channel exists?
And what is the consensus regarding the rubber seal in 2020? Which one will tick the correct boxes and give the least hassles?

[tuxedoss]

I replaced the straight section with a rare spares bit and while it wasn't 100% as per original it was pretty close, my corner pieces were ok and the rares piece mated up with them ok. Can't remember exactly when i bought it but was probably about 2016. Here is a picture i just took of an off cut from it as it was a bit too long. You can see the difference with your 2018 one

 

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[Toranamat69]

What's the go with these corner pieces? Where is the other lip? Anyone tried these?
https://www.ebay.com...1fff7ea88|iid:1

[hatchssv8]

I just bought that part (RP2049BA) from that seller and it has the other lip that retains the seal rubber.

I dont know what that is a pic of. Its strange when you ask if parts with same part number have been changed you get the 'always been the same, no changes"

 

More importantly, i want to get my hands on the above straight channel that Brett got from RS. Problem is though, I have already asked RS if that has ever changed design, and was told "nope, never, always the same". He even put me on hold to confirm this with someone else.

Should I call again and speak to someone else? Maybe I will get the answer I am lookiing for.

 

If anyone has that style profile channel, PM me if you have no use for it.

[hatchssv8]

just had another look at that corner piece that Toranamat69 referred to, it is a pic from the underside which hides the the inside wall of the channel.

[Toranamat69]

Oh yeah that tricks your eyes.

I'm keen to head off to rares and check the straight channel.

[hatchssv8]

If you come across the one I need, let me know. Better still if you get it I am happy to have it posted.

[Toranamat69]

So I took all my bits and went to rare spares this arvo. They sounded fairly uninterested when I pointed out the 2 parts they make that butt together are completely different.

So. Findings are:

Rares lower corners - current design.
Still looks approx 1mm taller than std on outer lip and outer lip should angle back, not parrallel with inner lip.
The new rare spares seal was the worst fit on these corners. The old rares seal is the correct shape and slightly loose fit.
The Torana Rpa seal is a bit tighter fit in these corners, just slightly too tight. A massage with hammer after fitting may sort out. I don't like the extra height of these but you would prob find that mm if using these.

Rares straight section.
These are just wrong and none of the rubber seals will even sit in the channel.
We need a new source of these.

The best fit for the lower corners are still the ones Rodomo made for me.

Basically the metal bits from rares are wrong as per the original post above.

Edited by Toranamat69, 07 July 2020 - 05:48 PM.

[Toranamat69]

Retro rods got back to me today. Unfortunately they don't make any of the hatch rubber channel.

[Toranamat69]

I just got a reply from patchmaker on fb and unfortunately not making these bits. Looks like we are on our own unless someone else has a source.

[tuxedoss]

I really don’t understand what goes on at rare spares , it’s not that hard . They had a bit that was near perfect, now it’s not even close but they don’t seem interested in listening

[hatchssv8]

What I find worse is that (and depending who you talk to at RS) you get fobbed off with every question you ask.

During my last visit and after lengthy 'discussion' i was advised that the channel RS makes has changed. Whats the reason I asked. Response was that customers complained that it did not contain the rubber seal.- This may be true to an extent, and in my opinion it wont hold the hatch seal because RS didnt reproduce that part correctly either.

So, when I pointed out that the corners havent been changed to match the latest straight channel, the staffer grabbed the corner and straight pieces in his hands, butted them together and said   "close enough"

What made it worse is that it was followed by " thats why we have this sticker on here" . He was referring to the one that states that the parts may not be 100% to original and may need some labour to get them to work. Again, that is just a cop out.

 

What I do want to add is the fantastic support I received from the RS outlets australia wide that I called looking for old stock of the straight channel. They were very helpful checking their stock and apologising in some cases when I described the quality of the straight channel.

[tuxedoss]

Well at least there now seems to be some reason as to why it changed, maybe it would have been better if they changed the rubber to suit . I also have the Torana RPA rubber and it fits nicely in my original corners and my rares straight bit

[Toranamat69]

That excuse doesnt even make sense. I reckon they have changed supplier or just stuffed it up.

These are critical to be correct or the hatch won't close. If the corner and straight are not identical it will cut the rubber at the transition.

I don't consider having to cut a 1m long channel and welding it back together a minor adjustment. For this part it would simply be better to start again and make it correct.

I can do better than the rares effort by hand beating over a hammer form because I dont have a panbrake.

Would be fiddly and time consuming though so I'd rather buy one.

[hatchssv8]

I should have mentioned that one RS outlet had 2016 stock of the channel and it was the latest rubbish design.

 

Should have left the rusty channel on the car!!!

[hatchssv8]

Saw this on another thread

 

 

Grant is still making Torana parts. I let him know that he was wanted over here so it is up to him I suppose.

 Is the channel something that Grant would be interested/capable of making?

 

Not sure how often Grant jumps onto the forum either.

[Shiney005]

I messaged him again today. If he turns up over at the flare washer thread I will send him over here.  I know he is definitely still making very good rust repair sections. 

[Toranamat69]

Well I was going through a dusty corner of my workshop today and found I had actually bought one of the rare spares straight sections 8 years ago.

I was briefly very excited to check against the corners and rubber seals. Unfortunately it is identical to the current poor fitting part they have available. Glad I didn't buy yet another last week.

Appears this part was never correct.

[hatchssv8]

 Brett has provided a pic of the early RS channel he bought, and RS confirmed to me that the channel was changed.

 

We just have to find someone who can make them better than RS. That is the task!