I need to replace the hood-to-cowl rubber seal as well as the mesh screen on the upper cowl. I will need the correct clips for both the screen and the rubber seal. Can someone tell me the best source for these parts. Looking for the "correct" parts for this project. Thanks!
Screen is available from The Parts Place. Clips for seal and seal also from TPP H-clips for cowl screen....have to be originals...no one makes new ones.
I have heard Parts place screen is crap. Just a flat piece of screen with no correct indents and risers. All repro suppliers(Year One, Cars etc.) sell hood seals and clips.. There is the harder type rubber with plastic clips and softer rubber with metal clips. I think factory swithced to hareder rubber with plastic clips in 71 but the softer type allows the hood to close better I have heard.
From what I have seen by 72 (at least) they were using a black plastic "T" type push-in clip to hold the RUBBER COWL SEAL in place on top of the forward edge of the screen...here's what I can surmise so far: >70 cars-- H clips(thin metal) at rear of the screen--they just push down into the "louvered" holes that the rear edge of the screen sits on top of. (see pic) -- Metal "T" clips (again thin) at front of the screen...goes into holes in the cowl seal, through the screen, and into the round holes in the top of the cowl. (see pic) >71?/72-- H clips (thin metal) again at the rear of the screen -- Thick Black Plastic "T" Pushpins at the front through the rubber cowl seal..... I don't know exactly when the transition to the Black Plastic T Pushpins took place. Here are pics of all 3 clips/pushpins in their respective positions (the blue triangular pieces of tape are supposed to be "pointers"). This first pic shows the two types of "Front of Firewall Screen" fasteners:
Doesn't look like the second picture "made the trip" in my prior post.....here it is...showing the metal H clips used all three years along the back edge of the screen(as you can tell, the screen is not installed in these pictures):
Patton, I cannot believ no one has reproed those "H" clips. Real tough to find and they snap easy after 35 years especially up here in the rustoleum belt.
Probably WAY TOO EXPENSIVE to repro..especially if they try to make them exact. There are AT LEAST 3-4 different "maneuvers" or steps that I can see, that were done on the originals....oooops, add in a 5th step (plating the finished product). ALSO--there is ANOTHER CLIP VERSION I forgot about. I will try to find a sample and post pics. ---This version is another Metal Push-In "T" retainer. It looks like a much narrower version of the metail ones pictured above sitting next to the black plastic "T" push pins. I probably have one floating around here. Again, not sure on what year application.
I have LOOKED into this product. More expensive than you think. Too many procedures. Most peopled won't pay what you would have to have. BuicFrank
No kidding.....looking closely at all these little parts and imagining the number of steps it took JUST TO MAKE THAT ONE PART...and then throw in the changes in clip types from year-to-year. You really wonder why GM didn't standardize some of this stuff over the various brand models and save some real money. Maybe it was done to keep people busy at the time...who knows. But consider this short list of parts that varied between the various A bodies in just one or two years IN ONE SPECIFIC LOCATION (the top of the cowl)..... Now remember....the top of the cowl "holes", access areas to the wiper mechanisms, etc WAS THE SAME on these cars...but >Chevelle--snap in black plastic screen >Pontiac--I think I have seen these with a wide, approx 1/4" hardware cloth on the top of the cowl >Olds--Flat fine mesh screen(but still with the bump pressed into it for the wiper motor arm clearance) >Buick--Flat fine mesh BUT WITH the raised ridge at the back Now--throw in all the various clip styles. All this variation to cover the SAME EXACT STAMPED HOLES and COWL TOP b/n various brands. Fasteners may have changed as feedback from service departments came in...."this part breaks too easily when removed, give us a better design or something that doesn't slice up our fingers" Figure out what it cost to design and manufacture each of these disparate parts..BACK IN THE LATE 60's/70's before CAD/CAM and all this technology was in wide use that also saved massive $$. Now start multiplying that by all the other bolts, clips, etc that all pretty much did the same thing on each car. I guess the autonomy given to each particular brand to do their own work made it pretty hard to standardize anything.
So, do any of you guys have 5 nice "H" clips that I could get for a new cowl screen? It seems like the only way I am going to get the correct H clips is from someone on the board who will sell me some. Also, I found a new cowl seal weatherstrip in a box of parts I got with the car. QUESTION - the one I have is NOT "slit" along the bottom seam where the T clips secure it to the cowl. When I was in Columbus at the show I looked at a bunch of NICE cars and they seemed to have had the cowl seal "slit" along the bottom seam so that the clips could "easily" be inserted. Should I simply slit the seal I have, or do I have the wrong one? Help!! Thanks!!!!!!
Rob, Are you looking for an original cowl screen? I have a pretty decent one that I would sell for $35 + shippng and include the clips.
Is it a foam seal? The foam seal I bought was like that, no slit. I kept looking at it and trying to figure out how to get the dad burn thing installed. My brother looked at it for three seconds and then took it and pulled on it in two directions where the seam should be, it opened right up. Try pulling it apart where the seam should be located. Also, note how the hood seams line up before and after installation, it may take awhile to compress the new seal... Bert Bert
When I get the new cowl seals...soft version...they are not punched for the T-retainers. I use the large plastic T-retainers. To make the hole for the retainer I use a punch for leather belts....works great. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91076
Rob, Here are the pics of the cowl screen and clips. Cowl screen looks a little funny when I clicked on it. I clicked the pic to make it bigger and looks ok.
Well, if anyone else needs any small stuff like that, I'll be going to Desert Valley junk yard this weekend. PM me if you want me to look for anything.
