safulop

This post is about my recent experience replacing the lower exterior belt moldings for the two power windows. These moldings are critical for keeping water out of your door, but they are a bit tricky as I found out, and there are some aftermarket moldings available that have to be dealt with carefully.

Should you replace your lower moldings? Signs of trouble in this area include puddles of water on your door entry footplate where it says "928". This footplate is inside the door seal and should be dry after you wash the car. Mine were always wet. In extreme cases, so much water can get inside the door that it will overflow into the vehicle and you will have wet carpeting. I was having this problem in heavy rain.

I contacted Roger Tyson about the moldings; he saved me about $270 by recommending some aftermarket moldings. These are not cut to fit, however, and I also found out too late that they do not have the little curved up part at the rearward end.

I had my favorite bodyshop install the moldings. They complained bitterly about how they were hard to install and "fit like a saddle on a sow." They begged me to bring only factory parts from now on or they will refuse to work on my car. The bodyshop also had to adjust the position of the windows so they press up against the moldings properly.

When I got my car back I came to realize the importance of the little curved up part at the rearward end of the factory moldings. It is necessary to prevent a small gap between the lower and upper belt moldings. This part of the lower molding is supposed to overlap under the upper molding. Mine do not. Unfortunately I had to stuff silicone seal in the gap to try to fix it. It is not quite perfect yet, but I washed the car yesterday and the 928 footplates were dry.

I would recommend the factory moldings unless you are a real do-it-yourself expert and can monkey around with the aftermarket moldings to get them to work better than I could.

Of course I take full responsibility for my experience and I do not blame Roger at all.

-Sean

martinss

I recently replaced using the OEM seals myself. It was a bear of a job too without taking the window out. I tried following the YouTube video Roger links to for the first one - involves sliding the seal along from one end to the other. The curved part of the OEM seal makes this even harder than it would be with the aftermarket seal. Then I tried my own method for the second OEM seal - it was marginally faster and easier but not something I would try again or tell anyone else about. Next time, if there is one, I take the window out first.

As for adjusting the window afterwards, it is necessary with OEM too. The original seal had dried, cracked, stiffened and shrunk over 24 years, so any re-adjustment made to the window during that service period would have to be reversed when the new seals are installed.

ROG100

Interesting as we have a large number fitted with no issues - even on my own car.
Sorry you had a problem.
It would have been good if you could have contacted me about it as well.
No difference if you fit the Porsche seals - you just pay a lot more.

martinss

I have a feeling that a most bodyshops would consider things that 928 DIY owners consider to be "no issues" to be a problem

ROG100

Martin,
I agree - this is a PITA job with either the Porsche part or the after market part. They are identical apart from the slightly curved up end which does not justify the high price tag.
Mike Vance found a very easy way to install them I wonder if Sean's shop followed those instructions.
They would probably be upset with the factory part.
I am just sorry it caused a problem for Sean.
Roger

Dictys

I have this yet to do.

Is there a simple guide to follow? The YouTube video is helpful but does not show the method for trimming the ends so they curve, the thread on here had the end trimming to get the curve but was very hard to follow?

Are there simple instructions out there in one document?

Dean_Fuller

Roger...how much is the aftermarket seals if you don't mind me asking?

davek9

I installed the "aftermarket" seals that Roger sells w/o any issue, took about one hour per door (most time is removing the door panels).

I did both doors and did one seal with the window in place and the other with the window removed (I did end up removing both Windows as I replaced a scratched glass).

I'll say this, the seals go into the channel much easer if you remove the glass (5 Min's, start at the front and just start snapping it in place, when you get to the back trim to fit the curve).

There are only 4 bolts that hold the glass to the white plastic guides and if you mark them before removing the glass it will only need minor adjustment.

The book say to remove bolts for the regulator too, don't do it, just run the window up 1/2 way to access the 4 bolts it will slide out of the regulator arm and makes the alignment easer. (I used tape on the outer door to protect the paint as others here have suggested) the window tilts up from the rear and comes out/in at almost a 90 deg.

The seals press into the top channel and are then stretched onto the lower L channel, this is why it is easer to do it w/o the glass.

With the glass in you don't have access to that bottom L in the center of the door and have to "slide" the rubber past this middle section where the top of the glass blocks the access. It must have taken me 3 or 4 tries and a even w/ a helper with the glass in it was a PITA.

As far as the curved end piece goes the lower L is also curved, so just follow it as you snap it in, once it is on the channel it will stay curved.

Here are some photos, I also repaired the Door Handle hinge and replaced and re keyed my lock. If the body shop thought the window seal was a beoch, then the should try the hinge

davek9

here are some more pic's
Everyone who has seen them up close loves them and the fit, they really update the "tired rubber" look. I use some denatured alcahol to clean them up after the install.

safulop

Well you know, we've all seen that shops that don't specialize in these cars can get into trouble. The same goes for body shops, I guess.

-Sean

safulop

Yeah, I took a look over my bill from this job; I was charged 7 hours of labor for the moldings. 1 hour for molding, 1 hour for window alignment, and 1.5 hours for interior trim panel R&I, each side. And the owner still chewed me out for making him "lose his shorts" on this job, as he put it, because he could not justify charging even more time. Oh, 928s cause trouble don't they?

-Sean

Bertrand Daoust

Thanks davek9 for this nice thread.
Will be helpful when I'll change mine... Someday!

Sean: 3 hours to R&I the door panels! Hum... Definetely too mutch.

ROG100

Dean,
$120 for the pair - come in one length and you cut it in half.

DicTys,
I will add the written instructions to our down load page along with the video

Sean,
I am sorry that your body shop had so much trouble - I beleive they would have found the same issues using the factory seals

Bilal928S4

How much are the original Porsche ones?

martinss

I paid Roger $163.58 ea, just before he found the aftermarket ones. That makes the 2.5" molded curve worth $100, or $40/inch. If Roger wasn't just passing on Porsche's ridiculous price I would claim 10% ownership of his latest acquisition

BTW, I agree with davek9, the change really helps first impressions - the seal is almost the first thing someone notices as they go to open the door. That and the lock surround - which I repainted for the same reason.