21 NovA Post / Hardtop Seals
An interesting feature of the Spitfire in the Heritage Motor Centre’s collection is the orientation of the rubber seals used on the hardtop, door surround and A post. You can see what I’m talking about here:
Notice how the two seals extend longer than the A-post, to the point where they’d stick out above the top of the car slightly if you didn’t have the hardtop installed. It’s possible to move the ‘p shaped’ seal on the A-post up and down a bit to get this nice seal, but to get that length on the door surround seal, it’d have to be done deliberately the first time the seal was cut.
So I wonder – did all hardtop cars leave the factory with these longer seals (for owners to cut them shorter later when taking the hardtop off), or is this a bit of a rarity on Spitfires?
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My 1977 Spitfire 1500 (which is (as far as I know) totally unrestored and mainly original) has these too-long seals – I always thought it was kind of odd… but ignored it. It came with a factory hardtop – so it may have been sold with the hardtop on?
Cheers, Aaron
I have been researching factory hard tops before recommissioning one for my 1980 1500 Spitfire and they were all cut too long but differing lengths. I don’t think there was a “standard” factory length probably depended on who fixed them. 🙂 The problem I have found is whatever overlap one uses rain still manages to get past at the top I am guessing because the window glass flexes.
Regards Colin
Are these posts on the Spitfire only for hard tops? Because have been working on my 1978 1500 Spitfire that is a convertible and I have noticed the same issue.