FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hi All,
Just picked up my FC Special Wagon resto project. Have sent online app to the QLD club.

The beast has been in a shed for 10 years and I was looking to get a full rubber replacement kit. I checked rare spares and the cost gave me a shock!

Can someone help me with the best source of rubber for the old girl.

Thanks

Hi Emu,
If all the rubbers are shot - unfortunately you'll need to save your pennies as there are not many alternatives to Rares full kits and the other's prices are pretty much the same.
The best way to cut some of the cost is to buy the less important rubbers from places like Clark Rubber. Don't know if they are also in Qld. but they sell seals by the metre at about $6 p/m. They have the one which fits the inner door seal for FC and is also the same profile as the tailgate inner and sedan boot. The Rares kit used to come with 4 inner door seals which also do the FB/EK but are twice as long on the FB/EK so you pay for 2 items you don't need. The cowl vent seal is one of the most expensive and I found with my wagon that the original was in good nick so I gave it a dose of conditioner and buffed it with shoe polish & it sealed nicely.
Clark rubber also have some of the bump stop rubbers which are about half Rares prices. Check out swap meets too, as you'll ocassionally pick up somebody's "abandoned project" seal kits at a heavily discounted cost.

Hi Emu

Another place that you can save a few dollars if you are not concerned with being totally original is to buy a length of bailey channel for the sliding window glass.  I can't remember the part number but Clarks and Rares do sell it by the metre (about $4-6/m).  Its a guess but I think that it is the same profile as the HQ bailey channel.

Cheers - Chuck

Thanks for the info guys.

We do have Clarke Rubber so thats a good lead. I contacted Harrison,s Spares and they have a full kit for somewhat less than Rares.

Thanks again

Hello Emu,
I came across your comments relating to the price of Rare Spares rubber kits and the response from Chuck. We accept that at face value the FE-FC kits are a little on the expensive side, however they contain a great number of items, the majority of which you will need if you are contemplating a full restoration of the Wagon. As far as pricing is concerned, most parts are priced similarily to those of a current model, however the problem we face is the small quantity orders which does increase the price a little. Certainly there are cheaper ways of completing your restoration, you just have to decide on the standard you require. Using Clarke rubber extrusions for the doors and soft bailey channelling for the windows will save you a lot of money, but you may not be happy with the end result. Please let us know if we can help you at any time,
Regards,
David N. Rayner,
General Manager,
Rare Spares Pty. Ltd

Hi David,

It's great to see you visiting our site, and we all sincerely hope you return.

I have just put a Rare Spares kit through my car and I found it of very good quality and fit, and can accept your explanation of pricing. This is a very niche market and I'm sure everyone here congratulates you on your continued committment to the supply of early Holden parts. I mean you can't go down to your local Supercheap and buy this stuff, you can get it from Clarke Rubber but how much frigging round do you want to put up with?

There are some suggestions I have to improve the kit (you had to know this was coming  ;))

1. The Front door rubbers are obviously different from the originals, which had moulded corners, and if you take your time fitting them, they work OK - EXCEPT for the area around the "A" pillar. Nearly EVERY car with replacement rubbers has a problem whereby the rubber gets forced out of the channel by the front door movement. This is an easily rectified problem, you just need to cut in a rubber that is closer to the original profile. I used a section of FJ door rubber layed on its side, and have no problems, but to have it right out of the packet would have been great.

2. The rear quarter windows rubbers are about 2mm too large on the lower section, this makes the rubber sit above the body and creates an area for water/dust ingress. This again is easily fixed by linishing the rubber to the correct thickness, but if you are paying good money you would expect little things like this to be right.

3. The rear door rubbers have an issue where they cross the door hinge, originally the rubber here was a much thinner section which allowed the door to close without needing to dramatically compress the rubber. The Rares rubbers use the same section here as the rest of the door and this increased height tends to make the door spring back at you when you close it. Basically bouncing it off the hinge. Again easily fixed by cutting out the back of the rubber where it goes over the hinges.

I reckon you've got VERY good replacement rubbers but if you've gone to this much effort it's reasonable to expect that you would take the time to do it right.

David, I hope you take my minor criticisms in the constructive manner in which they were meant, and I hope my comments lead to the necessary changes. I'm sure others on the forum will back me up on my comments, we are after all your current and potential customer base.

Thanks again,

Craig.

Just bringing this one to surface to answer a similar question.

Emu

Other people who make rubber kits,  you may wish to check them out
Bill Thompson Auto rubbers:  
www.autorubbers.com.au
Spectrum rubbers:  
www.spectrumrubber.com.au
Scott Old rubbers:
www.scottsoldautorubber.com.au

emu  dont forget
www.durex.com
www.joey.com
www.emuskin.com.au
www.frangers.com
www.sheepskin.co.nz
ewe know which one i recomend ;D ;D ;D
cheers yer mate kiwi

How about www.glowinthedarkpurplephantomphrangers
                                  Cheers Rusty