Has anyone had any luck removing the Chrome strip and just leaving the seals
with the gap instead of replacing the whole seal.  When I bought my '88
(last year they used chrome molding) the previous owner had removed the
chrome trim around the windshield.  The gap for the chrome molding is there
and the strip didn't appear to have any structural purpose.   I've had no
problems with the windshield but just curious if the remaining window seals
might become problematic if I just remove the chrome trim.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Wood" <guskersthecat@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: What is that strip?

>I tried to remove them and paint them...that's a mistake.  If you remove
> the strips, they will be cracked and distorted to the point of disposal.
> I
> did purchase the straight black window rubber (no trim) from one of the
> list vendors (Bus Depot?).  I was in the painting process and replacing
> the
> windshield, so new trim front and rear made sense.  One thing I recall
> well
> is the hellish time the glass installers had putting the rear window in.
> At one point there were three guys swearing over it.  The new rear trim
> was
> very very tight.
>
> We are in the winter salt zone here, but the van is not used in winter.
> It
> was amazing how much rust, including a few perforations, was found sitting
> in the window frames.  On the front windshield, I ground/blasted all the
> rust away, then laid one six ounce layer of fibreglass along the bottom of
> the frame, using west system epoxy (with microspheres) to bond and seal
> it.  The entire frame then got epoxy primer with the rest of the van, and
> then top coat.  Needless to say, no problems have shown up in the last
> four
> years.
>
> I guess the point of this is that if you are replacing trim, prepare for
> some body work.  I wish I would have done the side glass too.  There were
> no problems four years ago but I've just noticed a small bubble at the
> base
> of one of the rear windows.
>