Jeff McNeal wrote:
> Happy holidays! I just purchased a '67 Spitfire that has the original steel
> factory hard top. About ten years ago, the previous owner had it resprayed
> when he had the car repainted. Unfortunately, the rubber gasket around the
> glass was painted over as well. My first inclination of course was to
> simply buy a new gasket, but according to my Spitbits and Victoria British
> catalogs, these seals are no longer available. Though I live in San Diego,
> CA and doubt that I'll ever have occasion to use the hardtop, I would like
> to restore it to perfect condition nonetheless. Once the rubber has been
> given a coat of paint, am I just out of luck? Or is there a way to strip
> the paint without destroying the rubber beneath it?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jeff
> '67 RHD Spitfire Mk3
Jeff,
We've had good luck getting old paint off rubber with a fine steel wool dipped
in a
little solvent. Takes a lot of elbow grease, but does a great job without
leaving
marks on the rubber. To get at the edges, gently pry up the lip and push a
small
piece of string under the gasket. That will hold the rubber up away from the
body and
you can mask up to the area to prevent accidental scuffs on the good paint.
Good luck!
Regards,
Brian Schlorff '61 TR-4 '64 TR-4 '72 TR-6 '79 Spit
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