67 Coupe Rain Channel Redo?

[James B.]

I am restoring my 67 coupe and have now stripped and wet sanded the body. I have attached two pictures of the rain channel in the body that surrounds the top part of the door. I looks like some form of sealer was used in the bottom of the channel before body paint was applied. As you can see the paint is cracked with age and maybe the sealer as well. Can anyone tell me what the sealer material was, and an easy way to remove it. At it's widest part the channel is only about 1/4" wide and by the A pillar narrows down to maybe 3/16" so it would be hard to sand it out. I don't want to try something like lacquer thinner as the lower door jambs are good and I will only need to lightly wet sand those before repaint. Further, once I get the old sealer out what do you recommend to replace it and how is it applied? I will appreciate any help/advice; thanks, Jim BRainChannel2.jpgRainChannel1.jpg

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 Coupe Rain Channel Redo?

You might look in your AIM to determine what the original material is. If it is a "seam sealer" which is commonly used for this type of application, I'd recommend a 2 part seam sealer available at an automotive paint store. To remove the old stuff you'll need to dig it out. Mask off areas that you don't want to damage and use a damp rag with solvent to remove the residue. You can smooth the new sealer with your finger.