Lark trunk rubber

[62champ]

All,

In the process of getting my '60 Lark trunk ready for a new 'seal.' After 50K miles and spending all but the last year of its life in toasty Central Texas, the old rubber is pretty much useless.

Question is about new rubber. Old rubber looks like it did not have an opening to the outside. On a Studebaker vender site - they instruct putting the rubber on with the 'C' in the rubber facing toward the outside. Either way work? One way better than the other?

Now that I have the trunk lid off the car, I found out that the original rubber had about an inch in the middle on the back-side (side next to the back window) where there was no sealant to keep it attached to the lid... You can see about five to six inches on either side where the sealant line gets smaller and smaller until nothing in the middle. Guy putting it on must have been laughing at a joke or nursing a hangover [xx(].

Thanks ahead for any help.

Came home from the hospital as a newborn in a Studebaker and still in the mix...

[StudeRich]

Well, I checked several of my '59-'64 Larks and Lark Types and they all have the original trunk seals facing INBOARD, just like yours. The only difference on the S.I. ones is that they are Repro, and I don't see how that should matter. The DOOR seals go open side OUT, but their info must be wrong on the trunk seals. Even though common sense would be, to keep water out they should face out!

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[62champ]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

Even though common sense would be, to keep water out they should face out!

StudeRich

Thanks Rich. I kind of had the same thought. In the end it might not matter too much - with the wide channel running along the edge of the trunk it would be hard for anything, much less water, to get inside.

Anyone else have any further ideas? I know there are restored Larks out in Studeland - which way did your trunk seal go?

Came home from the hospital as a newborn in a Studebaker...hmmm, must be some kind of childhood attachment thing.

[nels]

I think the GT's are the same. The "C" faces in. When I put them on that way they seem to leak....a lot. They do look much better as the rubber appears to be seemless between the deck lid and the body. Placing the "C" out works better for keeping water out but it is difficult to get it set correctly appearance wise. The rubber on a Hawk is in the channel and the Lark is on the lid so maybe appearance won't come into play. I remember fitting the seal to a 63 Lark with the "C" out and I couldn't get the lid to flush up with the body panels as there was too much compression. I'd try the "C" out to start but don't use sealer the first time.

[62champ]

Note to all:

Decided to try the rubber as per vender instruction - with open area facing to the outside.

Wish I would have read your responce earlier, Nels, because even with the catch all the way down, there is still noticable difference in the height of decklid over fenders and deck behind window. Maybe I will get lucky and it will settle after some time.

So, for those who are curious, Studebaker might have put the rubber on the other way so it would wrap around the lip and settle down far enough to look correct.

Oh well, part of life - live and learn...

Came home from the hospital as a newborn in a Studebaker...hmmm, must be some kind of childhood attachment thing.

[Roscomacaw]

I remember when I first installed this seal on our 60 Lark. I hadn't paid attention to the way the old one was installed, so I put the new gasket on the way that seemed logical. Of course it fits. In fact, it'll fit either way on the Lark - which is way different from a Hawks trunk seal.
But this took place back in the 80s - a time when there were still a good number of Larks showing up in the Pick-a-part wrecking yards in the LA area. After installing the new one, I started to take note of the original ones on Larks that I found in the yards.[:I] Guess what.... They were installed with the "C" facing inwards.[V]
They say it never rains in Southern California - or so the song goes[}] Either way, I figured the only time the seal would be tested would be when I washed the car. And it doesn't leak!

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS