What do you guys use to keep the rubber seals (e.g. the seal on the underside of the hatchback door) from deteriorating over time?

Left to my own devices, I'd use Armor All but I suspect I'd get a lot of "tisk, tisk, tisk" to that option.

 

Bump.

 

Areospace 303 or plain silicon

 

As a long time old-car owner (1968 Camaro convertible) I learned a few things about preserving rubber seals. (and a few things about replacing them, ugh)

I would skip the armorall, it seems to evaporate off and it leaves greasy residue.

I agree with the above post and recomend pure silicone. The BEST silicone is a pure silicon grease like they use to preserve rubber O-Rings in commercial applications or scuba gear. The next best (and easier to get) is spray silicone.

One warning on spray silicon, some of the propellants in spray silicones are not good for rubber! The best way to use it is to spray the silicone in to a rag, wait for a count of 3 or so, then wipe it on the gaskets. this give the propellants a couple of seconds to evaporate out.

You can't really "restore" rubber, but silicone will seal it against dirt and slow down the rate at which it looses it plyability.

Silicone also prevent your doors / hatch from freezing close because it displaces water.

 

I would suggest the 303 protectant. It was developed in partnership with Nasa and works really well.

It is very important that any preservative has a UV sunscreen in it and actually prevents oxidation of the rubber. This is what 303 does.

Most over the counter crap like armor all and the like are pretty bad for plastics and rubber in general. Some of them do have UV sunscreen however they do not prevent oxidation and all the break down of the rubber or polymers. Instead they give you a shiny surface. I have seen some info that actually shows stuff like armor all can accelerate breakdown of rubber and plastics because it leaches certain chemicals out of the material it is trying to protect and makes it vulnerable to the elements.

I know it is a cardinal sin to use armor all on tires as it will cause cracking and fading of the rubber.

Using silicone is probably ok in pure liquid form. Out of the spray can I am not sure. The bad thing about pure silicone is it has not UV suncreen and does not really prevent oxidation of the rubber. It is really just acting like a thin sacrificial layer that breaks down over time. It is probably better then nothing but there are some better choices out there.

http://www.properautocare.com/303-16.html

Cheers,
Ja

 

Excellent responses, guys. I appreciate it. What do you guys think of a layer of silicon followed by 303 ( I just bought some).....with the idea that 303 provides the UV protection?

I generally keep cars until the wheels fall off so I want to keep the Z in good long term condition.

 

Just use the 303. Using both may be counterproductive or even harmful...chemical interaction possible. As long as you are diligent in keeping the rubber clean and protected it will last a long time.

My 17 year old Celica (compute car) still has the original seals and no leaks.