Hi, New here and I've run into some part deficiencies here at the tip of Africa.. Who has experience with the Steele products weather rubbers? In the "check vehicle fitment" option there are no clamshell models listed. is there anywhere that sells new or recond electric motors for the clamshell? thanks for any tips, help or names etc. Safariguy
Nobody makes the rear tailgate seals. A year or so ago somebody over in Europe allegedly had some tooling made to mold them I believe, but I never heard anything more about it. He had a post on here somewhere about it. This guy has gone through just about every part in a clamshell. I'm sure he did work on the rear motors. It might take some time to find though: http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/fixing-up-a-71-grand-safari.19936/
Every now and again someone who has one of these cars asks about the rear weatherstrip. The answer is always the same: "it isn't reproduced and isn't likely to be." Then someone comes along and tells us it can't be that hard to do it, we just need someone to pony up a good example to a vendor who is willing to make them. Sometimes even a hardcore fan will tell us they have connections and are going to try and get it made. The result is once again always the same: it's either too complicated for too low a volume for any big time rubber manufacturer to want to make or a low mileage car with perfect weatherstripping would be needed to take apart and get it right. And every time the cost aspect is also mentioned that even if someone did manage to get it made, the price would be in the $1500-2500/set range and tooling up to buy 50 or so would be needed to even think about breaking even. And then we never hear from the folks who claim it is possible again. So sadly, it is unlikely to happen any time in the foreseeable future in the current state of affairs for these cars. That said, there was a very good post a member made at least 10-11 years ago dismantling and repairing their broken electric motor and tension rods, plus where they welded extra material to strengthen the failed metal. The motor itself is a standard power window motor from the era, but it has a different driven gear housing attached to it. If the motor itself is bad (which while possible is not often the real problem) then you can find a motor from a power window setup and swap over the external housing shell to the gear drive portion. But I'd suspect the wiring at the back key switch, the dash, the power relay, the harness connecting the motor to the wiring, or dried out grease in the regulator assembly before I'd suspect a bad motor. I've repaired 2 of these now and both times it was a melted harness plug and dried out grease.
Here you go: http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/clamshell-tailgate-assembly.8042/ It was even longer ago than I thought, from 2010. It details exactly what you need. Also, members have reported 1973-1980 Jimmy\Blazer rear tailgate motors are the perfect replacement for the clamshell motor. Never tested it personally but I can believe it, GM used the same electric motors in EVERYTHING back in that era.
This is the post I was thinking of for the rear seals. Maybe hit him up and see if anything has come of it, but don't get your hopes up. The original poster has all of two posts and hasn't been on here since last October. http://www.stationwagonforums.com/f...tailgate-weatherstripping-reproduction.58316/
