After 4 years of a painful and expensive restoration I finally drove my "61 Mk 2 approximately 150 miles at freeway speeds today. The car handled well but the noise coming in and around all 4 windows/ doors was really excessive above 55 mph. All of the door rubber, window felt, etc is new reproduction stuff I got from either XKS Unlimited or SNG Barratt . I should note that right away the repro rubber didn't fit very well and washing the car revealed leaks around the windows.The doors have been adjusted to make them open and close easer although they still don't align perfectly. I realize this car isn't going to be as tight and quiet as my BMW but the noise in this car is so bad that planned touring will require earplugs or a much bigger amplifier for my radio. Any suggestions for remedying this situation will be greatly appreciated. These cars surely couldn't have been this noisy when new.

Submitted by jimradltd@aol.com on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 17:00

Thanks for the information. Practically every issue you listed is with this car. The doors don't align very well even after considerable rework, the seals were somewhat misshapen and my guy doing the seal install was more of a mechanic than body expert. These seals have been on for two years and thanks to the heat here in AZ they do fit a bit better in that the doors close without forcing them shut (that's how bad the seals were in the beginning!). I suppose about the only option left is to try and move the doors in a bit more but am not sure how much more they can be moved. I will also try using a plastic tool to try and conform the seals to the doors. Again thanks for your advice.

Submitted by NE33-54855 on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 06:41

Jim,

I'll weigh as a newer member to the forum. This issue is not limited to this marque and is a common occurrence in restorations that have involved body work, door removal, and new aftermarket rubber seals. The noise is obviously the wind coming in through gaps which may be caused by misalignment of doors to the door opening, mis-shapened seals, mis-installed seals, or seals made from rubber material that does not conform well to their new "home".
The way to work through this is to align the door in the opening and make the seals conform to how the door should fit. Slacken the door latch because rarely do doors shut completely with new seals until the seals develop a fit. I like to smear a light film of silicon grease on the seal and this way they slide into place easier. Look for places where the seal may be pinched the wrong way. Look for high points and low points. You may need to use a non blunt plastic tool to run around the edges to cause the seals to conform to the door shape. If any very high points you may have to carefully shave the back side of the seal. Over time as the seals begin to develop a "memory" adjust the latch to pull the door in tighter until finally it's where it should be. Seals will take shape sooner and better if in a warm garage or the summer sun.

Good luck and don't get frustrated!

Wicker Francis