Hey guys,

After much searching this evening I think I finally located a replacement weatherstripping for the hood/cowl panel on my 1985 GS. I know that most of these weatherstripping pieces are NLA from Mazda, so I thought I'd share. I know a lot of people probably would like to replace this piece of weatherstripping besides me. This is for the one that runs all the way across the top of the firewall, where the hood seals against the cowl. There are three plastic press in plugs on each side, and the four stainless sheet metal screws in the middle that hold down the cowl panel.

Per my measurements this is about 1/16" to 1/8" wider at the base than the original weatherstripping, which shouldn't matter except for the 2-3 foot section where it is screwed down by the hood latch. The height looks to be dead on from my measurements. The bottom can be cut down with a razorblade to fit in the channel of the cowl panel as needed. A five foot long piece should be plenty to do the whole top of the hood in one continuous piece.

I went ahead and put in an order for mine. It was about $35 shipped when seemed like a lot at first, but then I stopped and thought about what this WOULD HAVE cost if I had bought it from Mazda. Probably $50 at least. I'll let everyone know how it works out once I actually get it. I'll get it installed and put up some before/after shots. I'm confident that this will work nicely though.

Steele Rubber Products - Hood to cowl weatherstrip

 

Nice find! Thx for the share. Interesting factoid: SA only has rear corner strips, none across center-rear…

Stu
80GS
Alaska

 

...but it's a simple-easy upgrade to carry it all the way across (I found a good FB strip in the boneyard years back) and it does help with both hood-shake and the trashcan sound when closing the hood.

 

Tracking number says that my new gasket will be here tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a chance to get it put on and post some pics!

 

.... and then?

 

Here is the result! A 6 foot piece was plenty for my FB, however I sorta screwed up trying to cut around the cowl cover. The cowl section is very narrow so cutting with a razor blade is kinda tricky. However, I was able to salvage it and make it work. I also ended up splitting my weatherstripping into 3 pieces. That way I can remove the cowl cover to access the wiper motor a little easier in the future if needed. So, long story short it works great. Just be careful when you install the cowl section as it is easy to screw up while cutting.

Also, make sure you keep it pulled tight. You don't want it flapping around in the wind after installation. I pulled each section tight and then poked a hole through it for the plastic push in fasteners. Then let go and move on to the next section.

 

I know this thread is super old, but figured I'd share this here in case it's helpful for anyone who comes across this in the future. Some resources on ABS Sheets: https://www.polymershapes.com/abs-sh...-applications/ - the company also sells ABS plastics.