(T) Barchetta Hood Seals

This is not about the usual frame seals of the window area but about the rubber seal(s) that go around the rear of the hood.

I'm trying to establish what after market hoods do about about this rear seal.

On the Fiat original hood there is a rubber seal mounted to the real liftable section of the hood framework This seal extends around the rear frame and terminates about 3 inches short of the hood edge by the door/wind 'B' post with a reduced section width / tail that locates into another short (about 3 inches) seal that is stitched to the inside of the hood in this area. The hood window 'B' post vertical seal also has a perpendicular tail that locates into the other end of the short stitched in seal.

This short section of seal is integral to the original Fiat hood an not available separately.

On the aftermarket makes of hood you have fitted to your car what has the
maker done about trying to creat a continuous seal from the 'B' post to the rear liftable section hood seal. Something or nothing.

When you guys and gals have a moment to spare please can you look just behind your shoulder then tell me what you see. Rubber? daylight? other?
The make/supplier of hood would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

got rubber on mine. strange not too have rubber as water will get in there.

Who made/sold you yours or was it on the car when you bought it, and I'm assuming it is not the Fiat original one.

I used a company called 'soft tops' and they kept the rubber attached.

It has nothing to do with the roof lining, it is attached to the hood frame.

Don't worry they don't bin it!

I'm puzzled. The rubber along the roof rear lower frame is not part of the hood in the original Fiat design but is an additional rubber seal attached to the frame with the hood fabric sandwiched accordingly.

The seals I'm talking about are an integral part of the original hood so this leaves only four options for the after market provider.

1) Supply new modified hood complete with all seals requiring the origianal seals to be discarded. I'm not sure how this could be achieved bearing in mind that the main rear seal was never part of the hood.

2) Use the main original Fiat seal and attach your own "link segement seals" to your own hood.

3) Provide a hood with no particular 'seal bridge' and hope/rely on other aerodynamic effects to ensure water does no invade the vulnerable area.

4) Wing the problem

No no, the rubber strip is part of the original fiat hood, any parts are removed and reused when a new hood is fitted.

They definitely will not provide new seals, so your old seals will have to be reused.

New seals are the hidden cost of hood replacement. I got a quote from a guy to provide and fit a new hood for €500 which isn't too bad..but the brute needs a full seal kit at €450 from Fiat, so I bought a new hardtop for the same money, €950

Wrecked PVC hood is still on the car and will have to be done sometime..more expense.

If you are clever, you can source the seals from other people who sell them for a fraction of the price.

The difficulty is knowing where to look.

yp that mine was done when i got the car, but have replaced side roof rubber since.

This is getting a little confusing. But, if we all agree that new hoods have to use to old seals then how are the two short seals that were attached to the old hood fabric secured to the new hood fabric. I'm waiting for my old hood to be returned to me but I'm 90% plus sure that the two seals I'm talking about are stitched to the old hood fabric. This being the case then they will have to be glued/stitched to the new hood fabric as the new hood is fitted.

Who has watched their hood being replaced and can confirm/deny what we are saying here?

I finally understand what you mean now!

You weren't explaining very clearly lol.

Behind the driver and passenger seats each side, the rubber seal has 2 small connecting pieces of rubber about 4-5 inchs long. These are either sewn or glued into the hood.

When Soft tops replaced my hood they didn't transfer these pieces of rubber across so now I have two gaps each side.
I don't notice increased wind noise and it certainly didn't leak.
But it is a niggle...

Is this what you mean?

Mine has a DTR supplied and fitted Mohair hood. Those two seals you are talking about - right next to the seatbelt? - are stitched into my hood.

One was 1" too long, one is 1" too short - so I have a little gap on the drivers side. As long as I don't point the hose at it while washing the car, nothing leaks in.

Yes, this is what I'm talking about. Sounds exactly like ours

Yours hasn't leaked? Interesting. Now water falling on, over and off the hood won't be a problem. However when driving in the rain, spray and water falling off the windows and running backwards along the top of the door and onto the top of the rear wing is almost certainly going to get blown in. And this is where we had some water come in when driving home in the rain.

I see, I can't say I had any water ingress during the wet season.

Certainly don't have any now I have a hardtop!



I think Fiat designed the car to be kept in the garage with the soft top to be used only when you get caught out by the weather and the hardtop for use in bad weather, only then for the car to be returned to the temperature controlled garage.

my soft top lives out door 24/7 and dont have any problems