Pillar-less doors…

[Megaflow]

There is a special place in hell for whoever invented pillar-less doors!

I found an internal water feature inside Mrs Megaflow’s R58 JCW Mini Coupe last week. I had to remove the entire carpet to get it to dry and have just spent 2 hours getting the new door seal into the millimetre perfect position to make it seal.

[Lincsls1]

Yeah but they're sporty!
And sporty always equals better!

[donkmeister]

Just wait until the seal ages slightly and the leak reappears, that'll be fun

Have to say they've been a mixed bag for me. Best designs are "passive" rather than reliant on the window dropping slightly when the door opens. Just a large squishy rubber profile for the glass to squash against to seal.

The "active" approach can (and does) go out of calibration, plus leads to a real ball-ache on the frostiest days.

[98elise]

Never had an issue with any of mine.

We currently have a focus convertible so a folding roof, and pillarless doors. Never had any water in the cabin. We get a bit in the boot, but I've had that on a few standard cars.

Edited by 98elise on Sunday 24th November 16:38

[Megaflow]

donkmeister said:

Just wait until the seal ages slightly and the leak reappears, that'll be fun

Have to say they've been a mixed bag for me. Best designs are "passive" rather than reliant on the window dropping slightly when the door opens. Just a large squishy rubber profile for the glass to squash against to seal.

The "active" approach can (and does) go out of calibration, plus leads to a real ball-ache on the frostiest days.

Mrs Megaflow wanted to change both seals as a precaution, I said as the drivers side seals, do not touch it!

Yep, passive is much better, never had a leak on my Elise and but the Cayman I couldn't get into in the winter and the Mini leaks, or at less used to.

[sanguinary]

Most of my recent cars have been pillarless. Great, until they freeze up and the window doesn't come down when opening the door.

I use Gummi Pflege on the seals and that seems to keep them in good nick. More so on the older cars I have.

[Konan]

It always feels perilous tugging on them when they're frozen shut.

My main issue is, after having them for a long time, regular doors become a danger.

I always roll the drivers window down when I work on a car in the garage, for quick access as much as anything. I'm very used to it not being in the way.

More than once, I've been in the middle of a job and needed to swing the door open, clocking myself in the head with the pillar

[andburg]

sanguinary said:

...until they freeze up and the window doesn't come down when opening the door.

Pain in the ass, had ti get a lukewarm watering can out today to ensure i could open and close my door without risking smashing the window against the roof

[sanguinary]

Konan said:

More than once, I've been in the middle of a job and needed to swing the door open, clocking myself in the head with the pillar

I feel your pain. It’s usually a side swipe across my chest for me! If I’m lucky I miss a nipple.

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

Hate them, always feels more flimsy when you shut the door by pushing the glass. Plus there is more wind noise and as you have found they leak when they are older.

Plus you have to have the mechanism to lower the glass slightly when the handle is opened.

No thanks

[texaxile]

andburg said:

Pain in the ass, had ti get a lukewarm watering can out today to ensure i could open and close my door without risking smashing the window against the roof

Vaseline is your friend. Very thin application to the rubber, fnarr fnarr. When the decent weather returns, wipe clean with brake cleaner on a rag or it'll smear.

I've used it on my Impreza for years every winter and although they don't "drop" the windows, they never freeze against the rubber seal.

Edited by texaxile on Sunday 24th November 00:25

[Master Of Puppets]

No issues with them, most of my favourite cars of all time have them, some might require a bit more finesse under certain conditions
but other that I'm fine with them.

Is there such a thing as a pillared soft top convertible?

[Mr Squarekins]

Master Of Puppets said:

No issues with them, most of my favourite cars of all time have them, some might require a bit more finesse under certain conditions
but other that I'm fine with them.

Is there such a thing as a pillared soft top convertible?

But if that's cheating, then:

[Evolved]

Maybe need a slight tweak on the catch, may just pull it in enough to seal.