WARNING! Windshield Gasket SHORTAGES!!!!!!!

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Howard1784

Howard1784

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I was informed that gaskets are in a nationwide shortage as the company(S) went out of business. Who is going to take over the production???

Previously, Thailand was making many of them or another overseas manufacuturer.

That being said, plan your repairs accordingly! I pulled my gasket in the fall to access the dash thinking I would "readily" find a new one only to discover this dilemma.

(I bit the bullet and bought a NOS thinking I may never see a gasket for many months as this may be the possibility.)
 
Many Mopar places such as Dante's, Herb's, Jacks and Year one etc. I called about 10 different places and cancelled my year one order as year one noted "a national backorder." One company stated her supplier will be getting some in late July, but the reality is who else is using the same supplier?
That being said, for those going to Carlisle, Pa this summer for the swap meet best be prepared for pay $$ if these are not being made by anyone.
 
I have heard this shortage b.s many times before.It usually precurses a major jack in pricing.
 
Steele don't make everything themselves. They make themselves what they cannot get elsewhere. I just got off the phone with them; they tell me that yes, at least one of the longtime manufacturers has gone out of business outright and another -- Precision Parts, probably the biggest supplier of aftermarket windshield and backglass gaskets -- hasn't officially gone out of business, but has not been filling or responding to Steele's orders. So it sounds like this is real. It is reasonable to think outfits like Steele and Metro will pick up the slack and begin making the disco'd gaskets in house, but those of us with less popular cars (4-door A-bodies, for example) will likely have a long wait of it.
 
Wow, I'm glad Dan checked this out since everyone jumped all over Howard. Good job Dan, you are pretty much always on top of things and very accurate with your info.

Bill
 
daredevil said:
Pretty crude post for a regular. And wrong also. Afterall this is a family site.
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yup sorry bout that. I had that "shortage" excuse used on me a few times and it just wasnt true. This time it is! Im going to throw my soap box away...
 
Just bought the front and rear gaskets for my 70 Dart from RPM. So......if you need one, get it now. Price is kinda steep at $125 ea, but hey, gotta pay to play. Oh, one more thing, sales rep I talked to said that the company that makes them is restructuring. Hopefully that means they will be supplying again. Keep your fingers crossed.
 
I just got off the phone. RPM had one in stock for my ol' 69 Cuda Notch. Being shipped out today on the bus. No shortage it seems in Canada at RPM.
 
I had the same problem 3 weeks ago.. everywhere I called, Legendary, Year One, Stephans etc etc.. said the windshield rubbers were on national back order and had no clue when any would be available.. I called Steele Rubber.. sure enough they had the rear window rubber in stock and i bought that.. but said it could be 8 weeks or better before they had front ones back in stock.. However unlike all the other aformentioned places, steele rubber makes their own product.. so.. we shall see.. At any rate I managed to pick up a front window rubber at a show in Columbus Ohio last month..
 
Louie70Dart said:
Just bought the front and rear gaskets for my 70 Dart from RPM. So......if you need one, get it now. Price is kinda steep at $125 ea, but hey, gotta pay to play. Oh, one more thing, sales rep I talked to said that the company that makes them is restructuring. Hopefully that means they will be supplying again. Keep your fingers crossed.
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crap I need both so $250.00 plus GST tax I imagine for me, that's why I buy everything in the States...
 
RPM took my cash, said it would ship Wednesday. I had to call them to get a tracking number. They did not even ask for my e-mail address to notify me. I went to Canada Post to see if it had shipped yet. The tracking number does not show up with the Canadian post office at this time. I am going to call Monday to find out where the gaskets are at. I will have to be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt until I know more. Just an update.
 
If the Canadian postal tracking system is like USPS, it won't show up in their system for days, sometimes not even until after it's delivered. And then if it's crossing the border, expect it to take a while.
 
I had to keep calling several different places and finally found a front and rear gasket for my Duster.. Both places said that I bought the last one they had... And FYI SteeleRubber does not make their own gasket.. Call and ask for a gasket for a Duster and see what they say... One of the dealers I talked to says that there is only one manufacturer for these gaskets ????? And it appears this is a problem for many other vehicles as well. Not just Mopar..
 
Where ever you get the gaskets they need to be "vulcanized" rubber IF you don't want a headache installing the glass. The only ones the auto glass shop I work for will use is the Steele vulcanized rubber gaskets. If you HAVE to use the other brands be sure to use bed and glaze between the rubber and pitch weld and more that be prepared for kinking.
 
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