Tunnel cover

[biomed32uk]

While I have been doing my winter overhaul I decided to paint my tunnel cover up, it was black or surface rust, was not done when the car was re done. When I pulled it up there was strips of horrible grey sticky stuff under it to seal it.

I am thinking of using some rubber strip, cut and with the holes punched out, or even some of the self adhesive neoprene strip.

Does anyone have any views or suggestions, I want something neat and not going to be a mess should I wish to pop the cover off for what ever reason.

Picture of the painted cover below, not orange peel but I blew it over with stonechip first as I find that a pleasing finish for a floor.[frame][/frame]

[936cbpminor]

I had same issue and used cauking. ESM sell it. Its quite expensive for a box of 60 strips but you can get it from Europarts. Its a non setting type putty about 5mm in diameter which squashes out.

[Ruby1970]

Hi. Double sided sticky neoprene tape tape works well. Plenty available on line.

[biomed32uk]

Not so sure about the caulking stuff, probably does a great job but sounds like what was there before, grey and very sticky.

I think I will give the closed cell neoprene stuff a go, I can stick that along the cover, punch the holes in and it should be neat. Seems to be available in lots of sizes, the width is easy and I reckon 3 or 4 mm thick should do the job. The closed cell stuff does not absorb water like a sponge so it wont sit there and rot the metal, plus I will spray the surfaces with dinitrol anyway.

A tin of the stuff is my friend, I spray everywhere with it, in or behind anything I take off where water could sit gets body wax over it, in it, under it, round it.

[biomed32uk]

I got some 20mm wide 4mm thick closed cell neoprene stuff, so it wont absorb water, 5m roll is plenty.

Held it against the underside, marked the holes and used a gasket punch to put 6mm holes in it for the screws, stuck it to the underside of the cover and it looks neat, yet to be refitted. Sorted all the holes in the car with a 1/4bsf tap and even saved the ones where self tapping screws had been wound in, except for the ones at the very rear near the front of the handbrake lever, no captive nuts have been welded to the new floors.

A job for next winters lay up along with the gearbox crossmember which has nuts inside the legs, or at least the side I can see has.