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Old rubber seals and moldings crack, and replacements can be impossible to find. I used 303 Rubber Seal Protectant on my Plymouth Prowler.
My Prowler is an older car with all its original seals and plastics: door jamb seals, rubber bumpers, and lots of rubber and soft plastic where the convertible top lays down. With age they crack, and on older cars the parts can be impossible to find. A little molded piece might be one cent of material, but custom-making it could be ungodly pricey. A little prevention goes a long way, so I tried 303 Rubber Seal Protectant & Conditioner. The button goes to it on Amazon.
- Foam applicator makes it easy to paint on
- Soaks right into thirsty rubber
- Helps keep hard-to-find seals supple
- Doesn’t smell bad
- Cheap insurance against expensive parts
- May need priming the applicator the first time
- It’s prevention; it won’t undo existing cracks
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Why seals are worth protecting
The rubber at the corner of a door molding is tiny, but if you need it and nobody makes it anymore, you’re stuck. Taking care of rubber and seals is really important on older cars, especially ones that sit in extreme heat or cold, which is brutal on rubber and plastic.
The applicator
The bottle unscrews to reveal a foam applicator, so you can kind of paint it on. I had to take off a bit of plastic and prime it a little before it started flowing.
Applying it
Where there were cracks, I gave the rubber a nice little bath of conditioner. That might be a little excessive, but those pieces weren’t in great shape and this car sits in the cold, so I didn’t mind being liberal. On one piece that was really not in good shape, I tried to saturate it to keep it from getting more brittle.
On the regular moldings, especially where they’re pinched and need to stay water sealed, I just painted it on. It goes on white and the thirsty rubber sucks it up. It doesn’t smell bad, a little like Febreze.
Peace of mind
You do this on all the rubber and hopefully it stays supple for years. If I had to hunt down those moldings, it would be ugly and expensive, so I’m happier knowing I’ve done what I can.
FAQ
What is 303 Rubber Seal Protectant used for?
Conditioning rubber seals and moldings, like door seals and convertible top rubber, to keep them from drying and cracking.
How do you apply it?
Unscrew the cap and paint it on with the built-in foam applicator.
Does it smell?
Not bad. A little like Febreze to me.
Will it fix cracked rubber?
It’s prevention. I used it to keep cracked pieces from getting worse.
Is it good for older cars?
That’s why I bought it; original seals on older cars are hard to replace.
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