Installed an oem front hood weather strip and it's puckered up at the front and rear center, from being folded in the plastic bag. All the way around it won't lay flat, causing the hood to ride about 1/8" up above the fender line. It's been on the car for about a month.

How can I get my rubber to go down and lay flat.

Maybe a LITTLE heat, say from a hair dryer?

Hair Dryer and then Heat Gun..neither worked. How does one reshape rubber without melting it?

Maybe take the seal out. Lay it out flat like it sits in the car, put a piece of wood on the warped spots with a brick on it. Could be your winter project. By spring time it should be ok. Just insure the rubber isn't buckled prior to setting weight on it.
If you need it in the car, try some kind of rubber cement to tack down the buckled lips, and close the hood.

I put the front trunk seal on my /6 trunk a couple of years ago. Laid it in there and it was pulling up a little at the corners. I figured time might flatten it out a bit. But I haven't looked at it since then. I wonder if 2 years took care of the problem?

If it doesn't go down in four hours, you should consult your physician.

I see a bent/deformed seal track. I also see pre-load in teh center(pushing in from teh edges). straighten the track and re-seat the seal starting from teh center and work out toward teh corners

With my VW's, this was a common problem which usually meant the rubber is stretched too tight in another area.

As Sean suggested, push from the middle to the corners and try to evenly distribute the seal.

If you are sure it's from being folded then maybe pull it down with some masking tape for awhile and see if that helps. You must be just trying to seal it temporarily so maybe the tape will work just remember the tape will go bad after awhile especially if it's out in the weather. The seal may not have been fully cured before it was packaged.

Yep. It was folded in half at the top and bottom center and then folded right into the bag. I've taped it down for weeks at a time and it still comes up when the tape comes off. I stretched it from the center and it puckers. The flat bottom in the track is not puckered. Only the upper rubber seal part. I guess it was packed when still soft and got a bent memory. I'm going to get some 1/2" foam insulating tubing and glue it inside the fold area just to keep it flater and more watertight.

Anyone ever bought one this way, or is it a fluke?

you could try chemical persuasion

U mean like a little laquer thinner or carb cleaner to soften up/shrink the rubber, or LSD in the gas?