I am getting the targa trim pieces ready for reinstall and am wondering what is being used to duplicate this sealant on the backside of a lot of the trim. I was very impressed at how soft and pliable this original sealant was after 48 years or so.

Thanks in advance,
John

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Its a black butyl-based sealant.

3M Weatherstrip Adhesive or tape is pretty close. I don't know if it is butyl based but stays flexible and tacky like butyl.

3m
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I used a 3m double sided foam tape which is super sticky and very clean to use compared with a mastic. It is used here a lot in window construction and is super effective.

sikaflex is a butyl based sealant.
been widely used in the building industry for half a century.
stays flexible for a long time as it skins over only on surface exposed to air.
is black.
sticks like to a blanket.
i'm guessing that is what stuff still on trims might be.

there is also another sealant that was used in the 70s for glazing in buildings.
even today when you pull 70s glazing apart it is still flexible, sticky and liquid almost.
its got a name? and i think it is referred to as mastik these days.
but it did have a different name back then.
it doesn't cure over time and go hard like modern silicone based sealants.
its real messy stuff.

sikaflex can also be pretty messy if you are not careful.
though usually you can use water to wipe it clean.
usually applied using a glove with a bucket of water (with a tiny bit of detergent mixed) beside you to finger work it then sort of wipe it clean.

Thank you all for the replies, I have the 3M super weatherstrip adhesive, but it is messy and hard to work with around new paint. I like the idea of the tape, Im going to research it a bit more.

Cheers,
John

I am also a fan of the 3M VHB tape. Butyl can be a real mess. At least with me! 3M has many grades of VHB (Very High Bond) tape. U-Line is a good source or your local Auto store.

Strip caulk- butyl strips - stretched thin

Agree. I just put the trim back on my targa top and we used the 3M Butyl Strip (dum dum). Worked great, and is what the factory used.

Similar to this: https://www.findtape.com/3M-08578-Butyl-Rub...BCABEgKHxPD_BwE
not promoting the website in any way, just showing the picture.

Thank you, this is perfect. Just ordered from Amazon Prime, be at my door tomorrow.
I don’t need 60ft of this stuff, but if the original stuff is still soft and pliable after 48 years, maybe my grandkids will use it.

Cheers,
John