I plan on a paint job & minor body repair being done
either fall of 2004 or maybe fall 2005 so I feel that I
should start picking up seals & parts that I need to
replace as I find them at good prices / I have the money to do so. So my question is what is the best way to store seals that you may not use for a year
or two??

- Garold

Leave them in the bag they came in. In a cool dry place (basement) where the wife/kids can't find them. Have them sent to a single buddys place so she dosen't know how much you spent.

what he said ^^^

Andy

Rubber will keep a long time as long as you:

1. Keep it away from solvents, oils, and grease.
2. Keep it out of direct sunlight and avoid heat when possible.
3. Also avoid extreme cold when possible but cooler is generally better than warmer.
4 Don't stress the rubber by bending it in ways that it doesn't want to bend; if you do need to bend the rubber make the bends gradual not sharp.
5. Keep the rubber dry; moisture can freeze at low temperatures and can attract mold and other organisms at higher temperatures.
6. Keep the rubber clean and free of dirt and dust.

There is apparently some controversey as to whether applying products to plastic and rubber really provides protection or whether it just accelerates decay. But it appears that Armor All is the wrong product to put on your rubber. Silicon based sprays seem to be okay if the rubber really needs protection from light and heat but even that product is not to be preferred if there is no need for it.

Recently there has been discussion about glycerin being a good lubricant and protector. Glycerin is what Porsche recommeded some 30 years ago in it's owner's manuals and is likely a good protector, but again, if the rubber is already being protected from light heat and dirt then glycerin may be redundant at best, potentially erosive at worse. I don't really know what the long term effect of glycerin is but my intuition is to leave it off the rubber until the rubber is installed in the car and the rubber needs to be protected from light heat and dirt.

As a final note I've often seen new rubber come delivered, covered in a white powder. I wonder if that white powder is merely a byproduct of the production of the rubber or whether the manufacturer applies the powder to help protect the rubber from moisture, dirt and heat. I wonder what the white powder is made of and whether it would help preserve the rubber while it is in storage. I suppose there is no way to know unless you contact a rubber manufactuer. Maybe give West Coast Metric a call and pick their brain.

Douglas

let's see ya avoid points 1, 2, and 6 when you get them on the car

Talcum powder or glycerin are the two protectorants/lubricants we recommend for air-cooled VW rubber. Definitely NOT Armour All.

If they are sealed in a bag, leave them sealed. Even tires in a cool, dry warehouse are subject to ozone degradation unless securely wrapped.

And speaking of tires, don't get stuck with years old tires when you next buy. Demand the sales droids decipher the date codes and watch them squirm.

Big Rubbermaid tub with lid from Target.

Talcum powder is mainly used to keep the rubber from adhering to itself (or other particulates), rather than a form of protection. If at all possible, pieces should be laid flat for long term storage but remain in a sealed bag (not always easy to do). A dessicant would be helpful to absorb moisture inside the bag.

Andy