I'm in the process of stripping paint in the rear trunk and ran into all the rubberized seam sealer the factory used. If I remove all this, can/should I replace it?

And with what?

a heat gun works swell. the sealent will soften quickly and the bulk will come off with a putty knive. then i used a wire wheel in an angle grinder.

If you at all suspect rust in the vicinity, you should remove the seam sealer. Moisture likes to get under that stuff and eat at the metal.

As the previous reply said, a heat gun and wire wheel work well to remove it.

You can replace it with a seam sealer product of your choice. I used Wurth seam sealer.

Yes, as the advice is given. I am currently doing the same job on my car (Southern California one) and am finding rust underneath the sealant. Do the sealant in the flooring too. As has been said, use a heat gun (or a 750,000 propane torch if you really want to burn everything), and take off as much as possible with a putty knife. Rest is taken off with the angle grander with a bristle head or disk as stated in the foregoing.

In all probability you will find some rust.

Steve Hurt

Thanks guys. I will proceed to remove it and place an order for some Wurth's.