first happy thanksgiving to everybody, I do have one question maybe someone can answer. I have been chasing exhaust fumes which really are not that bad, but the wife still smells it. on my rear deck I have the large weatherstrip that's been installed years ago but I was missing the small one that I call the part where it goes the rain gutter. Nissan part is a 3-piece weather strip. the one msa sells made by precision that is a 1-piece weather strip that glues to the top channel where the hinges are and down the 2 sides. I really do not know what is does, is it meant to keep water out of the channel or is for exhaust fumes? thanks

It's there strictly for water management (by design, it can't contribute to sealing off exhaust gases from the cabin because covers only the top and sides of the hatch opening, while remaining completely open to the outside at the bottom).

If your Z is a later-model 240 (where there are no vents on the lower hatch surface), the most likely culprit will be your main weatherstripping ("the large weatherstrip that's been installed years ago"). It may have lost some of its original shape after years of living 99% of its life in a crushed state while the hatch is closed. IIRC, some owners also found that the gasket around their taillights housings had deteriorated, allowing exhaust gases to enter the cabin through the rear panel.

If your Z is an earlier-model 240 (vents on the lower hatch surface), that's a whole different (and more challenging) ballgame. There are several threads on the CZCC site that discuss problems (several) and remedies for this design.

Edited 59 minutes ago59 min by Namerow

my z is an early 260z, and I did check the main weather strip using a dollar bill that will not slide at all around the hatch. I did change the taillight gaskets but is did very little to help. I could not understand why Nissan did use that seal for water management as the water will only run down the back anyway. maybe is it designed to keep less water out?

1 minute ago, kully 560 said:

my z is an early 260z, and I did check the main weather strip using a dollar bill that will not slide at all around the hatch. I did change the taillight gaskets but is did very little to help. I could not understand why Nissan did use that seal for water management as the water will only run down the back anyway. maybe is it designed to keep less water out?

I am going to change the door seals that I did use years ago that are made by precision to the s30 world door seals that I already ordered. it will let my doors close tighter as the precision makes them stick out a little. it can only help when the windows are closed anyway, but with the wife anything will help. she does not understand it is a 51–52-year-old car with no catallactic converter.