Found a good crossmatch for rear cargo area seal

In case anyone is looking for a generic alternative to the original part, I can confirm this one is a good match and fits well, with excellent grip on the lip around the opening and plenty of range to pinch and stretch the cargo cover into place:

Vertical Bulb Rubber Seal | Bulb Diameter: 0.51 inch (13mm), Grip Range: 0.039 to 0.12 inch (1-3mm)

Amazon also sells it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0191KFEIW

It's about $1.50/foot depending on the length roll purchased. I'll post some pics below.

Original (left) compared to new (right):
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New installed:
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New installed:
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Looks like the same seal shape/profile is also used around the front spare tire well, however the original front seal on my 328 has some glued/fused joints in the lower corners, so a generic replacement from a bulk roll would need some glue tweaks to be a perfect match (probably not super important).

I also attempted to rescue my old vinyl cargo cover, which was in excellent shape everywhere except the front edge. I think age/heat caused the vinyl to shrink, and that front edge could no longer fully reach the front lip to get pinched into place with the seal. So I trimmed off the old front edge and glued on a strip of black vinyl to extend the edge by a couple inches. It seems to have been successful, is not really noticeable, and I was glad to preserve the original part and save a few hundred dollars on a replacement. But I will reserve final judgement until after seeing how the glue holds up to time/heat over the next couple months. Worst case, I am out $25 and ~1 hr time for the fix attempt.

The fix:
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They were glued originally. I have installed many using 3M weather strip adhesive and 3M trim adhesive and never had a problem with heat with either. Trim adhesive is far easier to use.

The fix was a good idea. Most in my experience either break the zipper or tear near the zipper.

 

Great tip and much less expensive for the same thing, effectively!

 

Nice... love seeing parts without the horsey box

 

Please post something in the cross reference thread….

 

Done!