Red Arrows' Ascent

One of the first things I noticed about Red Arrows when buying it was the aging state of the rubber stripping throughout. The trunk seal was most urgent, since the rubber was either crumbling, hard as plastic, or gooey like tar. Using WD-40, an old screwdriver, and a dull pocketknife, I carefully peeled and scraped away the old gasket, taking care not to disturb the sheet metal underneath the lifting paint. After a few hours of effort, the metal rim was cleaned, and some soap and water and a few rags removed the oily and tarry residue leftover. A new 3M bulb seal was fitted on and fit perfectly without need of trimming.

The fuel cap grommet was also beyond its time, as it shattered when I disturbed it on opening the cap. Opening the trunk, I simultaneously removed the beaten MDF cover for the gas tank for good and gave access to the ring clamps holding the rubber hose to the cap. Twisting one loose, I had to get inside and remove the screws from the vinyl trim backing to access the other ring clamp and loosen it. I also unthreaded the air tube leading to the cap. The cap slipped out with relative ease, and the old grommet removed. The new grommet was fitted in place, and the filler cap was squished down into it. The air hose connection to the cap juts out, which complicates the process, but the body cutout had a slight oval shape to it that allowed the grommet to just barely allow that part of the cap through (with the aid of careful prying from an old screwdriver). The air tube was rethreaded, the cap refitted into the rubber hose, the ring clamps repositioned and tightened, and the cap rotated with the hinge facing 12 o'clock to my liking (satisfies symmetry and fuel side versatility).