Front a rear windsheilds use "lace" gaskets. Fairly easy to replace after you've done a couple, but most folks may want to use a glass place. Still used on US pickups, so they will know what to do. However, DO NOT allow anyone to use RTV sealant on them, only slow dry stuff, or they will leak worse than the old ones -- takes a couple days for the rubber to coform to glass and body.

As for the leaks, what usually happens is that the rubber shrinks, and allows water to come over the bottom body flange the gasket fits over. Up front this will warp the windshield bow and run down the firewall under the carpet, and in the rear will go under the rear shelf cover, warping it and running down behind the backrest and onto the floor. Both places the water will travel under the ashphalt sound insulation, so you won't see it. Causes high humidity in the car (do you get frost on teh insides of the windows?) that rots the padding.

Lots of posts on this -- the basic replacement procedure is to remove the trim at the base of the window only -- leave the rest in, please!, then pry the lip of the seal up and over the body flange starting in an upper corner from the inside. With car, you can get it started over, and push the window and seal out of the car. Once out, remove the trim, clean glass, and install new seal on the glass. Install the trim into the gasket, making sure it fits all the way into the slot, then wrap two rounds of heavy string/light cork or #10 electrical wire around the assembly in the slot for the body flange. Hold window into position over the flange and pull the cord out from the inside of the car to pull the lip of the seal over the body flange. With luck, the seal and flange will snap right into place. Really takes two people to do this.

Caveats are that the rear window heater wires run THROUGH the gasket, so have to be taken loose in the trunk and pulled through the holes in the body with care. Also, the trim at the base is clipped down, and you MUST pull with a flat, hooked tool DIRECTLY at the clips, or the trims bends up terribly. Looks horrible if you do this. Some silicone lube will do a long way towards making this eaiser. You must also have a nice, smooth painted area under the seal. Doesn't have to be perfectly flat, but must be smooth. This means any rust MUST be sanded out, primed, and painted with at least 24 hrs dry time before you can install a new seal. If you leave it, it will leak...

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!