Weatherstripping Advice

[mgbruno]

Greetings to all,
I've got an 84 cabriolet and was wondering if anyone has ever replaced the window/soft top vertical felt seals. There are two of these beasts and they seal the vertical edge of the window to the soft top. There is a metal piece each of these felt seals is supposed to fit in. I just bought these two seals from Pelican Parts - so they are the OEM pieces and a) they don't fit into the metal grooves that well, b) they are very expensive, and c) after I installed them, they still leak. Of course I could not drive the car in the rain but right now, thats not an option. If anyone has any experience installing these pieces, please give me your advice. I've now ruined at least one of these things and want to at least get it right the second time around. Thanks and Semper Fi.