I HAVE REMOVED THE KICK PANELS ON A 68 CONVERTIBLE. I AM LOOKING FOR THE MATERIAL THAT WAS BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE KICK PANEL. A THICK, PUTTY TYPE STRIP CAULK SUBSTANCE THAT SEALED WATER OUT FROM ENTERING THR [censored] PIT THANK YOU
LAS VEGAS

I recommend 3M Strip Caulk. I get it from Eastwoods. As opposed to the factory caulking that will harden, this stuff will always stay soft and sticky.

The buytl used to set windshields works well too (no arguments about how one should use urethane not butyl on windshields).

How did you manage to get the kick panels out without damaging them?

no real way to put that into words... just go slowly and carefully and wiggle this way and that until it slides out. which it does. the danger spot is right where the big bottom part joins to the little vertical channel piece. just watch that area carefully.
you are likely looking for a better answer like, go up then down then sideways but I sure don't have that one. just work with the knowledge that they do come out in one piece, you just have to figure out the puzzle moves..

Last summer I purchase new kick panels and had a very hard time removing the original ones. I have recently taken my car COMPLETELY apart. This time I found that if you pull from the very front (toward firewall) and pull back toward seat it came right out. Not sure why but it came out very easy.

used a putty knife to carefully pry them out took about 45 min each

3M Strip-Calk

Part No. 051135. - 08578 (Black)

20 yds. (60 feet) 1 foot lengths

Bought at NAPA

Is the tube looking (the one that makes them hard to take out) on the back of the kick panels really needed wat r they for I was thinking of cutting that and just covering the hole