I'm OK, I have one. I just rarely see another one in engine bays here, even those of well detailed engine bays, though I do see the old clips often with traces of rubber evident. Mine was like them too once, but after my last re-do in '22, it was a sore spot every time I opened the hood as my eyes were drawn to the ragged remains.

I ordered one, and went to install it, and I guess the clips were not exactly right because I had some slack sections where it drooped a little and others where it was tight. I removed it in frustration and it tore.

I ordered a second one, I think was "Rubber the right way" (or something like that). I had removed the remains of the first one, touched up the oval clip holes, and the day I got the second new one, I gently took a small set of pliars and removed each metal clip without tearing the new cowl seal. I picked up a little box of 3/16" black plastic push pins (check the oval width top to bottom, pretty sure was near 3/16") at Advance and starting at center of the obvious shelf formed in the cowl front and the rubber, I used a hole punch (for leather belts) set to a same size to punch the center hole cleanly and attached the cowl seal there. I then did the last one at each end .... and then I then worked my way from center towards the ends. It is just tight enough to prevent sagging and the length was perfect. Interestingly, it looked like those clips I had carefully removed from that second one might have been placed correctly.

I had a urethane sealant I thought about using, but did not use it as was not needed and I could see how it would complicate any future replacements.

That hood to cowl seal does reduce rain water running down the firewall over wire grommets as it drops off to the sides and it is molded to create a trough to carry water. It also is likely to reduce under hood air blowing up in front of a windshield with the misting of a coolant leak or early smoke of a fire. The time I had a fire on the driver side when a massive oil leak run onto hot exhaust manifold the smoke came out the side over the fender. When mine was in tatters, etc, I also had a bunch of pine needles get though, but not now.

Looking close, I can see the heads of push pins.


The "red to white" color change line was there since the 1989 repaint.

 

just deleted mine, good for air flow under hood. It never rains in ABQ anyway!

 

There is that ....... and I don't have that row of monster pines any longer, so no pine needles to put up with .... and we are hurting for needed rain. Having done a delete, you likely removed all but the oval holes.