Gasp! Water in floorboards.

Pakrat said:
Outranked by an 04'? An 04' what? Inconceivable!!!!!!!! :p

Your climate is pretty dry though Oz, that's for sure. My 04' sits in the driveway with the 00' day in and day out. I don't plan on either being with me after 5 years of age though, and neither will ever be a classic. To me they are merely something to get around in between the nice days, however many of them there are a year.


It's mama's ummmmmmm....Buick. She claims that the 25,000 price tag outranks the stangs 8 or 9. We are looking to move to a 2 car garage situation though. It is a shame indeed when what you drive delagates where you live.
 
Pakrat said:
I hear ya. When we were finally tired of paying rent, the only firm direction I gave to my wife was that she should find us a garage with some type of house attached. :p

So, does mama realize that regardless of current value, one will go down every year while the other will go up? :rolleyes:


Yea, but her car will get the shed untill the price of the Buick go under the stangs. I figure thats another 4 or 5 years.
 
Pakrat said:
Well if you did invest all of that time and money to relieve it of it's issues, then it would be a huge waste of that effort to leave the car outside 24/7 still wouldn't it? That's the reason that comes to my mind. I have no issues with them as a DD provided they have a garage at least, thus the (and/or) at the end of my sentence. I'm sure many would disagree, but it just seems selfish to me to demand all the extremes out of such an old car when the car is to really serve one purpose, and that is to look cool. It's not economical, comfortable or environmentally friendly in any respect what so ever, so to put it through the paces and then as a reward abuse it further with the elements just seems wrong. People are entitled to disagree with that philosophy, but let's be honest at least, it is not what is in the cars best interest and is not responsible ownership. I personally am hoping that my car long out lives me and makes some new owner some day just as happy.

Once again I attract controversy! :-)

I would much rather my car be garaged but...I don't have a garage anymore. I hope inside of a couple years to have a home of my own with a garage and at that point it will be garaged. However, I did not buy my car to look cool. I bought it becuase I'd always wanted one. Looking cool is just a perk.

I enjoy putting the time, money and effect into the car. It's never going to be a show car so, I just enjoy it.
 
Back to the original issue...

When I pulled my kick panels, I noticed a big hole on the pass side for the little radio antenna cable. It had no grommet and water was coming in there.
As totemkeeper said already, check all the little holes.
 
It comes from many different places. I had all the above with the windows and such, but I also had a weird leak that went down the pillar into the bottom support that the door sit above down a drain hole and then into some weird gap under my seat riser..... let me tell you I just about went nuts trying to figure that one out.
 
First you need to find out where the water is coming in. There are three main areas to check for leaks in the front area of the car. You need to check all three areas separately and in order.

1. Check the cowl for leaks. Pour some water directly into the cowl, making sure not to get water around the windshield area. The water should drain out each side behind the front wheels. You can also look into the cowl area with a flashlight and a hand held mirror.

2. Check the windshield seal. Run some water around the windshield seal, making sure not to allow water to run over the door jambs and door glass. This is probably the greatest cause of leaks into the front of the car. A 35+ year old windshield seal is probably rotted and no longer weathertight. Also, if the windshield has been replaced or pulled recently, after market windshield gaskets are notorious for leaking - make sure to get the FORD seal if you replace the windshield seal.

3. Check the door jambs and door glass channel. Run water directly on the doors, especially allowing water to run down the glass and into the door itself. There are drain holes inside the doors that can get blocked.

Cover the floor boards with some newspaper (it will show even small drips of water very easily) and check after each test.

Tim
 
I thought my leak under the glove box was the cowl hats as they are somewhat rusted, but not rotted out yet. The leak turned out to be the windshield seal. I could see water puddling up on the rubber on the inside of the window! I used black silicone sealer and worked it in very carefully on the outside seal and that stopped my leaks. We had the same problem with our Ford vans at work, but did a fast seal job on it as it's only a work van.
 
Pak...I'm very disappointed. If you put alot of time and money into your car...i would think the one thing you would want the most is to drive it around every minute of the day. My pride and joy will be driven around alabama everyday i need it to. Leaks are not a problem if you are very thorough in your work. When you do a job...do it right. My advice...rip your interior out and don't put it back in until you can drive in a car that stays dry. All I can say.
 
Disappointed in what respect? My level of care and respect for my car? I'm afraid you have me at a loss as I am not getting your point. Mayeb the difference between us is that I am never in a position to "NEED to drive it around everyday, I do have two other cars at my disposal besides this one. I think of it like this, I love Spinach Calzones, I mean love them, but I sure as hell don't want to be eating them every minute of the day, the reason is two fold. 1) No matter how much I love them, it is not air or water which I need and I do have other things I like as well, 2) The fact that I don't have them every day makes me enjoy each and everyone I do have like a cherry high, so where exactly is the down side to that? My car is very water tight and solid as a rock and I prefer to enjoy it only on the nice days rather than being selfish and drive it on nasty or rainy days just for the sake of driving it, not to mention dealing with drum brakes and crappy window wipers. After all the money and hard work of restoring it, who the heck wnats to be left with a five year old looking car in five years? By 2009 I won't be looking to restore my 04' Grand Cherokee to like new that's for sure just as I won't be restoring my 2000 Dakota next year either, I will trade it in and start over. I would just as soon have my mustang look new for 10 or 12 years though before I am left with the decision of riding in a 20 footer or re-investing in it's restoration once again and increasing my vested total.

Make no mistake, the car is my pride and joy as well, thus my total level of respect and care for the car, it has at the very least earned semi-retirement and pampering in my book and that's exactly what it gets from me, no less. I still drive it to work at least a few times a week during the summer as well as almost exsclusively on the weekends if the sun is shining, but for me to leave it in the parking lot all day long unprotected in the rain 8 or 9 hours at a time so that I can enjoy a 10 minute ride to and from work every single momment possible?!?!?!??!?!?!?! Sorry, but if I have to choose between that or your disappointment in me, it's no contest, you loose. I simply do not see how anyone can have pride and joy without respect for said object. Just because your car CAN do something (like weather the elements) does not mean it SHOULD, but hey, to each his own, that's just how I feel. I will never ever put my desires or needs over my cars needs.