leak inner cowl panel

If you want to do it "right" you know already what has to be done. Front has to come off the car, windshield out, dash out as well, drill a couple hundred spot welds....

Most other methods are just patch work IMO. To get an idea just how bad your cowl is you can pull out the fresh air exchanger on the drivers side, and the heater cowl on the passenger side.

Best to check your toe-boards while your at it.

Its a little late but you could put a cowl cover on the car if it has to sit outside.

Best of Luck & I feel your pain <Mouse + Nest = Drip!>

Tommy D

Although cowl leaks are fairly common in older cars, don't overlook the windshield gasket. If it isn't sealed correctly, it will leak on the floor boards too.

There really isn't a good news scenario if your cowl is leaking. As tommytorino says, you can drop the air vent and the heater box and do some work through the hole (standing on your head.) Minor repairs can be done this way-it is just not fun (but neither is scratching your new paint.). Perhaps an aftermarket vent hat will help too. The cowl cover mentioned will also help, but you will need to remove it for the heater to function properly.

Tommytorino also made a good point in that once you get the water stopped, you should pull your carpet and check out those floor pans.