Leaks when it rains....

Stang_1973

Founding Member
Jul 13, 2001
565
9
38
San Antonio, Tx.
Well my friends '66 leaks when it rains. And due to the her brother getting a '77 project stingray, he has shotgun on the garage. She puts a cover on it whenever she isn't using it but it's her daily driver and uses it mostly to go to school. It has been raining quite often here and her nice interior and dash is getting wet. At first I thought it might be rotted cowl but the water seems to be getting in through the passenger side of the windshield, like where the pillar is. She put some tape on it and it helped but looks ridiculous. Is their any kind of sealer we can use to stop the leaking until she can permantly fix it?
 
You can go to a good auto glass shop and have them inject some sealer into the windshield gasket in an attempt to fix it but this will be hit or miss but you might get lucky. It sounds like it is time to pull the windshield, replace the gasket, and reseal everything from scratch.
 
Butyl Rubber Sealant.

First off, the windshield gasket is probably rotted away, hence the leakage...that or poor sealant in the first place.

My advice is to yank the windshield out and replace the gasket. It is NOT a difficult job. If the headliner is in need then do it at this time.

Use butyl rubber sealant to seal it all up. IT's a flexible sealant, so it can take the flexing of the gasket. Do NOT use 3M weather strip adhesive or window weld (do however, use window weld for spot leaks.) If you are having trouble locating this sealant, I got it from my local Ace Hardware ( Home Depot and Lowe's did not have it) and it was marked as a gutter and tiling sealant. Typically comes in gray, white or black. Try to get black.

While you are at it also get mineral spirits, paint thinner or charcoal lighter fluid. You can prety much wipe the stuff away with any of those three if you do it before it cures (24 hrs.)

To get the gasket around the metal lip, use a string. Tie the string around the gasket crack, then put the sealant, generously (but don't over do it!) on the gasket. Set it into place and you can pull thestring to get the gasket over the lip. Here is where you will make the mess. Have a soft bristle brush and a rag ready to get the sealant off the headliner and/or the A pillar.

I should also mention the windshield moldings. These come off with a flathead. The bottom one is a PITA to put back on...just try not to scratch the paint.

Good luck and va con Dios.
 
I havent checked it out, but I was planning to, just to be on the safe side. I really hope it is not rotted cause that is going to be a pain to fix. Her dad can do alot of work on cars but i dont know if he can do this. currently he helps his son with the stingray more casue they want to get it up to drivable standards. I would like to help out with both the stang and the vette, You know to get some points with her dad and brother. :D