Thread: How do you rain proof your car?

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My car leaked water inside from multiple places every time it rained even with what appears to be good weather strips. I was able to take care of the trunk, and back windows but I still get water leaks from the windshield and and the cowl air vent even after I installed a brand new cowl vent gasket I even used a special silicone to seal the outer edges of the windshield gasket. I guess water still leaks in from the inner edges of the windshield gasket?

Your not alone, I have to dry off the dash and door panels when I wash Rita. I think the windshield leak is following a screw in the center divider which isn't hard fix, I just have to do it. As for the doors leaking on the inside panel, I don't care enough right now to check it out.

At the risk of sounding like a smart a$$, I have to say that most old cars leaked when they were new and 60 or 70 years hasn't helped them. In the case of early post war Fords like mine and yours, they were really poorly fitted at the factory. Most of the trunk lids I have looked at don't exactly fit the body opening. Some are just better than others.

My car has leaked around the windshield ever since I have been driving it and I did use correct gaskets. Part of the problem is the inset glass and modern speeds. The water piles up around the recessed windshield and high speed wind pushes it into whatever small opening it can find.

What Mike said: both our '47 Ford and '49 Morris Minor have new-but-original gaskets/seals in their windscreens and both cars still leak around the screen.

sealant in glass well , sealant on the pinch well . adjust the cowl vent to make sure it is sealing down .

My 40 leaked in the same spots. One big problem I noticed is the rubber gaskets expand and contract so if oyu don't put some sealer in the openings you're going to have leaks. I've heard several guys that run nothing but traditional type rods say if you don't want your cowl vent to leak, fill it in. I replaced my gasket and adjusted it and it got better.

Mine has been pretty dry since 2012 though....................................

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I'd recommend taking the same steps I take to rain proof my '01 Indian Chief:

Keep it dry.

little Vaseline on the cowl rubber does wonders . same with wing windows .

My cowl vent is the one thing that I've never had a problem with leaking. Instead my back window started leaking .

Originally Posted by shine

little Vaseline on the cowl rubber does wonders . same with wing windows .

That's a good idea