i noticed a trunk leak on my 72 i replaced the trunk seal and it helped but after water testing i noticed the water is dripping off the hinge on the passenger side. any idea where it is coming from?

 

I'm thinking you've got leaking from the rear window channel. I had the same problem (wet trunk and rear floor area) on my '66 Delta 88.
My bodyman had to remove the rear window/package tray, eliminate the rot, fabricate and weld in new sheetmetal patches at both bottom corners. That did the trick for me.
An old-time GM mechanic told me that a lot of cars developed window leaks (front & back) due to water laying in the window channels; from being out in the rain or frequent car washing and there was really no way to get all the moisture out from under the window stainless trim. Not even using an air hose could get those areas completly dry. The window sealants also didn't help at keeping moisture away from the sheetmetal.
Moral of the story, keep 'em in the garage, out of the rain, and go easy with the hose when doin' the car wash thing. Dry, Dry, Dry, is the solution and much easier said than done.
If your rear window channel has any rust/rot under the moldings, chances are, therein lies your leak.

 

+1.

The window channels all rot out, unless you live in the desert.

In the old days, you'd just smear clear silicone into the cracks between the stainless moulding and the body and the glass, all around, but that doesn't look too good on a fancy car.

- Eric

 

I put 2 small drains made out of 3/16 brakelines from the back window channel into the wheelwells, when we fixed the rot. You dont see them unless you crawl into the trunk.

 

i had the body work and paint all redone 2 yrs ago so i cant see any rust or rot. thats why i'm having such a hard time pinpointing where it is coming from.

 

One way that would help you to find your leak would require a bit of physical contortion. .
Remove your entire back seat. Look through the opening from the rear seat area into the trunk. Use a flashlight for illumination in the dark trunk area & have someone spray water from the garden hose over the rear window, trunk lid area. There's a good chance you'll be able to see any water drips if your assistant sprays enough water over the areas that you suspect may be the problem.
It isn't very hi-tech but it should give you an indication as to where your leak(s) are. Hope this is helpful.

 

i tried the method of climbing in the trunk and having someone lock me in and water testing. it takes a fair bit of water but then u get a steady drip off the hinge. it looks like i'm going to have to bite the bullet and pull out the rear seats and package tray and see what i can find.

 

Yeah, good luck and keep us posted. H2O Leak hunting can be a pain but oh SO WORTH IT once you pinpoint it!

 

so i went on the hunt for my water leak again. i resealed the back glass to see if that solved the problem. i soaked the car down and not a drip of water in the trunk so i put the chrome trim back on. yesterday it rained and once again water in the trunk. took off the chrome trim again and not a drip. any ideas???

 

Much as I hate to say it, I had this same exact problem with my 98 a few years ago. Turns out the rear window seal had let go in several places, while it was in the body shop getting repairs. Did you have the rear glass out when the body work was done? If not, it's possible that the rear glass seal may have been damaged. Can you get a glass shop to look at the seal and see if it has any issues? That's what I ended up doing cause it was driving me nuts. Stacey (Crystal Glass) found the problem in less than 10 minutes. New seal kit under the rear glass (cost me about 25 bucks all told, tax in) and it was water tight again. But like you, it worried the heck out of me when I couldn't find the source of the leak

 

yes they had all the glass out of the car when the body work was done. i am just wondering why it only leaks when the molding is on.

 

I just had to have the rear window resealed on my car, still has a leak but I chased it down to the rear tail light.

 

I had a minor leak at the top of my rear window, when it got worse it began following the underside of the glass down to the bottom. I didn't let it go to long and had the window removed, the channel primed and painted and glass resealed. I was lucky, no channel rot. I usually just sponge bath my car now and give it very few full washes.

 

is there any seam sealer in the bottom corners of the back glass under the trim? Its the spot where the two pieces of metal overlap. I have the same issue with mine. if the sealer is dried up the water gets in between the spot where the two panes meet. About every 2-3 years I get water in the trunk again and I end up scraping the sealer back out and reapplying some more.