68442Convertible

If I wash my car or park in a heavy rain, my top leaks on each side of the rear window. Water accumulates in the well where the top is stored. I don't wash the car very often, but I do take it on overnight road trips, and sometimes it rains.

My plastic window is in a section of the vinyl top that is attached to a trim stick in the trunk and to the rear metal bow/crosspiece of the top. The main part of the vinyl top is outside of the section with the window and overlaps it. The two sections are not glued/sealed together. Water runs down the window, seeps between the two sections of the top, and gets into the car.

I talked to a couple of convertible top experts. I cleaned the rear drain tray and drains. Put some clear spacers on the window to hold it away from the car body and let more water run into the drain tray. Put some self sticking gasket material between the 2 sections. Still get some water in.

I am considering gluing/sealing the 2 sections of the top together - at least the bottom several inches.

Has anyone else experienced this problem - and figured out what to do about it?

Fun71

Can you describe more precisely exactly where the water is leaking?

This sounds very unusual to me. I used to live on the Gulf Coast and had my car in MANY torrential downpours (thunderstorms, tropical storms, etc - you know what I'm talking about) and never had a water leak around the rear window.

I'm trying to visualize how water would even get "around" the rear window. The rear window curtain is tacked all the way around the rear bow, and then the top is overlaid on top of it. There should be a fairly large overlap, so it would seem very unlikely that water could flow forward to get to the bow area.

Both the rear curtain and the top are tacked around the U shaped trim stick under the deck lid area, and there is a plastic drain channel just underneath that. I can imagine water getting around the drain channel, especially is the top does not pull the trim stick tightly up against the rear deck area. Can you check to see which way the top material is wrapped around the U trim stick? Maybe it's not done correctly?

68442Convertible

The water runs/seeps between the section of the top that has the plastic window (rear window curtain) and the outer section of the top - it runs along the bottom of the overlap and accumulates in the well where the top is stored when it is down.

I agree that there is a lot of overlap. It appears that the water is getting through this overlap area.

The plastic drain/gutter is clean and works. Water that gets past the window/body interface goes into the plastic gutter and drains out the bottom of the car. I get no water in the trunk or rear seat area, just in the well where the top is stored when it is down.

I will have to check how the top and rear curtain are attached to the trim sticks. I won't be able to do that until late next week.

I read the Fisher Body chapter on the Folding Top, but I am not sure I understand how the two sections of the top are suppose to be attached to the trim sticks. I think I have three - a rear and two quarters.

Are the two layers of vinyl tacked to the same trim stick on the same side of the stick, one on top of the other? Then the vinyl is cut off a little below the trim stick - so there is a short tail hanging down? Should water that gets between the two layers of vinyl run down and into the plastic gutter?

68442Convertible

Read some more of the Fisher Body Folding Top chapter.

Looks like the well where the top is stored when it is down is called the "top compartment bag". That is where my water accumulates.

The back curtain is suppose to extend below the trim stick 1/2 inch. The top material is suppose to extend below the trim stick 1/2 to 5/8 inch. I will check this on my car.

I think that water that gets between these layers is not draining down and into the plastic gutter. It is running around the back curtain and into the top compartment bag.

68442Convertible

If I spray the car with a hose - using shower setting to simulate rain - I can see the water running in.

Fun71

Where exactly is it running in?

68442Convertible

It runs in where the back curtain ends - at the bottom.

I plan to undo the top compartment bag and inspect the attachment to the trim sticks. Spray some water and see what happens.

68442Convertible

My rear curtain is not tight and smooth where it curves around. The front edge has extra material (maybe 1/2 inch) and sort of droops. So the rear curtain is only tight against the top for maybe half the total overlap area. The water leaks in the front edged of the rear curtain curtain where it droops.

I suppose the correct fix is to remove the trim sticks, un-staple the top and rear curtain, get the rear curtain smooth, re-staple the top.

I looked at the top on a much newer Camaro. It had a piece of material (maybe 6 inches square) attached to the side curtain and to the top at the bottom edge to prevent water from getting in through this path. The side curtain is narrower (than mine) and the overlap area is only about 4 inches (mine is about 11 inches). I may try gluing in a piece of top material like this.

Newer convertibles also have rubber weatherstripping around the underside of the body opening where the top hits the body when it is up. I like this better than having the top against metal. Has anyone tried installing this weatherstripping on an older car?

MDchanic

Sounds to me like you've answered your own question: The top is installed badly.

I'm no top expert, but I have installed two ('48 F_rd and '71 Skylark), and that's just not the way it's supposed to be.

- Eric

68442Convertible

Before I take the trim sticks out, I need to get some stainless steel staples. Does anyone know what size staple is used on a 68 GM A body?

Fun71

I used Monel staples on mine as I couldn't find stainless steel. I think I used 1/2" for the trim stick.