Gentlemen: I recently purchased a 1969 Chevelle convertible. I am basically pleased with the car, except that when it rains, the car soaks water into the interior. This has nothing to do with the convertible top. It seems to have something to do with the windshield, the depression between the windshield and the firewall and the interior body metal on the passenger side where the lower fresh air vents are located. To make it short, water comes in above the vented area and runs across the carpet.....a lot of water, everything that accumlates on that side of the hood and windshield. Now it occurs to me that this design must be made to take on water, but then let it out somewhere down the side of the car where the front fender overlaps the cowl. My question is, "Where is this water supposed to come out, and what can I do to stop it coming into the interior of the car?" Thanks in advance. R.B.

i have no answers other than: you must keep that car from being exposed to the elements. at the least, get a good cover.

Dear Pat...thanks for the concern and the advice. I first noticed that the car was filling up with water during the early summer months which were uncharacteristically rainy where I live, and I had to take out the front bench seat and all the carpet to dry it, and the floor pans out. Since then, I have used a car cover and that has made a huge difference. This morning, I got caught out in the rain and was really ticked off because the interior has some (not as much as before ) water on the floor. So, I got motivated to post the question. I am willig to remove the front clip if necessary to correct this problem. Still hoping for someone who has solved the problem in the past to pull my bacon out of the fire. Thanks, R. B.

I'm assuming you have the 'Astro' ventilation or equivalent: Fresh air to the feet outlet under dash opened by the knob. The cowl goes down on both sides to that area to bring fresh cold air to your feet when you open the vent. If your drains are plugged up, water will fill up and come inside the car.
To get in there, pry off the plasic vent cover-you'll find a bunch of screws holding on the plastic piece. Once the screws are out, it's also held in place with a heavy putty substance, might take a bit of pulling to get it out.

More often than not it's the windshield leaking.

Dear Sid, I did the disassembly that you described during the first great soaking and drying operation. The putty and other stuff was exactly as you described it. Unfortunately, all this has done is let me watch the water run in. I would like to know where the water is supposed to run out. Do I lay under the car and look up at the fenders, or is there something that can be accessed from the inside now that I have it apart?

As to the windshield Dean, it may very well be the culprit. Do I need to go along the bottom with sealer or is there a better way? Thanks R. B.

rb, the path is down through the cowl behind the fender, into the rocker panel and out through the drain holes in the bottom of the rocker.

The lower section of that "cowl bulge" behind the fender - in front of the door hinges which is what Sid is talking about is usually full of debris which blocks the path to the rocker area.

When the windshield leaks, it really needs to be removed and reinstalled which usually leads to replacing the rusted out metal it sets on.

The '69 Chevelles have "flushable rocker panels". Water is supposed to enter the cowl vents near the base of the windshield, travel down the sides past the kick panel vents, back through the inner rocker panels, and out openings in the bottom of the rear of the rockers. Great in theory but leaves and other trash accumulate at the bottom of the cowl sides behind the kick panels, which causes water to not flow through like it's supposed to. Then the kick panels are sealed to the body with a non-drying putty around the vent opening. If there is a break in that seal, water can come in at the bottom of the kick panel onto the floor. You need to remove the kick panels (must remove the E brake pedal first on the driver side), clean out the leaves and trash so the water can flow on into the rockers, and reseal the kick panels openings to the body.

When my ragtop was leaking from that area, I just pulled the vents out and reached in there. Pulled out gobs of stuff, then stuffed a hose in there and slightly opened it and fished around with my fingers until the water was flowing out. Hope this helps, and good luck smile.gif Another idea would be to put the car on a lift and fish up in that area with a coat hanger. My bet would be on just reaching in there and rooting aound smile.gif

As to the windshield leaking-that would probablly be spotted higher up on the dash/firewall area runing down to the floor. After you've cleaned out your rockers and you're sure they are draining properly, have a friend squirt the windshield and look for leaks coming down from it.

This may help you find leaking areas smile.gif

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Sid_Coleman/Mvc-012s.jpg
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Sid_Coleman/Mvc-014s.jpg

If yours is covered by the material, you may have a path for water to get into the header area and run down inside. Repaired mine with fiberglass and sealer, seemed to work just fine smile.gif

Dear Sid, Dean and Von.....looks like I am going to have to go after both the windshield and the drainout to make sure I have got it. Thanks for the additional clarification. That is exactly what I needed. Greatly appreciated. Wish me luck. R. B.

Originally posted by rb:
Wish me luck. R. B. GOOD LUCK !

graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Dittos :D