Rain water entering my car

[BN6_2197]

Gentlemen,

unfortunately I'm not living in California but in a German region where it rains regularly ;-)

When driving my car in the rain, water enters the car via the gap between front wings and door.

Has anybody of you also experienced this phenomenon and has an advice to improve this?

Are there any rubber joints foreseen there which might be missing in my car?

Volker

 

[DerekJ]

Very common problem resulting in wet knees. Its part of the fun of owning an Austin Healey. I keep a rolled up towel in the door pocket.

 

[BN6_2197]

I keep a rolled up towel in the door pocket.

That's my current work-around, too :-D

 

[IanIrving]

Hi Volker
My car is in France where it also rains a fair bit. I'm presently working on trying to keep water out, it seems a forlorn hope. Mine comes in all around the windscreen so I'm changing all those seals first. I have replaced all the door seals recently and don't get much in through the wing to door gaps so maybe your seals are brittle and out of shape. They are not expensive so worth trying to change them. We keep a roll of kitchen towel in the car, and a plastic bag for the wet pieces, usually many. Removing the carpets to dry them out is not much of a chore except for the one under the drivers seat which in my car, BJ8, requires removal of the silencer boxes to get the seat runners out.
best of luck with the problem.

Ian

 

[bob hughes]

When I had my BN4 back in 1973, I must say that I did not experience any problems. I had installed a brand new soft top - off the shelf for around £34 then, and I also had a factory hard top, it was my daily driver.

Have you a photo of your problem areas that we could look at to establish the possible solution? There should be Furflex seals around the door openings leading up to the sides of the windscreen and there should be seals along the top edge of the wings where they return to the door. I am trying to scan in a section from 'Factory Original' and will post it if I can.



Bob

 

[BN6_2197]

I have replaced all the door seals recently and don't get much in through the wing to door gaps so maybe your seals are brittle and out of shape.
Ian

Ian, what are the door seals you are speaking about? I do not find them in any spare part catalog? Volker

 

[bob hughes]

Volker

Have a look at this, you can see a red Furflex on the left hand side of the A post and the rubber seal at the top of the front wing returning to the edge of the dash board

https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/... seals B 20170713_10323539_zpsa6qn6men.jpg



Bob

 

[bob hughes]

Volker

If you have the SC Parts catalogue look at section 18.31 - door fittings part numbers 26584 Scuttle seals and 205734 Furflex for the door openings. On reflection there is no seal up the side of the windscreen on the 100/6's, there is a groove and the side screens are provided with a rubber seal in that area.



Bob

 

[BN6_2197]

Bob, that seems to be the problem: my car has no rubber seal at the top of the front wing returning to the dash board fitted. "SC Parts" seems to be "Limora" in Germany. I found the seal there using the same part number as you mentioned Thanks, Volker

 

[Michael Oritt]

Just my opinion, but trying to make a Healey watertight is a very heavy lift.

Thinking that it would stop the persistent leak onto my left knee I installed the dog-leg shaped gutter and attendant rubber molding that was missing on BN1's and added on BN2's. This only succeeded in moving the leak down to my shin.

The addition of the hardtop and aftermarket side curtains has made things a bit better but I resigned myself long ago that leaks are a part of the LBC experience.

 

[BN6_2197]

Michael, I never expected the Healey to be "waterproof". But I want to do the best to get it as close at possible ;-) Volker

 

[roscoe]

I assume everyone has heard this so if so please forgive me. The only difference between driving your Healey with the top up versus having it down is that when in a downpour, people do not point an laugh if your top is up because they assume you are dry. They don't know you get pretty wet either way.

 

[Jack T]

I assume everyone has heard this so if so please forgive me. The only difference between driving your Healey with the top up versus having it down is that when in a downpour, people do not point an laugh if your top is up because they assume you are dry. They don't know you get pretty wet either way.

That's perfect. Last week my wife and I drove the last half hour home with the top down in the rain. Wasn't raining all that hard, and the main problem was the rain getting on the inside of the windshield. Going to put a squeegee in the car to clear the inside of the glass in future episodes.

 

[kozelding]

Wasn't raining all that hard, and the main problem was the rain getting on the inside of the windshield.

Isn't that funny?

I really try to keep my Healey out of the rain, but of course, living in New England, localized showers pop up on otherwise brilliantly sunny days. I've been caught in sudden downpours with no roof, and, yeah, more rain seems to get swept on the inside of the windshield than on the front.

I always wonder if I could go just a bit faster (I'm always on little twisty roads) - maybe >65 MPH? - if things would dry out.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I assume everyone has heard this so if so please forgive me. The only difference between driving your Healey with the top up versus having it down is that when in a downpour, people do not point an laugh if your top is up because they assume you are dry. They don't know you get pretty wet either way.

Thanks, save me the trouble of typing it again

I made that determination back in 1978, when the Healey was my daily commuter from San Francisco over to the East Bay.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Isn't that funny?

I really try to keep my Healey out of the rain, but of course, living in New England, localized showers pop up on otherwise brilliantly sunny days. I've been caught in sudden downpours with no roof, and, yeah, more rain seems to get swept on the inside of the windshield than on the front.

I always wonder if I could go just a bit faster (I'm always on little twisty roads) - maybe >65 MPH? - if things would dry out.

No, I've tried it at speeds considerably faster than that, and it just produces more water to the backside of the head(s) and glass.

I guess it has to do with the slope of the rear deck__again, this is on a 2-seater, so nothing to upset the reversion__since there isn't a clean break (like a Kamm tail) in the airflow.

 

[HealeyRick]

roflmao!

 

[Randy Forbes]

View attachment 49519

roflmao!

Nowadays, there'd be a class-action lawsuit!

 

[Jim 58 BN6]

Nowadays, there'd be a class-action lawsuit!

Well, that depends on what the definition of 'that' is...but unfortunately, you're probably right. :grumpy:

I found that if I could keep the TR4 above about 35mph, and not hit any lights, I could either get home to the garage, on find an overpass to hide under while I "erected the hood" (which was a bit involved). That situation always seemed a source of great amusement to many of my fellow motorists.

During the rainy season in the SF Bay Area, even with the top up, the backs of my pants cuffs and shoes were constantly wet - especially after I installed my new carpets, because they really soaked up the water due to their nice foam padding that the original worn out set lacked. The TR6 had a much improved top, but my 124 Spider had the best operating top and weather sealing of all the convertibles that I've owned or driven.

Good luck. With side curtains, you might want to carry a couple of towels...

 

[kozelding]

View attachment 49519

roflmao!

That's excellent. Though, it's true, I don't get angry!