Wet door panels, what do I do?

[Deleted User]

Recently my car sat outside during a half hour long torrential downpour. At the end of it my door panels were soaked. Just the door panels were wet. There was no water on the sill plate, around the door, or on the wood grain trim.



When I drove it in rain for a few hours, the door panels did not get wet.



My window channel is only a few months old. Could the water have come in at the base of the windows?



I really, really, want to get my car water tight so I do not have to freak-out every time it rains. I consider stopping leaks critical before I put in a new interior.



Are leaks normal for stepdowns and how to I get water tight?



Thank you for sharing your knowledge and advice.

Browniepetersen

Just a wag, but I would think it was either the window sweeps (the rubber or felt that attaches to the inside and outside of the glass at the top of the door or I would check to be sure that all the drain holes are open. What little rain that gets by the window sweeps should drain out and not pool up. Never had the problem after I finished my restoration, but did have the problem before I sealed my windows when I washed the car......

[Deleted User]

Browniepetersen wrote:

Just a wag, but I would think it was either the window sweeps (the rubber or felt that attaches to the inside and outside of the glass at the top of the door or I would check to be sure that all the drain holes are open. What little rain that gets by the window sweeps should drain out and not pool up. Never had the problem after I finished my restoration, but did have the problem before I sealed my windows when I washed the car......

Something odd is that the door panels did not get wet from the bottom up. All the different sections were wet.

[Deleted User]

Michael:

Were all the door panels wet?
Have you changed the weather stripping?
Are the door lock striker plates adjusted for proper closure ... i.e. compression of the weather stripping?
Did you replace the door water proofing sheets behind the door panels?

If the weather stripping is installed incorrectly the rain will pour into the car.

The door strikers must be properly adjusted to compress the weather stripping.

If the door panel ... Water proof paper was left out when the door panels were reinstalled the door cards and upholstery will get wet even in a car with properly installed weather stripping and properly operating door locks and strikers. The water goes between the glass and the door sweeps and fall through the door and out the bottom. So, if the water proof paper is missing ... the door panels get wet.

Hope this will help you diagnose the problem and find a solution.

RL Chilton

Michael-

I'm sure you didn't know, and I'm pretty sure there were none on your car when you got it, but that water-proof backing that Ken is talking about goes behind your door panels. I've seen Hudsons with a black type of paper not unlike tar paper that goes underneath a composition-shingled house. Others I've seen had an opaque plastic. It's simply a vapor barrier, but goes a long way towards keeping your interior panels dry.

[Deleted User]

RL Chilton wrote:

Michael-



I'm sure you didn't know, and I'm pretty sure there were none on your car when you got it, but that water-proof backing that Ken is talking about goes behind your door panels. I've seen Hudsons with a black type of paper not unlike tar paper that goes underneath a composition-shingled house. Others I've seen had an opaque plastic. It's simply a vapor barrier, but goes a long way towards keeping your interior panels dry.

I did not know that there was suppose to be a water-proof backing for the door panels. The door panels are in several different pieces, does the barrier just go behind them or do I need to take apart the door some to install it? Anyone have pictures?