Hi all .. rust??

[volareandgtcat]

Hi everyone ... so I finally got to washing the Volare and noticed a sort of soft spot under the vinyl ... with my crude photoshop skills I drew a black line and believe it or not a green arrow .. when pressed with your thumb it kinda all moves(approx. length of the line).. anyways any ideas on how to stop anymore getting soft and what I can do to remedy this?? if it's even in need of fixing?? like I mean, if I can stop the water intrusion maybe it wont get any worse? I don't know the 1st thing about rust, that's why all my vehicles get oiled, so I'm lost on what to do. Thanks in advance for any tips, tricks, and advice.

 

[80mirada]

It is the seam of the window plug. It is a notoriously rust prone spot. There is the possibility that the plug is just coming loose

 

[F body Deconstructor Jim]

Yup...looks like the window plug line and could be just coming loose. Bottom edge rusts a lot more than the top but the C pillar seam tends to rot on the vinyl top cars due to the factory use of porous body filler in the seam instead of lead which is used on the painted roof cars.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Thanks for the quik reply ... so, is there any way I can stop this from getting worse? The seam on top looks like it's all there and sealed, no threads missing ... does the vinyl have to come off or can I attack it from the inside by removing the interior panel? Should I silicone the trim pieces around the windows? if that's where the water is coming from? I'm sorry if these sound like silly questions .. but I'm really not into rust ....... I marvel at the rust repair threads and honestly wonder how after seeing the finished job!

 

[BudW]

I’m not a big fan of vinyl tops, for they are not water tight and fall apart after a few years. It doesn’t help much there is little to no paint underneath it either.

I have seen Chrysler assembly line photos were paint wasn’t even applied to tops of cars that were to have vinyl roofs installed! (Not sure of year or carline).


I bought a ’68 Charger almost 30 years ago. The previous owner removed the black vinyl top from it because it was coming apart, just before purchase. Not much later I had a two tone paint job (medium blue and rust – from the lack of paint on the roof).
A few years later, I started to have pin holes from the lack of paint on roof.
A couple of years later the car burnt to the ground from a kid tossing a firecracker into my cracked open windows during a 4th of July weekend.


A long term solution, it would be best to remove the vinyl top, fix any rust (or prevent future rust), make sure top is painted and/or sealed). Then install new vinyl top (if wanted). Now surface is less likely to rust for a long time, if done correctly this time.

BudW

 

[Justwondering]

No where near your problem, but I have an 87 fifth avenue and the vinyl top was toast.
It had a fiberglass bonnet (insert) that the vinyl was glued to and the bonnet was butyled to the car. But the point is, the fiberglass bonnet was riveted to the car sheet metal.

Nearly every rivet hole had some light rust but three of them were rusted through and the metal was gone from 1/4 inch to as large as 1 inch in diameter around the rivet hole.

Since the area was small and going to be under the vinyl, I cleaned everything back to metal removing all the rust. Applied primer and paint from rattle cans or JBWELD to get a smaller hole and then primer and paint.

But this is a daily driver and nothing was mushy like in your case.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Thanks everyone ... I think I'll take BudW's advice,(firecracker ... jkg. lol) but for now I'll see what I can do to slow the progression from the inside .. till funds become available.

 

[Justwondering]

volareandgtcat ... when you figure out that funds available thing, could you bottle it and send me a case??
lol

 

[F body Deconstructor Jim]

Are you getting water in the car now?
I'd pull the interior panel and check the plugs nuts.
Also check for signs of water under the rear seat bottom and in the area between the 1/4 skin and interior structure.
Typically I have found if the top area of the opening is rotten it will be far worse on the bottom and you'd notice that.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Thanks F body .."I'd pull the interior panel and check the plugs nuts." .......... I'm gonna assume I'll know them when I see them .... whenever I washed the car .. but not in a rainstorm .. I would get a drip or 2 on the inside of the 1/4 glass and it always took awhile to drip .. I just thought I was forcing the water through ... that's was the reason I was thinking of clear silicone on the outer window trim .. I gotta feeling I won't like what I'm gonna see when I remove the interior panel. Below the line I drew there is what looks like bubbles .. like, rusty cancery stuff you find in wheel well lips.. but when pressed it help firm. Prolly rust ?
When I ran speaker wires and such .. I didn't really notice water under the seat .. but I wasn't really looking on the left side .. all the wires were run on the right side.

Justwondering .. I hear you on that bottling funds stuff .. just found out mom needs a new roof and we 3 have to help her out .. I just don't know how were getting a 95 yr. old up the ladder .. I know she'll outwork me when we do, and I get dizzy just looking up, nevermind being up there. ... lol

 

[Justwondering]

I like your mom. Sounds like my kind of lady.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Well ....... just b/c I didn't see it doesn't mean it doesn't happen ...... we got poured on this past weekend .. Found a drip on the inside 1/4 glass ......... I used clear plastic flexible contact cement where the trim meets the vinyl .. b/c I had some ... hope it works.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Well ... with the last days of warmth I finally got to tackling this issue ......... got everything torn out and still can't find any entry point .. first I tried with a bright light .. then the hose came out .. still nothing .. but water is getting in!! water stains down the inside of the panel and some dampness in the headliner pads ... I checked the vinyl seam and around the chrome ... nothing?? .. I do have a seam at the top of the B post, and the water stains kind of match up but, that would mean water is going slightly up hill to drip on the window?? can't get water there without soaking the interior too .. I guess I'll put it back together and reseal that seam ... any ideas ... I've run out of them ... thanks in advance.
Oh, and I didn't see any rust .. not that I could see a lot in there.

 

[volareandgtcat]

Upon further inspection .. I put the spray end back on the hose and doused it .. by the time I shut the water off and got back inside .. sure enough .. drip, drip ... no way of knowing where it came from tho, all the threads are gone on the vinyl top, could the water be seeping in from that?? when I pressed on the seam water did come back up through the old thread holes .. gonna see what I can use to plug that up (flex glue to the rescue ?) .. no matter what I use tho .. it aint gonna look good.

 

[lowbudget]

On my Valiant, Dodge in all their wisdom didn't use seam sealer on the drip rails. I guess they figured the vinyl top would take care of it. My new Fifth was leaking around the bottom of the rear window.

 

[Aspen500]

I've had luck with a procedure in the past. Mix some dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Then start the car and turn the heater fan on full, windows closed. On the outside of the car, spray the soapy water on suspect leak areas and look for bubbles. Sounds strange but it really does work for the hard to find water leaks.

 

[volareandgtcat]

I've had luck with a procedure in the past. Mix some dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Then start the car and turn the heater fan on full, windows closed. On the outside of the car, spray the soapy water on suspect leak areas and look for bubbles. Sounds strange but it really does work for the hard to find water leaks.

Wow !!! ..... that's the wisdom of the group showing ... glad I delayed putting it all back together .. thanks.

 

[volareandgtcat]

The good news is that the leaking water has been reduced to a couple of drops ... the bad news is that Aspen500's trick didn't point me to where it's coming in from (I thought for sure it would)... I even put my electric leaf blower in there to increase the pressure with no results ... so with less water after applying 1 coat of plastic glue I will apply another coat and see if that does the trick? It's not gonna look good tho .. lol .. I find it hard to believe that those tiny thread holes are letting the water .. and then collecting to form them drops on the 1/4 glass?
Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[Aspen500]

Well,,,,,,,sometimes the soapy water does the trick, but not always.
Water WILL find a way through even the slightest opening. A lot of times the tiny gaps are worse than a big gaping hole. I think it's that capillary action thing, especially when the water leaks ABOVE the actual leak point. As an auto tech I can verify that water leaks are one of the toughest jobs there is and they can be frustrating. Hang in there!

 

[volareandgtcat]

We have a bingo over here ........ tried the soapy water trick again .. it worked this time b/c I walked away for a moment or 2 and that is what it took to form the bubble (1 large bubble) ... it's right where the vinyl trim curves down wards right even with the seam at the top of the B post where it meets the roof .. the exposed part of the seam is solid but what's hidden may not be. Is that trim easily taken off .. or does the headliner have to come down? maybe I can get some sealer in there from the outside?