Sealing water out

My 2dht is back together now after a complete body off restoration. For the interior, only the front seat is installed so the car is drivable. I want to seal off all water leaks before putting in the rest of the interior components. I can see why floor rust is so common..these cars leak like a sieve, the moisture gets under the carpet and rots the floor panels. I've cured most areas but one problem continues to elude correction. After washing the car I find what I consider too much water in the sill area. The door water barrier is in place and sealed according to the Body Manual. The door interior panel is not installed nor is the carpet. So...anybody out there got any suggestions as to how they solved this problem?

Do you have a picture of the exact piece you're talking about?

starchief_59 wrote:

Do you have a picture of the exact piece you're talking about?

Will post photo if you will point me to direction for attaching same.
John

I'm working on making a gallery for this forum but for now if you use photobucket.com and the paste the IMG link in this forum. Or you can email the photo to me and I will post it here.

Starchief_59:

Here is an old photo of area I am refering to:

Water beading shows up at the bottom of the door opening at floor level on top of the metal wire shield (black in photo). Carpet then door sill plate cover this area.

Hope this helps understand the problem I described. Since all the GM models of this vintage share design features of the Fisher bodies perhaps someone else has encountered this problem.

hhhmm, and you're sure that the seal is in properly? Are you sure it's coming from the door?

On my Buick I noticed there was always a small puddle of water right by the front seat after it rained. One day I sat in it while it rained to see where it was leaking from. There was a small gap in the windshield rubber that created the leak.

Starchief-59

Here's a more recent photo, the other one was five years old. Its not a windshield
problem, water beading occurs all along the black wire cover and thats a front to back direction. Door has new W/S and W/S along top is also new. Door window contacts that top W/S such that
it passes the paper test (strip of paper firmly caught between window frame and along top W/S).
As you can see in this photo, new door water barrier is in place.

Sounds like a problem. I'm not sure how to fix it.

I just looked at my original weatherstripping today. There is a small strip of rubber on the flat top of the door, right under the windshield. If that is missing the water may run on the flat door top instead of draining down the front of the door ?. I can't see on the pictures if this strip is there, but i can send you a picture of the original configuration if you want...

59Vista:
Its hard to see in the "after" photo but the W/S piece you refer to is in place. Thanks for your input.

All:
The following comment has continuity with the current subject but probably better fits the
Restoration or Tech Tips forums.
If during your restorations you have the doors off for painting, put the W/S's on the door before
reinstalling. Its easier and more successful at this stage. For you doubters, just try to glue on the "J" strips (GM # 4698923-4, Steel Rubber #60-0326-73) after the doors are installed...I know from experience. It can be done but you'll quickly run out of expletives.

haha thanks for the tip

4896....I can think of four things for you to check off the top of my bald head. First is the drain holes in the bottom of the doors. If these are not open, water could fill up and run out the slit where you tuck the water shield into. Next do the dollar bill test on every inch of the vent window to "A" pillar seal. This is a tough area to get aligned perfectly. You may need to reposition the vent frame to get it tight. On either side of the cowl there should be a small rubber strip glued to the underside of the cowl vent. This serves to divert water from entering the kick panel vent. The water runs down and out between the cowl and fender, and only the fresh air comes through the vents. Often these are lost or destroyed during a restoration. 3M's adhesive is good stuff, but it has a limitation. New weatherseals are manufactured with a release agent. This must be completly removed for the adhesive to properly bond. I would gently try to lift your weatherstrips to make sure they are firmly glued down, particularly the "J" strip. Mine looked good because the plastic fasteners were holding it in place, but when I lifted it with my fingers, it wasn't glued down. If I think of anything else. I'll post it. Hope this helps.......John