1994 Rainwater Gets Inside
08-10-2012, 09:25 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
1994 Rainwater Gets Inside
Rainwater or hosewater gets in my car everytime without fail. It's been doing this since I bought it in 2009. I usually don't drive in the rain and I take care when washing it but last week I got caught in a storm unexpectedly - time to fix this problem.
The previous owner was aware of the problem and included a new set of seals (aftermarket) for the entire vehicle. I've replaced the seals around the doors and on the targa top but still get water inside. The seals around the doors were a complete pain and I feel like they didn't 'fit' like the originals. Now, I have to kind of slam the doors to get them to compress the seals enough near the hinges to close right.
The water seems to drip in from where the window meets the targa seal where the glass comes to a point (if that makes any sense). It lands on the front of the seat (where your left knee would be in the driver seat, or right knee in the passenger) and near where the window controls are - on both sides.
So, given that I have new seals I'm assuming something else is out of whack, perhaps the glass? My windows do rattle if I close the doors with the window half way up. One thing I noticed, if I have been driving in the rain and I stop somewhat abruptly (just slightly faster than you normally would) a LOT of water comes in while braking, so clearly it is pooling somewhere and when I brake it sloshes forward to where it can find its way in.
I know this is a common C4 problem. I've tried to address it with new seals but I saw no improvement. What did I miss? If its the glass is there a 'how to' out there to correct it?
The previous owner was aware of the problem and included a new set of seals (aftermarket) for the entire vehicle. I've replaced the seals around the doors and on the targa top but still get water inside. The seals around the doors were a complete pain and I feel like they didn't 'fit' like the originals. Now, I have to kind of slam the doors to get them to compress the seals enough near the hinges to close right.
The water seems to drip in from where the window meets the targa seal where the glass comes to a point (if that makes any sense). It lands on the front of the seat (where your left knee would be in the driver seat, or right knee in the passenger) and near where the window controls are - on both sides.
So, given that I have new seals I'm assuming something else is out of whack, perhaps the glass? My windows do rattle if I close the doors with the window half way up. One thing I noticed, if I have been driving in the rain and I stop somewhat abruptly (just slightly faster than you normally would) a LOT of water comes in while braking, so clearly it is pooling somewhere and when I brake it sloshes forward to where it can find its way in.
I know this is a common C4 problem. I've tried to address it with new seals but I saw no improvement. What did I miss? If its the glass is there a 'how to' out there to correct it?
08-10-2012, 01:23 PM
#2
Race Director
Move to El Paso. You'll never have to worry about rainwater again. 
The aftermarket seals he gave you are probably junk. There's a lot of low quality specimens floating around on eBay, and the quality is awful. Replace with either CRC from Willcox Corvette or GM if you're willing to spend the bucks. Installed correctly, your problem should go away.
The aftermarket seals he gave you are probably junk. There's a lot of low quality specimens floating around on eBay, and the quality is awful. Replace with either CRC from Willcox Corvette or GM if you're willing to spend the bucks. Installed correctly, your problem should go away.
08-10-2012, 04:22 PM
#3
Drifting
Move to El Paso. You'll never have to worry about rainwater again.
The aftermarket seals he gave you are probably junk. There's a lot of low quality specimens floating around on eBay, and the quality is awful. Replace with either CRC from Willcox Corvette or GM if you're willing to spend the bucks. Installed correctly, your problem should go away.
The aftermarket seals he gave you are probably junk. There's a lot of low quality specimens floating around on eBay, and the quality is awful. Replace with either CRC from Willcox Corvette or GM if you're willing to spend the bucks. Installed correctly, your problem should go away.
Last edited by sailorsteve; 08-10-2012 at 05:13 PM.
08-15-2012, 11:40 AM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
Ok, the seals I got came in a Wilcox box. If I have the windows half way down I can "wiggle" the glass back and forth quite a bit so something is worn out and I think this may be the problem.
08-15-2012, 11:58 AM
#6
Drifting
You whippersnappers should have been around when we were daily driving C1 and C2s. Getting a wet butt along with soaked shoes was all part of the mystique back then when it rained. And we always waved 'cause Vettes were a rare sight.