I have been chasing a water leak in my 1987 custom cruiser for a very long time (drivers inside foot-well). I have removed the carpet and during a HEAVY rain storm, water collects on the floorboard where it angles up behind the pedals. I have removed the trim around the windshield and did some re-sealing. I have added additional (hardware store) weather-stripping inside the upper body door jam (A pillar). I even installed a new weather-stripping on the drivers door. I have also looked around the base of the windshield and sealed some small cracks in the black sealing compound. Again, it seems to only leak during a heavy rain storm. Finally (and recently), I jammed a rag under the driver side trim piece that holds the emergency brake release handle. This morning (following a deluge), the floorboard had water, and the rag from under the trim panel was very wet. My conclusion at this point is that somehow the water is coming from the general area where the "A" pillar meets the body. Another guess would be that in this very general area of the upper hinge/upper firewall windshield corner, there is a point where water is SUPPOSED to drain from the corner of the windshield as well as the rain gutter over the drivers door and proceed to the ground. If this DRAIN is slightly clogged, the overflow during a heavy rain forces water where it is not supposed to go. I realize that many factors come into play with this leak; windshield re-seal, faulty door weatherstrip, hidden rust, etc. I have tried using a garden hose to flood the windshield and wiper area, but do not see evidence of a leak. Has anyone else had a similar experience? John
As you write, there is usually a drain to outside in this area. On all of my 55-57 Chevy's its a rubber tube with a wider funnel tip at the top. Those rot, plug up, or break. Perhaps you can see an assembly manual. I always wonder why we can't run a hose or pour water where we think it's leaking but it never does then!:banghead3: Lucky for us it never rains here in Florida. Except for daily this summer. Just got my satellite internet back up after a downpour.
I have this very same problem with my 85 Custom Cruiser! It only started happening in the last year or so. I changed weather stripping as well. I haven't done anything near the windshield though. I HAVE been listening to a LOT of Cartalk lately though and click and clack always have the same answer for this problem and it's stuck with me, so I've been thinking about replacing the windshield. They always say there's a problem with the windshield. I didn't know anything about a drain, though, so I"ll look at the chassis service manual I have for the car to see if I can find anything about it. Either that, or... I'm going to have to get one of those car tents to erect next to the barn to park under.
on my 59 chevy there are drains along the winsheild they go in before the windsheild is installed. they look like little funnels about 3/8" x 1" with a rubber hose vulcanized to the bottom of the funnel. not sure if your car has but i know the older chevy's do. look in a 55 chevy catologue for i think WINDSHEILD GUTTER DRAINS
My 1980 Pontiac also leaks on the driver's side, but not bad yet. It only leaks when I flood the area while washing the car or during a very heavy rain. On the bulkhead, there are a number of body seams which are sealed with a painted on type of sealer. These seams are in the trough right under the bottom of your windshield.
my suggestion would be: check the drains on both sides, if they are free and not broken or lost or something. Locate them, pour water in them an see where it´s coming out. Mostly, the hoses end somwhere behind the fenders, near the a-pillar. As long as the water comes out constantly and somehow "defined", not splattered over a larger area, everything should be fine there. Next thing I´d do, is to remove the windshield, use a new rubber seal and reinstall it. Sometimes water may enter in a rubber seal area far away from the location it drips out. The water is transported between body and seal by capillary action. Adding some sealing will not necessarily help to prevent this. I had this problem on my VW beetle three times already.
Something I've done is get a small bottle of clear windshield liquid sealer. It's been years. They may not make it anymore. Came in a small bottle that looked like a glue bottle with a little squirt nozzle. I'd run a small stream along the windshield. It is clear and creeps into the spaces around the glass. Or move to sunny Florida where it never rains. Except today, yesterday, and most of the summer.
Your windshield is sealed with urethane caulk. This should only be replaced by a certified glass shop, as the windshield is part of the roof's structural integrity, so if the windshield is done wrong, it'll pop out in a rollover, allowing the roof to collapse more.
It's also clear silicon, which tends to collect moisture and accelerate any rust problems in the glass channels which as anyone who has had certain eras of these cars can attest to, they need all the help they can get to keep from rusting over the years. The Custom Cruiser of this era didn't have the windshield as part of the roof integrity. Up until 1990 it was the same design as 1977, using butyl tape, dropping the windshield in from the top, and using metal trim to hold it in place. Urethane is a better solution but by no means required to keep the car safe. Regarding the original problem: you need a helper and a measuring cup of water. Someone will have to pour water on to the car, starting from down low and working their way up top and you inside the car watching where it comes in from as best you can. The drains for these cars are in the cowl on the sides, and if you've never vacuumed them out or cleaned them, you could have all sorts of dirt and debris in them. I will say though, if it's not getting in from the windshield or a cracked weatherstrip piece, but in through the cowl, that's bad news as it means you've got a hole somewhere you'll have to patch. If it's rust, rusty cowls are horrid to try and fix with the car assembled.
