Where is my Corvette leaking water?
Today’s Zip Corvette technical question comes from Elliott, who owns a 1981 Corvette:
Hi, I own a 1981 Corvette that is giving me a problem. When it rains, the carpet under the front floor mats gets soaking wet. The leak is not coming from the top of the car; I’ve sat in the car while it was raining and no water was coming in from the top. Do you have any idea were this leak is coming from?
Answer: Unfortunately, water leaks are a very common problem with many C3 generation Corvettes. The windshield frames do not drain water properly and water and debris collects in the channels under the exterior moldings, creating a perfect environment for corrosion to take place.
The water leaks are caused by either a poor seal/installation around the windshield or corrosion that has taken place in the windshield frame itself. The easiest way to check is to look at the frame between glass and the windshield molding. You can see if the frame has rust scales and shows signs of deterioration. There is no easy fix for the windshield frame. To properly fix, your Corvette’s windshield must come out and the entire frame needs to be cut out and repaired with new sections. Fortunately, these pieces are available. If the problem is a seal, then you can contact your local glass company to come out and cut the windshield out of the car, reseal the glass and install.
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I have a 1965 Corvette. There are water leaks in the car at the cowl on both sides. I did not see any drain holes in the cowl. How do I fix the leaks? Please help.
A couple of sources for the water leaks are possible. The first being simple, the second very complicated. Water leaks at the cowl are usually the result of a poorly sealed windshield. When the windshields are mounted into the windshield frame, a bead of butyl tape is added to seal the windshield to the frame. If the surfaces were not prepared properly (special adhesive) during installation or the seals has just become brittle and cracked over time, water can seep between the windshield and windshield frame, causing a leak that leaves water in the bottom of the floor board in your Corvette. The second possible issue is much more complicated. Possibly water has been trapped in the windshield frame (very common problem on Corvettes), deterioration of the frames has caused pin holes that are now allowing water to pass through.
In either case, you can carefully remove the windshield outer trim to inspect the windshield seal and/or windshield frame to determine your next course of action. Luckily it will just be a leaky windshield due to the seal and a new windshield install will fix the problem.
When installing new windows in 1978 Corvettes you have to be sure of proper measurements and angles or you will have problems with the T-tops and windows sealing properly.
Has anyone experienced leaks through the left windshield wiper mounting and the bottom of the left side of the windshield (there seems to be a gasket) where it is covered by the top of the fender. My Corvette got soaked this past winter and I am about to replace the complete interior plus the weatherstriping all around. I would appreciate any input from past experiences and which product to use or avoid. I am thinking of buying from Eckler’s or Ricks Vette. Not the cheapest but I am open to your feedback. Thanks!
Philip,
Yes and No. It is not supposed to leak but they do. Now depending on what year your Corvette is, there could be different issues. If it is a C3 then you could have rust in the windshield frame that is causing the leaks and you really need to look into that. Get a garden hose and start spraying until you see where it is coming in at. If it is the weatherstrip, and/or a C4, get the latex replacement Corvette Weatherstrip. You are not going to seal the car up 100% but the latex will seal better than all other weatherstrip out there. I do not know if Ecklers or Ricks offers it, but Zip Corvette has the latex weatherstrip in stock for both applications.
I need some guidance for interior parts: I need carpet, door panels & handles, seat covers and seatbelts.
Philip,
We have all of those Corvette Parts available. Visit our C3 Corvette Interior section for more specifics.
Where can I buy the most original front clip for my 1968 corvette roadster. It was damaged when removing from container after shipping to New Zealand. I would like to get a genuine replacement if posible made from an original mold.
Dean,
The original mold was destroyed years ago, however we offer a correct front end for a 1968 Corvette in the correct color fiberglass. Is this an early 1968 that does not have the front lower valence cut out?
I have a 1986 C4 Corvette. Water leaks on the passenger side. What can I do to prevent this from happening?
Two things, there is a vent over there that could be clogged up and needs to be cleaned out or you have a bad heater core. If it is just plain water it is the drain, if it is coolant your heater core is leaking.
I have a 73 and I noticed a lot of water by my feet at the driver side so I removed the carpet and replaced the weather strip around the door. That did not fix the problem.
I put a hose on it and found that the water is coming in at the bottom corner only I see another weather strip. Could that be the problem? Please let me know.
Danny:
We’re not sure what the ‘other weatherstripping’ you’re referring to could be. Can you give a few more details?
However, there is a body seam down in the lower corners that can sometimes split and let water in.
Also, water can come in the top corners of the Corvette T-tops or Convertible Tops and run down the ‘birdcage’ to the floor. This will eventually rust out the ‘birdcage’ also. Hope this helps!