Question for those who's rear window trim has rotted off...

Stangman

Stangman

Project car a.d.d.
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Will the absense of the rubber around the rear window cause it to leak? I would assume the cars are a little more water-tight than that.

Problem is...

After a good rain, my rear floorboards are damp.... and now I've discovered that the tiny hole in my drivers rocker has gotten significantly larger in the recent months and my rockers are now soft :(

My car does not have a sunroof.

Is it the seam above the rear quarter window that is the issue? The one everybody fills in and smooths out?
 
rockers

I read here awhile ago that the rockers under the inner fender collect junk and moisture. When I checked my 95 sure enough full of junk. I filled them with spray foam and clear coated them. Maybe water gets in there and runs up the rocker
 
Check the body plugs in the rear floor pan, there's a large rubber plug on each side, just forward of the fuel tank
 
Not sure about if the rockets being partially rotted out would cause moisture in the rear foot wells but I do know there is a drain that I'm guessing runs from the upper 1/4 panel to roof seam down to the lower rear part of the rocker panel. I've seen several junkyard thunderbirds and marks that have rotted out rockers with a 1/2" rubber hose sticking out the bottom..pretty stupid place to drain water if you ask me. As far as the rubber seal around the back window goes I've heard it does NOT affect how the rear window seals..it.appears to be purely cosmetic..some guys have cut it off..but I think it looks kinda dumb that way.
 
leak

I cut the moulding off my 95 about 3 years ago and no leaks. That co that sells moulding that goes over your lasagna looks ok but wont work if you have trimmed it off.
 
If you have a leaking cowl/air intake for your interior heat/ac, it can leak onto the passenger side front floor board and run into your passenger side rear floor. Happened on my car when parked with the nose up hill, before I repaired my leaking cowl.
 
No leaks up front..... just in back. Thought it was quite strange, what about the body seam just in front of the top corners of the rear window molding?

I'm stumped why my car is wet back there, although after the rocker developed a hole.... I can't say I've felt the floor in the rear become wet again. So, it must have been holding water somehow.
 
No.
The backglass is sealed in with automotive urethane. That lasagna vinyl trim does nothing but mask the edge of the glass. It's purely cosmetic, and seals nothing.
 
Mine is in bad shape and doesn't leak a drop, and I have the moon roof also.

Condition (22).jpg
 
And that's what I thought. It seemed like too much of a coincidence but, the window trim is pretty much gone all together on the back of mine, that's about the time I noticed the damp/wet floors
 
Do the carpets get wet with the car SITTING in the rain, or being driven? I'd take garden hose and run it around the rear glass...
 
kaha said:
No.
The backglass is sealed in with automotive urethane. That lasagna vinyl trim does nothing but mask the edge of the glass. It's purely cosmetic, and seals nothing.
Click to expand...

+1

When I had the 93 and 94 here, the 93 had a mint rear window and I called Glass Masters out to my home. He removed the windows from both cars and installed the 93 glass onto the 94 and used the hot melted bead of urethane and done a very good job. Total cost for it being done right was $119 labor charge only because nothing was being bought. The 95 I have now has a fairly new rear window in it and is completely ripple free. Got lucky with that and as much as I leave it garaged, it should remain that way.
 
I wouldn't imagine the rear glass to leak, the urethane is usually at least 1/2" wide all the way around the glass .
More than likely its coming in thru the rocker panel when you drive in the rain
 
Sapperfire said:
I wouldn't imagine the rear glass to leak, the urethane is usually at least 1/2" wide all the way around the glass .
More than likely its coming in thru the rocker panel when you drive in the rain
Click to expand...

Yes, it's about a 1/2" to 3/4" round bead. Well, that's what was put on mine when he done it and I helped him press it down onto the bead and helped situate the glass but he told me to get the hose out after about an hour and give it a good leak test. It had zero leaks but didn't leak before anyway. I only swapped because of the rippled back window I had.

I'm thinking the same thing as everyone else about it being something down low on the rockers or underside if you're driving in the rain. Get it dried out real good on a nice day before it gets too cold and give it a good leak test, just on the glass alone with a hose and see if you have any wet rear floors. Maybe that will help you eliminate it being the rear window urethane seal.
 
Stangman, send me a PM

Upload some pics here, I'd like to see your rocker panels and bottom side of car
 
The best way to find a suspected leak in the urethane seal of a windshield or backglass (and it DOES happen, usually when the piece was replaced by an auto glass guy that didn't take the time to etch and prime the glass properly) is to make a bucket of water and dishsoap and paint it all around the edge of the glass, right where the vinyl molding meets the body. Get inside the car with an airhose and a small nozzle, and blow full pressure right around the top and sides. Keep the nozzle aimed at a shallow angle, pressed up close to where the glass meets the headliner, pillar trim, etc. Have a buddy outside watching you do it, putting on more soapwater as needed.
Even a tiny pinhole leak will start bubbling like crazy.
 
Can't get any bottom side pics of the car, as it doesn't really move :( I mean, it can, but I don't wanna make it worse.

Will try and snap pics tomorrow.
 
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