Went to a car show in Ashland Wi today. Called early for rain and hail threat. We drove thru 50 miles of moderate rain, when we got home my wife's stuff that was by her feet was soaking wet. Carpet is drenched.

I figgure it has to be from a plugged drain from the front valance area, but how do I find it?

Thanks!

bob

Chaplain Bob
135 miles from Canada

AT THE TIP OF LAKE SUPERIOR
1961 Loadside 95hp. 30 over bored and stroked. 145 block, 165 heads 4 speed
1966 Corsa clone 140 4 speed, 30 over.
1966 4 door 110 pg soon to return to factory 140 PG

DON'T mess with Old Men, we didn't get old by being, STUPID!!!

\/ this is a half mile from my house... \/

<a href="[www.wunderground.com] src="[weathersticker.wunderground.com]; alt="Click for Hermantown, Minnesota Forecast" height="90" width="160" /></a>

Every time I have approached that issue, I removed the windshield
and found the drains plugged up and usually some additional rust, or rot.

You may also want to removed the dash pad, I have found several cars rusted badly under the pad, and the water seeps from the underside of the windshield

Your mileage may vary!!!!

Bob Bauer
Show-Me Corvairs
1966 Monza Convert 140 P/G with A/C, plastic wheel with tele-column am-fm posi-traction
1928 Ford Model A 2 door sedan
House Springs, Missouri

Were you driving a LM? Sometimes the rockers get plugged up with "yak" and the water can't drain, overflowing behind the plastic of the kick panel and soaking the carpet that way. I had that in my 68 and didn't even know it, but was going crazy trying to find the water leak. Sold it before I learned about that particular thing.

Greg Miller
Eugene, Oregon

So slide under the car{not an easy feet for my size} and look for the rocker drains. open up as possible and hopefully she drains?

Much bettern FIRST alternative to pulling windshield...

Chaplain Bob
135 miles from Canada

AT THE TIP OF LAKE SUPERIOR
1961 Loadside 95hp. 30 over bored and stroked. 145 block, 165 heads 4 speed
1966 Corsa clone 140 4 speed, 30 over.
1966 4 door 110 pg soon to return to factory 140 PG

DON'T mess with Old Men, we didn't get old by being, STUPID!!!

\/ this is a half mile from my house... \/

<a href="[www.wunderground.com] src="[weathersticker.wunderground.com]; alt="Click for Hermantown, Minnesota Forecast" height="90" width="160" /></a>

Along with the windshield drain issue, I've seen Corvairs where the sheet metal under the front cowl is like cheese cloth from rust. Remove cowl valance panel, put a drop light under the wiper mechanism and look up under the dash.

Windshield leaks and rust holes have been well covered above and are pretty obvious when you're getting wet socks.

Rocker drains plug up in several places. The most common is behind the kick panel vents inside the car. You have to remove the plastic grille and the larger plastic kick panel. Once it's out, you reach in and yard-out the leaves and pine needles that plug the quarter-sized hole at the bottom. If this area isn't clear, your lower fender and hinge pillar will be bathed in water and rust out. Once you have it clean and dry, this is a good chance to paint in there. I'd suggest POR-15 or similar rust converter product.

Once cleaned and painted, you can reinstall the kick panels but you'll probably want to freshen or replace the dum-dum body sealer that's between the kick panel and body.

The rocker panels have drain holes at each end but it's pretty obvious when they're plugged because the rockers will fill up with a gallon or two of water and this will slosh noisily until the water drips out.

Craig N. Coeur d'Alene ID.
66 Black Monza 4dr, 4.2L V8 49k
61 Seamist Jade Rampside 140 PG
65 Canadian Monza 4dr 110/PG 40k
66 Sprint Corsa convt - First car! Re-purchased 43 years later
2+2 gnatsuM 5691

+17 Tons of parts

A cracked air conditioner box will cause that problem, don't ask how I know.
It's a good thing it wasn't your wife's good shoes.

Don
Southlake, Texas
The Trunk Belongs in Front, Ask Any Elephant
Caution: Images in This Mirror May be Waterpumpers

I'ld take it over to Ron and challenge him to find the leak. He can't resist a challenge......

BobJ

Frostbite Falls, MN
CORSA since 72
62 Monza Sedan A/C with cloth bench seat option.
63 Spyder Convert
US Navy Vet

acardon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A cracked air conditioner box will cause that
> problem, don't ask how I know.
> It's a good thing it wasn't your wife's good
> shoes.

HA! it was her good shawl! Is she a keeper!?!

If all drain holes are clear and even if not........I agree on the kick-panel vent housings. They can be a bugger to reseal to the inner fender. I always put 4 "extra" screws on mine, making a total of 8. The 4 origional mounting screws behind the vent grills never seem to hold the panel in place secure enough to make the duct seal goop keep the water out.

Corventure Dave