Here I go with a stumper again...

[Dave145]

Hey there everyone,

So in my quest to preserve (more like offer life support to) this 4 door `64 Polara, I have hit another huge stumbling block.

Here we go. So earlier this year I got caught in a torrential rain storm at a car show. I mean a rain storm so bad, that I saw Noah get the ark out of storage just for it. Of course, my car decided to show me its hidden factory swimming pool option, and nicely leak buckets of rain in...while I was in it. Of course, it came from the drivers side cowl area. Managed to drive my now soggy self back to my hotel room and waited out the storm. The next day crawl up under the dash and sure enough, a poorly patched hole the size of a golf ball in the cowl. Cool.

Fast forward 3 months. I tried making a patch panel from some junk steel I had laying around. Tacked it up with screws and caulked the **** out of it. Cool. All is dry.

Again fast forward, now to last week. Caught in a rainstorm, and of course at a show...well at least folks got to see my portable pool again.

So ya see my dilemma. I found a patch online for the cowl. I've read a million threads on mopar and non mopar cowl rust repair. Issue is...I can't weld. I don't have any possible place to park it to do some massive surgery on it. Even IF it was fixed, it would need to be painted there...and the paint on this thing is garbage so matching it is a waste of time....

Plus I make chump change working at a local body shop (yep can't weld and work in a body shop...I have a lot to learn.)

Hell, I WANTED to go to the nats next year with this car, but if I can't keep it sealed then I can't even drive it if it's remotely cloudy outside.

Currently my patch panel is in place, held up with small sheet metal screws and lots of caulk. Previous owner drilled 2 1/4" holes in the front wall of the cowl in the engine bay, so water at least tries to escape there. I know exactly where the hole is, and i can tell already that there is substantially more rust right around the current hole.

Ive heard of fitment issues with the available patch panel as well when it come to the wiper pivot assessment. I'm sure that for anyone experienced in the matter, this is easy. It even sounds easy. But it's not doable right now.

So what can be done? Anything? Anybody had a shop fix this for them? If so, what was the cost?

 

[garrett1308]

Might talk to a welder at work and see if they want to make a little money on the side. If its under the dash, no one will see it, and just some sheet metal welded down should work. Pull the carpet back, temporarily move some wires, and have him weld in a patch.

 

[493 Mike]

Buy some spray foam and fill the drivers side of the cowl. The cowl floor drops down in that area and doesn't drain very well, especially if the drain opening gets plugged up with leaves/pine needles. Some of the water might be coming down through the wiper pivot openings. That can be resealed with available seal kits, before foaming. You will need a longer piece of tubing than comes with the can to reach in to the outside of the panel. Start at the outside point and withdraw the tube as it fills-back to the grill opening. Spray a little at a time to allow for expansion. If/when you want to repair properly just remove the foam and weld up the trouble spots ( that entails removing the windshield and drilling out a million spot welds to remove the cowl panel ).
When I repaired mine I fiber glassed the entire floor of the cowl all the way down to the drain flap on the right side kick panel. I also filled the drain openings with resin up to the bottom edge of the openings to allow complete drainage. It was labor intensive but, I know it will last much longer than I will be alive!
Mike

 

[Darter6]

Ask at you shop about a product that I think is called panel weld.3M makes it.2 part epoxy type for bonding body panels.Super strong.Maybe remove what you have done and start over.
I have seen water crawl down the screw threads and as you have found can find the smallest hole.
Last but not least as a temp fix blast some of that flex seal spray up under there.I looked for a leak in our RV and couldn't find where the water was getting in so I went around all the seams in the area and the stuff worked ! Just some thoughts.

 

[WileERobby]

You don't have to weld. Make a metal patch panel to cover the area, as close to the metal contour as possible. Clean & remove any rust on the patch area. Epoxy prime. Use panel bond, 3M or Fusor, to mate the patch panel on the patch area. You can leave as is, or grind/fill/feather/prime. Top coat.

 

[Yatzee]

Hey there everyone,

So in my quest to preserve (more like offer life support to) this 4 door `64 Polara, I have hit another huge stumbling block.

Here we go. So earlier this year I got caught in a torrential rain storm at a car show. I mean a rain storm so bad, that I saw Noah get the ark out of storage just for it. Of course, my car decided to show me its hidden factory swimming pool option, and nicely leak buckets of rain in...while I was in it. Of course, it came from the drivers side cowl area. Managed to drive my now soggy self back to my hotel room and waited out the storm. The next day crawl up under the dash and sure enough, a poorly patched hole the size of a golf ball in the cowl. Cool.

Fast forward 3 months. I tried making a patch panel from some junk steel I had laying around. Tacked it up with screws and caulked the **** out of it. Cool. All is dry.

Again fast forward, now to last week. Caught in a rainstorm, and of course at a show...well at least folks got to see my portable pool again.

So ya see my dilemma. I found a patch online for the cowl. I've read a million threads on mopar and non mopar cowl rust repair. Issue is...I can't weld. I don't have any possible place to park it to do some massive surgery on it. Even IF it was fixed, it would need to be painted there...and the paint on this thing is garbage so matching it is a waste of time....

Plus I make chump change working at a local body shop (yep can't weld and work in a body shop...I have a lot to learn.)

Hell, I WANTED to go to the nats next year with this car, but if I can't keep it sealed then I can't even drive it if it's remotely cloudy outside.

Currently my patch panel is in place, held up with small sheet metal screws and lots of caulk. Previous owner drilled 2 1/4" holes in the front wall of the cowl in the engine bay, so water at least tries to escape there. I know exactly where the hole is, and i can tell already that there is substantially more rust right around the current hole.

Ive heard of fitment issues with the available patch panel as well when it come to the wiper pivot assessment. I'm sure that for anyone experienced in the matter, this is easy. It even sounds easy. But it's not doable right now.

So what can be done? Anything? Anybody had a shop fix this for them? If so, what was the cost?

Just knew somewhere down this post the "redneck" foam spray would come up. Surprised a piece of screen and tar didn't surface. If you can't weld, glue a piece in:
https://www.amazon.ca/3M-08115-Panel-Bonding-Adhesive/dp/B000PEW4MI

 

[eric383]

Ask at you shop about a product that I think is called panel weld.3M makes it.2 part epoxy type for bonding body panels.Super strong.Maybe remove what you have done and start over.
I have seen water crawl down the screw threads and as you have found can find the smallest hole.
Last but not least as a temp fix blast some of that flex seal spray up under there.I looked for a leak in our RV and couldn't find where the water was getting in so I went around all the seams in the area and the stuff worked ! Just some thoughts.

I have used this on body panel repairs and it is awesome.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...-Bonding-Adhesive?N=5002385+3293241847&rt=rud

 

[eric383]

As a temporary fix, what about finding a piece of magnetic sheet (the stuff refrigerator magnets are made from) and cutting it a little bigger than the cowl and placing it over the cowl on the outside of the vehicle to cover the opening when there is a chance for rain. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Dave145]

Ya know, that panel bond is a great idea! I've seen that stuff used at work with great results on patch panels. Guess I could get fancy and use seam sealer around the edges of the patch to help keep it water right.

Guess this wasn't such a stumper after all!

 

[Glenwood]

Deja vu! I went through this a couple of years ago on my 64 polara and had to learn to weld. It is tough trying to seal it up from below without cutting out and replacing the decaying metal. You can't really find all of the pinholes until you take a wirewheel to it. Maybe the guys in the shop can teach you after hours?

 

[Bb70charger500]

Drill holes in floor pan to drain the water !

 

[Sixpaksteve]

I'm going through this now with my '64 Polara convertible. Bit the bullet though and removed the outer cowl panel in order to fix the rot under it. This is where your water is coming from when it hits your feet during those rainstorms you mentioned. Your floor pans will hold the water down there too because of the carpet, so be prepared to have to do major 'surgery' there at some point unless you can stop the water from coming through the cowl.

IMHO, the only way to really fix a water problem like this is to cut out the rot and weld new metal in. Then take appropriate steps to protect that new metal.

 

[Bb70charger500]

Oh and spray that flex seal in your cowl it actually works I'd do top and bottom no more leaky but a few holes do wonders in the floor I had a newer Mitsubishi spider leaked like a siv the conv top seal went bad $900+ for part I played that for the car so yeah a few holes and a ball pean hammer some paint and away we went !