Water on the floorboards!! soaked!!! How do I remove!

[69RRberkeley]

Had to keep the car outdoors for a couple days, and of course a major storm comes through and soaks the
interior of my 69 road runner. there's a pool in there right now - does anyone know the best way to clean up
this mess? spent a lot of money getting the interior right, hopefully it isnt a lost cause. please advise, this is bumming me
out. arrrgh

 

[moparmarks]

Pull the seats and carpet, now. Gotta let the floor dry out. Hang up the carpet and it will probably be fine.

 

[kursplat]

then you need to find the leak. wiper seals or around the windshield if it's coming from the front(most likely). get under everything with a good flashlight and see if you can find where it's wet up near those areas. also look under the rear window area. you have a vinyl roof? if you wait until everything is dry get someone to run a hose around those areas, one at a time while your looking in the car, to try and find it

good luck

 

[69RRberkeley]

thanks

Pull the seats and carpet, now. Gotta let the floor dry out. Hang up the carpet and it will probably be fine.

thanks, that what i thought. i recently put down a layer of dynamat. hopefully it helps.

 

[Cranky]

I've dried out carpeting before without removing it but removal is the best way. Do you have a shop vac that can suck up the water? It will take a lot of it out of the carpet too but you have to go slow with it. I just did a spot in my Durango where someone got sick and after scrubbing it good, I used the vac. Couldn't even tell it had been wet but I let the car sit in the garage with the windows down to make sure it fully dried. There are also floor plugs you can pop out but then you need to have the carpet out to do that too.

 

[69RRberkeley]

i think it's the wiper seals, it really flooded on the passenger side. dont have a vinyl roof. looks like i have a lot of work ahead of me. thanks

- - - Updated - - -

I've dried out carpeting before without removing it but removal is the best way. Do you have a shop vac that can suck up the water? It will take a lot of it out of the carpet too but you have to go slow with it. I just did a spot in my Durango where someone got sick and after scrubbing it good, I used the vac. Couldn't even tell it had been wet but I let the car sit in the garage with the windows down to make sure it fully dried. There are also floor plugs you can pop out but then you need to have the carpet out to do that too.

thanks for the tip. looks like the shop vac is going to get a workout today

 

[kursplat]

i think it's the wiper seals, it really flooded on the passenger side. dont have a vinyl roof. looks like i have a lot of work ahead of me. thanks

doesn't smell sick/sweet does it? could be the heater core, won't smell if you don't run coolant

good luck

 

[69RRberkeley]

doesn't smell sick/sweet does it? could be the heater core, won't smell if you don't run coolant

good luck

hopefully the rain lets up, so i can really get in there. looks like I have to remove the carpet and the seats before i get started looking for leaks. it's a shame because i just had the carpet installed.

 

[moparsteve636]

I would pull the seats and carpets!Then let it set outside in another rain,you'll find the area where it's getting easier!Meantime the carpets will dry out.

 

[440brew]

try a local restoration contractor, maybe you can rent a dehumidifier for a day. that will dry it out!

 

[tpodwdog]

get an air hose...and fire compressed air around the windsheild, the water thats left in the channel will bubble on the inside, do the same to the rear glass. youll find it real fast!

 

[Propwash]

All good ideas......I would also check to see if the inner cowl plenums are shot. Dump in some water in the cowl vent in front of the windshield. If you have water coming in through your fresh air vents, those plenums are rotted out. I won't mention the correct way to fix them (little harder than changing a wiper pivot seal), i'll just keep my fingers crossed for you that they are still good.

 

[67 coronet]

All good ideas......I would also check to see if the inner cowl plenums are shot. Dump in some water in the cowl vent in front of the windshield. If you have water coming in through your fresh air vents, those plenums are rotted out. I won't mention the correct way to fix them (little harder than changing a wiper pivot seal), i'll just keep my fingers crossed for you that they are still good.

i was thinking the same thing as you prop.just fixed them on my 67,wgat a joy to do.amazing how much crap gets trapped in there.

 

[sublimegtx]

Don't leave it outside or drive in the rain, get a cover. That's what I do. :laughing7: Just bustin ya, good luck hope it's an easy fix.

 

[Jeremiah]

THere is a product called Damp-rid that is sold at home depot that is used for drying paint. Get a pail of it to leave in the car until you can pull it apart.

 

[joshb1983]

mine does the same thing...i narrowed the leak to around the front window or the wiper seals..comes in close to dash...the previous owner let it go and the center of each floor pan is shot now,and i got to replace everything...id fix it now before it gets worse..it dosnt take long for it too

- - - Updated - - -

what propwash was talking about could be my prob...i cant pinpoint it...but i seen a lil water coming from behind the dash above the passenger side floor board, its coming from somewere in that area above both floor boards

 

[Propwash]

Figured I'd toss this pic up of the "inards" under the outer cowl. May help someone understand what i'm talking about. The red arrow is pointing towards the passenger side plenum. With the shape of the of the inner cowl surface, the area around the plenum is the perfect place for all those leaves, pine needles, dirt, dust and then moisture to collect.....Thus rot out the flimsy 20 guage plenum. You get holes through that, water comes in the cowl vent and travels right through to your floorboards through the fresh air vents. Our cars are notorious for this and yes, it is a bad design.





Fixes.....well, from the pic it's pretty obvious to do it right takes quite a bit of work. Another way would be to block off your air vents or well.....Don't park in the rain and take care when washing her..lol

Hope it helps

 

[67 coronet]

Figured I'd toss this pic up of the "inards" under the outer cowl. May help someone understand what i'm talking about. The red arrow is pointing towards the passenger side plenum. With the shape of the of the inner cowl surface, the area around the plenum is the perfect place for all those leaves, pine needles, dirt, dust and then moisture to collect.....Thus rot out the flimsy 20 guage plenum. You get holes through that, water comes in the cowl vent and travels right through to your floorboards through the fresh air vents. Our cars are notorious for this and yes, it is a bad design.

View attachment 93034



Fixes.....well, from the pic it's pretty obvious to do it right takes quite a bit of work. Another way would be to block off your air vents or well.....Don't park in the rain and take care when washing her..lol

Hope it helps

you can cheet and go from the inside with a good sealer.saves the time of pulling all that steel.you just need to pull the cloth vent hose and use a small roller.(i have used bed liner and it works good)

 

[Propwash]

Good tip '67...thanx


Done a couple from the inside by cutting a galvanized piece of metal to fill the hole, sandwich in place using the black tar like Ribbon sealer (like used to seal in rear windows) and then sealed around that with heavy body seam sealer. Told the guys they should be happy if it lasts them 5 years. Just delaying the inevitable.

 

[mosquito13]

try a shop light under the dash and look from the out side for light getting out . or reverse. help to have a assistant here. my boat was leaking and i could not find the source so i pulled out the hose and filled it up with fresh water till i found the seapage area.