Topic

My fault for not researching enough about my recent purchase and parts.
I had assumed that I would be able to replace most of what I needed to get the car up to useable daily standard.
It has 25k and in all other respects a sound car.
The window/cheater gap looks good but with the soft top or heritage hard top, it is letting water.
The underlay is soaking and the carpet will have to come out to dry. Not looking forward to taking out centre console and what happens to oil temp and clock during the process.

Plans:
- Get a good cover- the car has to be outside
- insert tube in the seals to firm them up (no seals are available, right?)
- check and replace window stop, just in case
- replace soft top seals or even replace complete soft top next summer (top is a little worn on the ribs)

If anyone has been on this journey, would appreciate advice and pitfalls.

Is it really possible to have a water tight TF???

The quick reply: all of us
Pitfalls ; many, and no.
M

Sorry that was a bit frivolous & not what you want. Frivolous or not it encapsulates the situation with cars that were prone to leaks when they were new & they have only got better by fanatical attention to detail mostly by owners who are aquaphobic.
Before you start fretting unduly about the hood have a look at the air intake above the passenger footwell, early cars had a box type intake, I’m fairly sure your car will have the snorkel pattern. This is much better but only if there is a proper seal 🦭 between the plastic & the bulkhead.
Many a damp carpet has been significantly improved by gobbing up the gaps around the intake.
M

Here in Oz we don’t pay all that much attention to minor leaks as they dry up in our warm climate, but I imagine in the UK where it rains for 9 months and drips off the trees for the other 3, there is bugger all chance of them drying out!

Thanks very much for your balanced advice.
Looks like I do have a snorkel type but no idea what lies underneath.
I do like to do things as they were originally designed but this looks like a mastic job.

And a photo

Yes you have a snorkel (if you pardon me noticing).
It’s worth lifting it out & looking for traces of water tracking through, usually denoted by grey areas where the water has carried dirt.
The official replace gasket / packer didn’t look thick enough to me so I made my own out of closed cell self adhesive foam.
M

Not at all, Sir.
The photo was meant to illicit advice. Thanks.
I can't decide between a cut sheet of 5mm neoprene or tiger seal.
I guess anything will be better than 18 year old degraded foam.
Hard to tell about tracking. I think the dealer steam cleaned the bonnet bay.

I will report.....

I know in your original post you stated the cheaters looked OK (your the one!) but are the windows adjusted correctly?, before pulling the snorkel or attempting to adjust the windows I would try to confirm where the water is coming from. Talc on the door panels and seals may show via the rivulet marks if the door/windows are watertight. I changed my early inlet box for the snorkel and if I recall correctly with the glove box out (easy job) there was quite a bit of room (no AB or AC) so you could possibly stuff some rag/paper towel around the underneath of the snorkel to see if that's the prob, I think stuffing it under the glove box risks it wicking up from the carpet and giving a false reading.
IMHO adjusting the windows is not a skill but an art so before that Da Vinci moment happens stock up on wine/anti depressants as required.

I keep mine outside and went thru all this in the first year of ownership and it was "flipping" trying to say the least. I have a full cover which I use during really bad weather but worry about the damp air trapped under it so most of the time I use just a hood cover and air the interior when poss. My experience is my car although normally watertight can with biblical rain and wind in the wrong direction leak and parking end on to prevailing wind is best.

So there you are!
When I said that we all suffer & there are many pitfalls, also as DF says, even the most well adjusted of car still get damp.
Maybe those comments were prophetic & not as frivolous as I implied.
As far as the sealing medium you use, that’s in your hands. I would use a foam neoprene (similar to a wet suit ((black Jonny)) or at least similar to the wet suits I was familiar with years ago.
That wasn’t very PC was it!
M

DF & AP, deeply appreciative of your supportive advice.
I am currently using a storm cover intended for my MGB Roadster which does not fit and have a proper breathable half-cover on order. Both sides of the tunnel are wet so the carpet will have to come out.
That will give a good view of exactly what is going on.
I love the talc idea - new to me.

DF, when free, any further hints about window adjustment would be well received.
As rubber seals are available for the ragtop but not the hardtop, I feel that is the more logical direction.

Today, pvc tubing was shoved down existing seals on the hard top. Step one was done.

Much more to do. Buying in August was not smart (thanks Mayor Khan).
And checking my stocks of calming juice.

I know it has been a few days, but...

There is a good how-to on window adjustment and fixing leaks in the how-to section:
https://www.the-t-bar.com/forum/22-cjjs-guides/2163-door-window-seal-how-to-adjust .
There are also how-to posts on adjusting the cheaters and the hood seals

As for sealing the snorkel, mine had been done at some point with a glue gun but the job had ultimately failed. I bought some self-adhesive neoprene (closed cell) foam (as suggested by Airportable). I bought it from ebay by the meter. The bolts holding the snorkel in place should have some spacers to prevent the crushing of the neoprene. These are quite important.