Re: (T3) leaks

[Chazpix@aol.com]

Well I have to jump in here & say you probably don't want to hear this Tom!
Had the exact same problem a number of years ago. Finding it was a B**ch!
The leak starts at the body welting right above the rear wing louvers (or 
through them) continues down the inside of the rear wings into the area that 
passes the air to the engine. There is a low section in that part of the 
body(to see it clearly one has to remove the rear wings) which collects 
water. This area is directly forward of the louvers (on the inside) These 
seams divide the cooling channel from the reinforcements in the rear quarter, 
and unfortunately the factory sealer here is almost always cracked. This 
allows water to trickle past the seams, down into the rear quarter(the sheet 
metal is angled just the right (wrong!) way) into a junction where the panels 
are spotwelded together. Here again there is a factory seam seal which is 
usually gone also. It comes into the car through this area (almost exactly in 
between the two rearmost interior panels)and ends up in the lowest point 
under the seat. I would bet this is why many battery trays are gone.
The only way I found it was I had the interior panels, back seat, armrests & 
lower panels & rear wings out of the car. 
As I was undercoating the exterior of the inner QP, I looked inside and sure 
enough, a trickle of black coming down the inner panel.(small rust pinholes- 
had to do some serious contorting to see them!)
Some more sandblasting...metal prep...epoxy primer...3M drip 
chek....undercoat...all is dry now. PITA though.
BTW the rubber sealing washers on the wing mounting bolts(inner panel) must 
be good. If not, car will leak through each one of these bolt holes also.
Sorry for the bad news....
Chuck Salter
'66 SB

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