Cabriolet - wet door cards

[jaherne]

I appreciate that this might be a case of searching out the problem and fixing it but I thought to ask the collective experience on here before I start investigating.
I've just bought an S2 cabriolet that, on the face of it, has been well loved and serviced and certainly drives well. However, and credit to the previous owner who told me about this before I bought it, when it's driven in rain the door cards get damp. It turns out that this also happens when you wash it, despite me being extra careful with the hose not to point it directly at gaps etc.
Now I realise it's a 24 year-old cabriolet and therefore I perhaps should expect this sort of thing but I wonder if anybody on here has experience of something similar and can point me in the direction of the problem. I guess a seal of some kind but there doesn't seem to be any that are obviously perished. Also, with the roof up, the windows appear to form a relatively good seal with the rubbers on the roof.
Any thoughts? Please nicely??

 

[Hilux]

There is usually a polythene sheet behind car door cards which stops the water hitting the cards.

Sometimes these are damaged or torn.

It needs to be sealed all around the top and sides and hung into the door at the bottom so as to shed water back into the door.

 

[BlackMagic]

Its a well known ailment of cab's and when I find a cure I will be very happy.

Typically the water gets in at the join between the side seal on the hood and the rubber at the top of the screen. If the water doesn't drip off onto your knee, it runs down the windscreen corner post (A post) and onto the top of the door card, from where it runs down between the foil mentioned earlier and the card. The card gets soaked and in the end falls apart!

See my link on 'Incontinent S2 Cab' for a couple of possible cures suggested by others. I haven't tried either yet.

If you find a cure do let me know.

William

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I'd also agree about the plastic sheets on the back of the door cards, have yours been off for any reason and they weren't replaced properly?

Also check the drains in the bottom of the doors, as I've heard of 944s with 3" of water sitting in there if they are blocked, and that will only be soaking one way.

Pretty much every rubber part on a 944 cab is a potential source of leaks after 20-plus years, so even though they might look fine they have probably hardened and shrunk.

 

[T3rra]

Not had a cab. Do can't help but with a 944 I would remove the card. See of the vapour barrier is there, shouldn't be dropped inside the the door it should be glued all around, and under the door handle. However over time and repires it get removed or cut. Can replace with some off polythene. Before u do that clean out the doors, there drain holes that get blocked, then paint with some under seal. Next I would fiber glass the doors, build back up and floppy area and coat the whole card in resin. This will make th
Water proof. Then you just got 2 find your leak.

Now u can drive under water

 

[944Scott]

ORIGINAL: T3rra

Not had a cab. Do can't help but with a 944 I would remove the card. See of the vapour barrier is there, shouldn't be dropped inside the the door it should be glued all around, and under the door handle. However over time and repires it get removed or cut. Can replace with some off polythene. Before u do that clean out the doors, there drain holes that get blocked, then paint with some under seal. Next I would fiber glass the doors, build back up and floppy area and coat the whole card in resin. This will make th
Water proof. Then you just got 2 find your leak.

Now u can drive under water

Tt

This is exactly what I had to do to mine

 

[bumperblue]

I had this problem as well and after taking the door card off found the plastic sheet between card and door was very badly ripped and reapplied after what appears a car breaking in and window replacement (loads off class cubes in the bottom of the door left there by the quality repair person). Anyway replaced the plastic using door as template and hot glued it back and no water can get to the door card. This had unfortunately been going on for some time so the bottom of the door card about 3-4 inches up had virtually disintegrated as the water had badly affected the hardboard so a quick mix up with some resin and fibreglass matt and good as new now.

 

[J4CKO]

Mine were a bit wet, was the drain holes in the bottom of the door, they were blocked so water couldnt escape, could hear pints of the stuff sloshing about. I leave mine under a cover when its raining, it is fairly waterproof now but I reckon the more you can get to run off the better. my hood had a leak when I got it, I treated it with AUto Glym Hood stuff and it cured it, you clean it and then apply a protectant which gets the water to bead and run off.

 

[jaherne]

Really appreciate the advice gents, the door cards have definitely been off as the passenger one has not been put back properly. I'll get 'em off and take a look at the plastic sheet. Then out with the fibreglass resin! If I can manage it I'll put up some pictures of what I found.