Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Brewster]

I’m slowly tackling the various jobs requiring attention on my recently-purchased Sceptre Mk2. One of the most pressing concerns the holes in the scuttle on both sides just beneath the A pillars, only visible with the doors open. They’re above and below the little “gutters” whose function is to collect the rain and deposit it somewhere relatively benign.

Rain must be entering through the holes but where does it go? Hopefully not into the sills? Is it lying in a secret chamber against the bulkhead? Once I find out, I’ll drill a hole to let it escape - unless rust has beaten me to it.

Can anyone say where the water is ending up?

[Ray White]

I had a similar situation on a different car and found the rain water was - as you suppose - being trapped... and eventually rusted through.

I tidied up the rust hole to better allow water to escape but the M.o.T tester still failed the car on it. I had to weld up the hole to satisfy his petty rules.

Just as well you won't have to get the car through an M.O.T. test now.

[MVPeters]

Brewster
Can you blow some compressed air into the hole & see what/where it comes out?
_________________
Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[Brewster]

I haven't got access to compressed air right now, Peter. It's a good idea, though, so I'll see if I can get something sorted out.

[Brewster]

Just had a thought. I could put a sheet of cardboard on the ground and spray a can of WD40 or squirt some engine oil into the void, checking to see where it drips out. It might work and couldn't do any harm.

[MVPeters]

Yes, though BraKleen might work better, it has higher pressure but evaporates quickly.
_________________
Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[Ray White]

Just a suggestion...but I would saturate the hidden area with wax oil. IF you haven't got a kit I think it would be a good investment.

[Brewster]

I did wonder about that, Ray, but I was worried that there might be a pool of water somewhere and the waxoil would just lie on top of it, so to speak. If I knew the water was draining away I’d try that but the car is outside just now and it’s been raining a lot here (St Andrews) lately so it’s difficult to tell.

[Penguin45]

It looks suspiciously similar to the construct of a Hawk I worked on a while back. The hole at the top allowed water to run down the inside of the door pillar and into the front of the sill. This had got quite "advanced" shall we say and turned into an extensive fabrication and welding job.

Chris.
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'67 Wolseley MkI 18/85, '70 Austin MkII 1800 The Landcrab Forum.

[Rick]

Yes it'll find its way to the forward end of the sill, corner of the floor, bottom of the a pillar and cause problems eventually. I'd be inclined to remove the interior side trim panel in the footwell and have a look to see if there are any signs of long-term water ingress. If the carpets aren't damp then maybe not too much water is getting in. Blocking off the holes would be my first priority though, even a healthy blob of grease will do temporarily.

RJ
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[Brewster]

Thanks for the advice. Can’t say I’ve noticed any signs of a damp interior but I’ve been mainly concentrating on getting the bugger to run properly. I’ll pull the carpets/trim back and check. I’ve picked up some of the plumbers’ grease-laden waterproof tape from screw fix and I’ll use that to cover the holes and divert the rain somewhere a bit less destructive.

[Brewster]

Just added the plumber’s tape to the dodgy scuttle areas. It seems to be good stuff, sticks very well and can be “rubbed” onto the paintwork for better adhesion around the edges. Not sure how it will last but it looks like it’ll keep the weather at bay for a wee while at least. It doesn’t half make a mess of your hands, though, so disposable gloves would be a good idea. WD40 takes it off the paintwork.

[Ray White]

Please could you give me the name of the tape you used?

Ray

[Brewster]

No problem, Ray. The stuff I used was "petro tape" from Toolstation. It's £6.48 for a 2" x 10m roll. It's basically the same as Denso tape which has been used for years for wrapping leaf springs. This is my first try with it but it might well be ideal for certain uses.

https://www.toolstation.com/petro-tape-10m/p72819

[Ray White]

That's great. Thanks very much.

Ray.