A lot, sometimes. What a pain! All I can think of, besides my 1962 Harmony hollow body suffering the ignominy of the dampness, is my floor pan slowly rusting out! Apparently there are at least four reasons for this problem. One, the original spoiler on my car, which was attached solidly all the way across the trunk and irritating me by acting as a dam for snow and rain, was also causing rust and leakage at its mounting bolts. Ironically I finally realised this as a used later model style spoiler, which only attaches at the ends, was on its way to me. The later model spoiler bolts are outside the trunk sealing gasket, so even if they leak they don't let water into the trunk. The old spoiler came off with a big hammer, two pry bars and some scraping. Then I had to do a LOT of scraping and sanding to get rid of the old goo that sealed it down, and the surface rust it had created. I bit fiberglass window screen and Bondo filled the old holes, a quick coat of paint (pink! - the closest I had to gold...), and I mounted the new spoiler (using new plates under the lid from the dealer). Two, the tail light assemblies are almost certainly leaking at their gaskets. The fix is to remove them, clean up the old gasket material, and remount them using either black RTV or some of the "3M Strip Calk" (#051135-08578 - auto parts stores) that I keep around for lots of speaker and car related projects. I am leaning towards the Strip Calk, it is very good for some things - like my rear logo which I attached after the above project using nothing but some of this stuff, to the center of the trunk lid, and it's still there 6 months later! It's main advantage is it is a lot easier to remove than RTV if I have to replace a lens or do some bodywork. Three, I have been informed that the mounting bolts for the bumper side molding (four on each side) probably leak by now. I agree. So someday they have to come off and either get new factory gaskets, or the Strip Calk treatment. Four, a recent north easter (I park my car facing roughly south west...) managed to fill the stupid trunk lid with water! Which then ran into the trunk when I opened the lid! So I guess the mounting bolts for the rear trim - the black on each side of the license plate and the big red reflector/"coupe" logo thing, also leak. So let's see, stock, my car had at least 40 bolt holes leading into the trunk which could eventually leak water, and the taillight lens gaskets. And then there's the holes rusted in the rocker panels...  |
