atanasd37

hello
my daughter bought her first car. a 08 convrt. v6 in WA state. YAY
we noticed last few weeks. the floor on driver side is soaked, and also under rear pass seats there is puddles.
i have done a lot of research about all the drains in engine bay , the convert drain in each quarter panel. they are all clean.
i did find a fix for the floor. along the inner running board inside the car the seam is not properly sealed and it seeps inside. i will be doing this fix this weekend. however i cannot find
anything about water under rear seats?
some guy talked about putting duct tape on inside of quarter panel to direct water out towards drains but no videos anywhere, nor guides.
any idea?

Heyder528

Most likely this is because the top is old and needs to be replaced.

houtex

Welcome to the forums to the both of yas!

What you'll have to do is this: get a hose and run a stream of water all over the top and even along other places around the windows or other locations. You'll have to be in the car, and you'll have to be watching for where it's intruding. You need to leave the hose somewhere and wait a bit then do the check. And once you see the water coming in, you can properly address the problem with whatever fix is required.

I'm not disagreeing with Heyder, as an '08 top if it's never been replaced is ostensibly 13 years old. Depending on how it's been treated, how many times it's been up/down, if it was outdoors a lot, if the temps were wildly swinging... all kinds of factors can be involved on a top's longevity. But while replacing the top may fix it, it may actually not if there's a worse underlying issue. It may not even be the top, but somewhere else in the car. Perhaps the rubber seals/weatherstrips, or there's another seam elsewhere that fools you into thinking the top is the issue. Hence the recommended test above.

This test is how they do it at the shops. It's the only way to be sure.

I hope that helps, and good luck!

atanasd37

Thanks
I will try this weekend.

NC14GT

I have to ask how the Mustang was maintained and where was it kept? If in a garage and well maintained, the top should still be fine unless the rubber seals were never cared for. If left outside in the elements and ignored, then yeah, you probably have some top issues.
I've owned 'verts most of my life and until my recent R/T purchase I had 3 in my garage. Proper care, especially the rubber seals, keep the leaking to an absolute minimum even after 20 years. My Trans Am and my Mustang tops do not leak and are original. I have been in some torrential storms when on vacations with these cars and I actually was stunned how well they stood up to the driving rains.
After your diagnosis, and if your top is in good shape, you or your daughter should use RAGGTOPP products on the fabric. Use Armorall or your favorite protectant and 'massage' the rubber seals (all of them from the top of the windshield to the small strips in back) until soft and pliable if it's possible after all these years have passed by. You will be in good shape for the future. Just once a year is needed if garage kept. Yes, there is extra work in owning a 'vert but they can be trouble free when cared for and the rewards of open air driving are wonderful.

atanasd37

My daughter bought car from used dealership. So I don't know. It is a 3 owner car including my daughter.
no she parks it outside . No maintenance on seals or roof.

NC14GT

Ouch! OK, good luck with everything. This may get pricey.

atanasd37

she is trading it in as soon as i dry the interior. its not worth fixing.
hopefully she learned a good lesson here.

Paris MkVI

Gotta be careful with older convertibles. I sold my '06 with no problem, but I had replaced the top at the 14 year mark. I enjoyed that new roof for a while before I sold her. That '06 was a fun car.