Front Hood Seal, How to water proof the trough? Options

[tracks914]

In both my restorations I had to repair the area that the front hood seal sits in. One of my cars even had the seal glued in but it still rusted under it.
What has anyone done to prevent this from getting water in it in the first place??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)


BTW - relying that you live in AZ and it doesn't rain, doesn't count. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[tod914]

Doug, I don't think there is a way of preventing water from getting in there. The seal itself absorbs some water. You could try a coating of POR15 or a simular product that dries like cermamic inside the channel. I would not glue the seals back in. I always take mine out after I wash the car and dry the channel with a towel.

[tracks914]

I always take mine out after I wash the car and dry the channel with a towel.

That's what I do now but was hoping for better.
Tx

[RiqueMar]

I always take mine out after I wash the car and dry the channel with a towel.

That's what I do now but was hoping for better.
Tx

I think seam sealer in the channel is your best bet.

[Katmanken]

Make sure the seam sealer isn't porous.

I bought a car that looks good pretty much everywhere EXCEPT for the rain troughs. My guess is that the car got exposed to a salty northern road once or twice, the salty water wicked under the rubber, and the owner then washed the car well to eliminate the salt. Judging from the rust, he didn't lift the foam rubber and clean the area underneath. He dic clean the rocker area and they look new.

When I finish in that area, I plan on spraying something really hard and rust resitant like catalyzed epoxy or self etching primer on the bare treated metal, then some sealer, then another coat of the hardend primer, and then the color coats. I think the under the hood location makes a lot of people not spray adequate paint into that area when they paint the car.

I'm toying with spraying the primer/sealer/primer into that area when the fender is painted with primer, and then spraying the rain troughs (front and rear), doorjams, underhood areas, and all other hard to get to areas with a color coat. Then I close the trunks and doors , and paint the final color coats with the trunks and doors closed.

A little anal, but they ain't making new cars.

Ken

[Mikey914]

I personally just leave the seal in the track and wipe it out every so often. I think that gluing the seal in creates more opportunity for water to get trapped. You should have a good base under it though. Por 15 is good stuff if you channel has some light damage.

[SUNAB914]

As above, I just put clear POR15 with a foam brush, seems to be doing fine. Check it yesterday.