At sometime during my 85 Standard's exsistance it has been in a minor fender bender which reslulted in the front right side of the "facia" being pushed back. It buckled the front right fender slightly too. There now exsists a 1/4 to 1/2 gap difference between the right and left sides from the leading edge of the hood and the top edge of the "facia". Is there anyway (without body shop) of pushing out the affected side to even this gap?
Thanks.

 

Could this be part of the problem with the hood binding up on you???? Hard to say if you can do it yourself. Those strut towers are built into the front of the car...if they are bent up some, you will not be able to repair it without a body shops help.

 

Actually never thought of that. It is on the same side as the hood hang up. The hood doesn't really "hang" though. It opens smoothly, just needs a little extra boost on that side. Would the one strut support the hood if the other IS bad?

 

Well there you go. I think we have solved that problem. The shock is probably finished and it is makeing it harder to lift on that side.

 

Ok now how bout, the bath tub in the "trunk" are in the back?
have you read my post on that one?

 

Actuall I did read it. Trouble with water leak, they can be a few things. It could be the bolts that hold the hatch and spoiler together, could be the rubbers them self. Also could be your tailights that are leaking. Where was the water coming in from again? Near the sides, the back...

 

Well the spoiler is'nt the problem. I don't have one. I applied some new sealant around the edge where the rear glass mates with the hatch lid. I sucked out about two inches of water initially and it kept coming back. a few days aftet that it occured to me that the water maybe seeping in from one of the low areas in the rear quarter panels. checked the right side (spare tire) and it was dry. checked the left side (under the storage bin) and it was full of water. So my theory was right. Water is somehow getting into that rear quarter and slowly seeping in to the "trunk" area. Any ideas

 

That is possible. Check the weather stripping on the left side, does it looked flattened out at all? Are there any water run marks on the plastic interior parts?? If not look at the inside of the quarter panel under the storage compartment for water trails. These may lead you to your problem spot.

 

Thanks again.
I received another reply from Chaos Ranger with a link. Seems as if this is a MAJOR problem for alot of third gens. Owners are trying to verify if there is supposed to be some type of seal on the underside of the tail hatch?

 

Yes, I do hear of alot of complaints just like yours. It usually turns out to be the weather strip that seals the hatch to the body. Look for any cracks in the rubber or like I said prior some flat spots. They are usually right around where you are describing your leak... right by the spare tire compartment and the storage compartment. Have a look and let me know what you find.

 

Thanks again,
I'll have a closer look. have to change out the rear brake pads this wekend