Hi guys

I've done a search on this topic but can't find my exact problem so here goes.

The interior of my car (1989 firebird) is currently stripped out to be changed and I noticed that the drivers side rear quarter panel had water in it after a rain storm.

When I looked it seemed to be that the water had got in between the rear hatch seal and the hatch itself near the rear lights and on the corners. The carpets in the cargo area are also slightly damp. The hatch seal itself is in good condition and I have adjusted the hatch down as far as I can. The only thing I can think is that the car was repainted recently and the rear hatch removed. When the paintshop refitted the hatch, they adjusted it to fit better. Do I need a new hatch seal perhaps? I wondered if the old one could have 'set' into the wrong shape?

Any help would be great as I've only just fitted new carpets and don't want them ruined

 

My hatch hinges were leaking. About 20 minutes worth of work to remove the hatch, a little squirt of silicone under each hinge, and they haven't leaked since.

 

I fed some 7/16" (I think) rubber fuel tubing into the rubber seal (It already had a rip in it that was perfect for this) all the way around the hatch as my seal was pretty deformed. Quick fix instead of replacing it. Just make sure you get some aerosol silicone lubricant (not petroleum!) with a tube - there are tiny holes in the seal all the way around it will fit in.

 

For some reason, when the plastic interior panel above the rear seats is not tight (it has something like 4 screws in it) mine will leak at the weatherstripping there. I think there are several places where the plastic panels actually help compress the weatherstripping and make it seal tightly. So if you have all the interior parts out, that could by why it's leaking (I.E. you might not have to do anything other than put the interior back in).

 

Thanks for the suggestions - I think it's definitely the seal being deformed - I got inside the car during a rain shower today and watched it come in. I'll feed the 7/16 fuel pipe into the seal and let you know how I get on - that's a brilliant idea by the way - those hatch seals aren't cheap to replace