ever since i bought my car, my trunk has leaked pretty badly. i've taken the hatch off about 3 times and tried sealing the bolts with that black car dough stuff that i sometimes find in random places in my car. my dad calls it dum dum. anyway, i know the hatch is not stock b/c the serial number does not match to the car's serial, and it has the metal wing spoiler instead of the rap around forumla spoiler. are their seals i can buy somewhere to fix this problem? i might just get a new hatch from a nearby junkyard for 200 bucks, but i dont want it to look stupid b/c my car has a mako paint job, and i doubt it would ever match well... please help me to fix this problem, thanks

 

Try running a bead of black silicone along where the glass meets the hatch metal. My old '84 used to have a swimming pool in the rear do to this type mystery leak and running the bead of sealant across the deaklid/glass fixed it... JMO tho...

 

Did you check out the weatherstripping?

Matt

 

yah i've checked the weatherstripping it seems fine... i think its seeping through the bolts that bolt the hatch onto the car :-/

 

Hmm, did you try putting some sealer on the bolts, then reinstall them?

Matt

 

When my GTA leaked, I ran the bead of silicone along the glass just like Deadbird suggested, but it STILL leaked on me. I finally took the hatch apart and found that the gasket between the glass and the metal was gone. Sealing like Deadbird suggested should have prevented water from getting in there, but for whatever reason, it didn't. Since I made a new gasket out of monkey ish (dum-dum), it's been dry as a bone.

 

Pull the carpet and trim out of the rear area and underside of the hatch, climb inside, close it, and have someone shoot the whole rear of the car with a garden hose. Have them start from the bottom and work their way up the back and both sides. You will find out exactly where the water is coming from in no time. Shoot the taillight area as well.

-Bob

 

My hatchback leaked because a rubber grommet behind the third brake light was not inserted correctly.

it was an 88 camaro. If you have a thirdbrake light in the spoiler, pull out the brake light and make sure the rubber grommet is in place. Since you have a firebird, this info may not apply.

Good luck

 

Not necessarily. I did this with the GTA, but the problem is, where the water drips from quite often isn't where it comes in. When my hatch leaked between the glass and the metal, it dripped inside at the very back of the hatch, which is why I stayed convinced for so long that it was the weatherstripping that I changed twice.

The water gets in between the glass and metal, then runs on the metal until it gets to the end, THEN drips into the car.

 

ohhhh alright... that makes sense. i might just get that 200 dollar hatch from the junk yard in the end. we'll see what i can do w/ this hatch. ill try the things u guys have suggested, thanks again

 

Dude, you can make or buy a new gasket for almost nothing. Don't waste $200 on a new hatch until you try this first.

 

When your to lazy or cheap to do it right you can do several things.

If you got $200 buy a new hatch gasket set. I bet its the big one around the edge. up at the top where it get squished so much.