The Avanti lake

[landriopa]

When I leave my 63 Avanti outside and it rains, I get Lake Avanti on the front floor pans.  Could the air/heat vents be leaking into the cab?  Where are the drain holes for the water than enters the grille in front of the windshield?   The windshield does not show signs of leaking, it was installed with fresh weather striping just two years ago and I keep the car in a garage for obvious reasons.  What else should I be looking for as a source of this flood?

[Gunslinger]

Look at the corners of the windshield and more likely the door seals.

[Avanti83]

Pull the car outside, set inside as someone else puts a garden hose on various areas that may leak. Go slowly and you'll find it. I agree, start with the door seals.

[mfg]

 Studebaker Avanti door window and vent window sealing was marginal at best.....By 1989, (same body,) the seals around those areas were much improved.

About all you can do (if you intend to keep those seals original), is to replace the seals with supple new ones, and carefully adjust the doors (and side and vent window frames) as best you can (per factory shop manual.)

Also, the drain holes for the plenum chamber, ( which is under the grill in front of the windshield), are located at bottom center of the L&R front fenders....These drain holes are about the size of a dime and tend to plug up over time!

[brad]

Even if the drain holes were all plugged up the level of the vent opening is about 6" above the drain hole level, so that would take lots of water to fill up . It is also the hog troughs that the cowl drains into, and the top level of that (under the seat) is much lower than the cowl side vents, so truthfully, it is not possible to fill up the insides through the cowl. It would HAVE TO BE the door seals leaking, most likely the "A" pillar seals down in the corner.

Edited November 7, 2019 by brad

[studegary]

My 1987 coupe leaked from new.  It leaked from the windshield area.

A local guy, that bought his 1963 Avanti new, had new door seals installed every year as a matter of maintenance.  

[mfg]

18 hours ago, studegary said:

 

A local guy, that bought his 1963 Avanti new, had new door seals installed every year as a matter of maintenance.  

Isn't that a bit like saying he changed out the carpeting every time dirt got on it??

[studegary]

5 hours ago, mfg said:

Isn't that a bit like saying he changed out the carpeting every time dirt got on it??

I don't think so.  The carpeting can be cleaned.  The door seals wear out.  I did not say that I suggested doing this or even approved of it.   I simply stated what that original owner did.  

[landriopa]

On 11/6/2019 at 5:26 PM, mfg said:

 Studebaker Avanti door window and vent window sealing was marginal at best.....By 1989, (same body,) the seals around those areas were much improved.

About all you can do (if you intend to keep those seals original), is to replace the seals with supple new ones, and carefully adjust the doors (and side and vent window frames) as best you can (per factory shop manual.)

Also, the drain holes for the plenum chamber, ( which is under the grill in front of the windshield), are located at bottom center of the L&R front fenders....These drain holes are about the size of a dime and tend to plug up over time!

I did poke a screwdriver up the plenum holes and the one on the passenger side was plugged.  About a pint came out of it.  Also my hog troughs both have 1/8 inch holes on the bottom near their rears.  The driver side was plugged and some water came out of it.  We will do the hose routine next, thanks.