water leaks

Later this week I'm looking at a 10 year old Vintage made speedster in an estate sale. From the photos the top looks brand new and I expect the side curtains to leak. Can I expect the trunk and doors to leak? Will my feet be getting wet in a speedster if it rains? Lousey weather here in NH during the spring. Thanks for any imput.

YUP! If you drive it in rain the water will find its way in. Trunk is only has hood hinge protrusion so not much there plus it has a gasket completley around it. Doors have gaskets but water seem to blow in and up to the windshield and side curtin gaps. Many have leaks around pan to body seal but they can be fixed. Hopefully it doesn't get cold there! Most use as a fair weather week end toy for these reasons - most don't own top or side curtains (they are for emergency use). Junmp in and get you feet wet --- so to speak.

Tim, I had an inch and 1/2 of water behind the seats of my 07 VS on the way back from Carlisle this year. Pan built Speedsters are indeed bathtubs. We pulled over a few hours out of Carlisle to bail out and get some coffee at the rest stop. When we returned home I used a high powered vacuum and a few days in the hot sun; it all dried up. Madness for sure.

I have done some waterproofing, but Jack Crosby seems to have had the best results. He may be out of town but always chimes in on this subject. I would worry more about keeping yourself dry and the windshield from fogging up. Gordon Nichols makes this super high tech device to wipe down the front windshield if such a case arises. He gave them away in the Carlisle raffle in 09. At first my impressions were this. "What a Cheap SOB" But then I got caught in a heavy humid rain and my opinion changed real fast when I remembered I had such a device on board that worked so effectively.

Thanks for the heads up. Guess I'll be buying boots. Had a 912 in the 1970's, it was a submarine. They use to use a ton of salt on the roads here in the winter.

All speedsters should come with a soap on a rope that gets hung on the rear view mirror.

Speedsters don't leak..........they simply sink.

Thank you Marty!

The "device" idea has been around almost as long as Speedstahs, and it STILL works better than anything else!

And for those of you who, as Marty once did, look with disdain on my little fog stoppers:

http://thelasthonestman.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/billthecat.jpg

I've even got one in my Truck - of course, the truck has a climate control and I've never had fog in there but I've still got one!!

Tim,

If you want something to keep you dry you need another type of car. The statement is not ment to be insultave at all it is just a plain fact.

The fun makes up for the dampness....;-)

And the dampness is part of the "adventure". Some cars leak more, or in different places, than others. Mine has no body leaks except for around one wiper shaft (right above my throttle leg), but the top has some leaks at the seams (in process of getting new top). Consider the top "emergency use" as Porsche originally intended. Better yet, consider the car a 4-wheeled motorcycle, and you've got the picture.

There are fixes to help minimize the leaks.
Do a search on this site and you'll find several threads devoted to this problem.
I have found that by sealing the gap between the firewall and the rear of the cockpit, as well as fabricating and installing rain shields just in front of the rear tires have stopped the water from puddling behind the seats.
The nasty drips from the top header as well as the front edge of the side curtains are the most difficult to stop. Replacing the side curtains with weather-stripped plastic and using silicone caulking along the front bow will help.
You'll always need a towel, however.