Wear your swim trunks when driving in the rain!

I was driving my Beck speedster to get it inspected for registration in Hawaii,and we get frequent rain squalls,and sure enough.........water was getting under the front edge of the top and dripping down the back of the rear view mirror/windshield frame and pissing in the edges of the front windshield,as well as dripping on my leg under the dash,and dripping from the top seam.
It was similar to riding a motorcycle in the rain,lol!
Are ANY speedsters,even the real ones water tight?
It is a small nuisance,but atleast we wear shorts here 99% of the year!Aloha.

None are water tight, and only a few are water resistant. That said, you may be able to improve how your front seal works.

First, there are two bolts at each end of the header at the front edge of your top. Loosen all four bolts and rotate the header so that the forward edge is slightly lower, if possible. Frtom the driver's side this would be counter-clockwise. Tighten them up as much as possible as the top will naturally try to rotate it back in the other direction. You can also try some open-celled foam in addition to the existing seal. It'll take some experimentation.

Some folks have had good luck with installing a thrid latch in the middle, but that doesn't seem possible on a Beck to me because of the shape of the header. If you can figure out how to do that, you will solve your problem and a lot of us would like to see pictures.

Take a large beach towel, and lay it across your dash pad...

Well, I've made substantial progress on "drying in" my VS.
The weather striping also stops the breeze from blowing thru the doors.
My photo does not show the additional dams (just behind the mirrors) that I put on in the winter. The "dams" block water flow from the windshield posts to the door openings. They are just a 2 1/2" long piece of wither strip that channels the water away from the cabin. The glass-side of windshield posts had to be caulked as I could see day light thru them from looking up from below. I also caulked all the thru-body rivets that secure the window jam. Next, I found water dripping in at the windshield wiper shafts.... caulked those also. The last thing I did was to add a third latch near the center of the top to tighten up the fit against still more weather striping at the top bow.
BTW... I always use polyurethane caulk and carry a towel.
God Luck.

Attend Cory's Speedster driving school....hardcore!

Photo DerWhites.com

Didja notice how bright the speedsters headlights are in comparison to the surrounding vehicles? I thought it was just mine that did that. Time for a new thread about updating headlights?

They look like they are half full of water!!!!!!!

Hi Where do live? Do you live on Oahu. I have a Vintage Speedster. You might have seen it before it Black with Red Pearl and lowered. My Speedster has been in many Car Shows on Oahu and usually take the Speedster to all the Cruise Nites on Oahu. It seems like mostly ever time I drive my Speedster it Rains that is the fun of it drying the Speedster out!

Enjoy your new Speedster it looks Cool!!!!!!

Aloha, Kawika

I am pretty familiar with driving in the rain -- and spent a lot of time growing up in Hawaii.
When it starts to rain pineapple juice at 4:15, brahddah, put it in the carport.
Or remove the carpet. That's what I did. ;)

Thanks for all the tips and I am just going to live with it.
kawika,I have seen your car a couple times,a very sweet ride!
I am from Maui,but live on Oahu,in the Wahiawa/Mililani area.
I have a small VW/Audi repair shop (water cooled),but have this speedster & a 57 OG Oval.
At the next VW cruise/swapmeet/whatevas I will introduce myself.
Aloha!

Hey Thomas , Do you know Mike Getzinger on the big island?

Thomas, Cool some of us from the 2 VW Clubs will be at the Hawaii Kai Cruise night on Saturday March 26. If I am not driving my Speedster I will be in my Dune Buggy. My good friends put on the Vw Swap Meet in Aiea. Cool I would like to meet you!

Aloha, Kawika

Speed Bucket,I do not know a Mike from Big Island,sorry.Does he have a black Vintage Speedster? I saw one on Craigsist for sale and it was on the B.I. (?)
Kawika,this Sat. I gotta watch the kids (wife gets a night off,to go to dinner with her girlfriends) so bad timing for me,bummers.
Hopefully will see you at one of the upcoming VW cruises,Aloha.

Glad you told the Beck story. I always thought only the CMCs were leakers. I would guess even the real Speedsters didn't hold water. Actually, I owned a 1961 Austin Bugeye Sprite. That little beast was really water tight. It had little sliding plastic windows that worked very well. Now, I wont think about buying a Vintage or Beck, being a great car to take across the country in the summer.
Paul

They CAN be made almost waterproof with a good Stayfast top, better designed side windows, and judicious use of appropriate sealers and stick on weather stripping. The compound curve of the Speedster windshield makes for some interesting engineering challenges, however. Ask me how I know.

If all else fails, use blue painter's tape.

Lane, there's some guy inside your car taking a picture of you ....

Nice side vindurs !

Those are the old ones as I'm still tweaking the new ones that fit the Stayfast top. The opening is about an inch taller, and the fit at the front is more problematic due to changes in the top shape. I should have bought the cheaper plexiglass for the trials, and only bought the scratch resistant polycarbonate once the shape was perfected. Live and learn.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned East Coast Bruce's anti-rain cure in more detail (or posted a picture!).

Tom!

Go to a hardware or paint store and get a roll of 1-1/2" wide, Blue Painter's tape.

Keep it in your car at all times.

When you see the rain coming, jump out and apply a strip along the joint between the windshield frame and the top material (yes, it'll stick, unless the surfaces are already wet). If need be, you can also run some along the bottom of the windshield, but only if you need it. After the rain has passed (or when you get to where you're going) just peel it right off.

That's a lot easier than doing the Jack Crosby, patented, complete-waterproofing-and-hermetic-sealing routine. It'll seal it up almost completely, but it's a LOT of work.

Do a search on Jack Crosby on here and find his posts on weathersealing. It's well done and an education in itself.

Oh, and a third latch just to the side of the center strut makes a world of difference.

gn

Duck Tape!

"VS third latch"...I just got a new VS header bow and requested a third center latch, what I got is a bow with a center mounted knurled knob that has a piece of flat notched metal stock that swings over to secure against the mirror rod, easy - peasy design.

Alan, can you post a picture?

Do not use Duct (aka, Duck) tape as a water leak preventative!

The adhesive used in Duct tape leaves a sticky residue on the contact surfaces which is a bear to remove.

Painter's tape can be removed with no remaining residue.

And that's a good thing.......

Wrong picture there, Alan. Couple o' beers under the hood?

Third latch VS header bow.

No, those are the right pictures, but I assume that it latches onto the top of the center strut.

How does it exert pull on the strut rod to pull the header down as a "normal" latch would??

ACK! He changed 'em on me! Was a picture of the rear of build #23 - or I had too much wine with dinner.

....How does it exert pull on the strut rod to pull the header down as a "normal" latch would?? ..........

I don't know haven't installed it yet, I think the idea is to anchor the center of the bow but wonder if it won't pop the mirror rod out of the windshield frame top ?

I was thinking about a similar design for mine, but I concluded that it would do just as you said and pop the rod out of the frame.

Nothing worse than a popped rod, right?

Ouch!