Does it always flood the trunk and cockpit when the 60 Lark stude is washed or rained on?

[firestoper 25]

Well Joe I have heard that an early Avanti (63R1089 -build app. mid Aug 1962) with out drip rails will have a shoulder soaking problem. Guess it would water down dandruff flakes ;>)

[JoeHall]

Most of my experience is with K body Studes (hard top Hawks), but also with others. Yes, they all leak, but it takes a prolonged drive in a down pour to soak the carpets. And I have never had one leak from above, and get my shoulders wet. If your Stude is leaking like a sieve, it definitely needs addressing. If you cannot even hand wash it without the carpets and trunk getting soaked, perhaps it is even missing some of its seals. I dunno, but never had the soaking problems y'all are talking about here. If getting your shoulders wet, is it a convertible with perforated cloth top???

[firestoper 25]

Ref ; post # 18

Thank you thank you! With the temp @ 7 degrees this morning I desperately needed humor for a kick start to fire up the garage furnace and do Studebaker winter things. As far as the rust / water condition goes I understand I am going to be on a merry chase for soggy floors and wet shoulders in my Avanti when I get 'rain-caught' while driving. My spouse will be so thrilled and supportive ;>( with my choice of hobby car! I I can only imagine the fun of chasing down wind whistles which also drive her nuts. Ah, a work in progress....what a long standing commitment to keep me busy in retirement (expensive too). Sherm / Green Bay / 631089 & toasted 63R1182

[mw2013]

that 360 view with no headrests blocking is for me and an often overlooked safety feature

[Lark Hunter]

then all studebakers rust

Right. But there's that sweet spot after the inevitable filling with water and when the first rust hole forms. Embrace it and move your pet goldfish into the car. Goldfish appreciate the room that the Larkquarium offers as well as the view out of the panoramic windshield.

[firestoper 25]

So then the universe is in balance. The water that leaks in runs out through the rust holes, ;>) ! This is not rocket science people. :>)

[mw2013]

Yes. All Studebakers leak. Dan

then all studebakers rust

[ivorydan]

Yes. All Studebakers leak. Dan

[NCDave51]

And located near me and several other NC and VA owners here, is the excellent Steele Rubber of Denver, NC.

They - and MetroRubber up in Minnesota - are likely supplying 90+% of the parts houses for all marques here in North America.

If you want to install something a little thicker but of the same profile/width to fit your body troughs, these folks will have what you need. Search their “universal” parts and have your dimensions handy.

https://www.steelerubber.com/?gclid=...SAAEgJMu_D_BwE

https://metrommp.com

[JoeHall]

No need for special procedures in washing our Studes, other than NOT driving them through an automatic car wash. They are certainly not water proof, but are fairly water resistant. I have always hand washed them with a hose, bucket of hot soapy water and hand mitt, and any water that gets inside is negligible. If your car is getting drenched inside after hand washing there's something terribly wrong with the seals. I can identify with some repro seals being too big, but far more often they are too small.

Sealing the car better is not rocket science, and only requires a bit of creativity. About 20 years ago, I found a better trunk seal for Hawks in a junk yard, a trunk seal from a late 80s-early 90s Pontiac. I liked the first one so well, I went back and got two more for the other two Hawks.

[sweetolbob]

There's an old trick of using a dollar bill (hundred if you can afford it) and see where gasket seals or doesn't seal. When you find the areas or total gasket problems you can use backer rod to shim out the gasket. It comes in a few sizes depending on what you need.

There are other ways to shim the gaskets so you can let your creativity roam free also.

Doors can be adjusted if the fit is obviously bad as well as the lid but if they look good - shim the gaskets.

It's worked for me on vehicles up to pretty current.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Buil...1480/202066515

Bob

[mw2013]

Yep..!

My 1959 Lark windshield was tight, the tailgate window was tight even though the seal had a large split in it.
I bought ALL new rubber for the doors from Stude International. None of it was thick enough to seal the doors to the body. Not a single piece FIT properly to seal the water or wind out. Big money, nuthin worked.
A few years later, I saw an add for "new" rubber. I bought a couple of pieces, while it was different than the Stude International rubber, it...didn't seal either. Also, too small to fill the gaps.
I also bought rubber for the tailgate. The only piece that did seal was an NOS piece between the upper and lower tailgate. The sides, like the doors, was NOT a good fit.
I suppose I could have taken a piece and hit up the local swap meet seller, where there was always a guy with rolls of rubber, and just find a similar style that was overall a little larger. While I thought about it, I never actually did anything about it.
I just never put any carpet in the car..!
And the doors DID fit the car, never crashed, other than bending the splash apron under the front bumper.

Then some years later I bought a 60, 2dr. wagon with 36,0xx miles on it. After a coupla months, it came to me, check the rubber between the two cars. Original door rubber vs currently available, aftermarket door rubber. Yep, the original rubber was thicker (overall larger) than the current for that time rubber, or the earlier Stude International rubber. I don't recall by how much, it's been a while.

If you buy rubber kits, make SURE...that the seller understands that you will be returning the seals if they do not fit properly. If they don't contact the body when you close the door, they are useless.

Good luck.

Mike

thanks good to know Mike, the rubber is good and new in some places, for sure in the trunk, maybe it is the wrong dimensions I'll just have to now wash as often and wash it differently

[mw2013]

your just making an abrasive slurry paste and rubbing the grit right on the shine, the water blast gets that crap off, it's been buffed and perhaps clay barred, not perfect but a decent 4 footer

[64V19816]

If the cars not mud caked filthy....just use water in a bucket and a washcloth or sponge. Do it out of the bright sun, sections at a time and dry off with a towel. ••• I first seen this technique used by the late John Funk who had a pristine 1966 Timberline Turquoise Cruiser. He told me the car had Never seen wax! ....wow, that’s going back to when his car was maybe 9, 10 years old!

[jackb]

The front seat getting wet means top or sides of doors or maybe glass. IIRC..... the shop manual talks about placing black tape under the seal and passing a piece of paper along the entire edge to get the proper fitment. My experience with Larks are that the repop rubber seals are too big and cause the doors to bulge out and create ugly seams. At this point in my Stude life, I either have a vehicle that the rubber fits pretty good, but not for rainy or definitely not for hose washing times. My other vehicle is a "salt lick" ..... I don't care if the water gets inside....