'64 body/trunk leak

[BRUCESTUDE]

I'm pulling the body panels off my '64 Daytona, prepping for paint, and am wondering if anyone has experience with trunk leaks in these cars. Every time it rains or I wash the car the trunk gets a fair amount of water inside. When I did the interior several years ago, I replaced the rear window seal but it looked like it still has been leaking; seeing where the drips came from it looks like water came from above the wheel wells. I'll pull the galss to paint, so I'll reseal the back window. What kind of sealer do you use? I was originally sold some urethane sealer as the glass shop used nothing else.
Thanks, Bruce

[Skip Lackie]

Stude had so much trouble with water leaks in the 64 cars that they issued a long Service Letter (F-1964-10) to address them. "Investigation shows that a major source of water leaks which show up in the trunk compartment originate around the rear window moulding fastening clips." The Service Letter recommends removing the mouldings (but not the glass) and packing the area around the clips with soft body sealer (dum-dum). You probably don't need to remove the glass to repaint, but if you do, you probably will solve the problem. Otherwise, buy some 3M strip-caulk and use in liberally around the clips.

[bezhawk]

Also check the area where the rear fenders bolt on. The seam sealer between the fender and the inner trunk upper edge. This dries out over the years and water seeps into the area where the bolts are and rusts the upper box section, and water leaks in.

[jackb]

if you replaced the rear glass with a new, repopped seal....pull it again and put toooo much caulking/sealer in all the grooves. Replacement rubber for these cars is terrible. Only sealer will help.....See Motor Trend's 64' Stude road tests.......not a real good read.....

[BRUCESTUDE]

Thanks for the advice guys! I took off the LR quarter panel, and the sealer is indeed dried up, but it looks like the water in the trunk came from the rear window area. i will pull the moulding to paint, and pack it with strip caulk, and maybe look at that seal too, as mentioned.

[Rerun]

For some reason, the rear window installation on the '64 is unlike most Stude applications (like the '64 windshield) in that the stainless trim is NOT held by the rubber molding, but by clips. If you've already had things apart once, you already know what a pain it is to get the clips to let go of the stainless trim. Not one of South Bend's better ideas.

The way that the clips fit to the fence virtually ensures that there will be leaks. Use generous amounts of sealer around them. On my '64s, I typically found rusted pinholes in the sheet metal below the glass, too. The only '64 that didn't leak was my Challenger, which had no clips or stainless molding!

[Warren Webb]

The rust problems on the back glass of the 64-66's are definitly made worse from those clips. But just about all manufacturers went to that type at that time. I have found to prevent the rust issue is to paint that channel with POR-15, then top it off with the top coat color (although, if its not exposed to sunlight, that isnt needed). There was a sealer that most glass shops used with the rubber gaskets back then but I havent been able to find a source since the mid 80's, so liberal amounts of strip caulk (dum-dum) has to suffice, both on the sealing area of the gasket & the inner channel for the glass too. I would hate to use a urethane sealer in the event I needed to remove the glass for whatever reason (caso in me not wanting to buy another gasket).

[A Tripp]

Is there a special tool or a process used to remove the stainless trim from around the rear window without doing damage to it or bending it? I have a 64 Cruiser that has a leaking problem and want to reseal the area as described. Any details you can provide would be of great help!
Thanks.

[BRUCESTUDE]

If you have a shop manual, it describes the procedure. At first it's a little confusing, but when you pop the first one loose, it goes pretty easily. My car had a lot of dried up sealer in the channel and made it harder to remove the clips.

[Skip Lackie]

As noted above, this type of clip was in common use by all the car makers around this time. There are universal moulding clip tools available that will do the job. They are flat like a butter knife to go under the moulding, with a hook-like extension to go behind the clip and release it.