Mum has a 1972 Austin 1300 Mk3.

NO laughing because it is in superb condition and has done just 39000 miles in 39 years. We have all the bills and paperwork etc.

However, there is a problem - quite a long standing problem. When the car is left out in the rain there is an accumulation of water in the driver side footwell (mainly) and a bit in the passenger side.

The floor of the footwell has a substantial layer of grp resin that has prevented any corrosion over the years. The leak is not from the heater matrix or sills or from corrosion anywhere under the window seal. The window has just been "out" to check.

The problem has been managable until recently but for the last 6 months since being widowed mum has kept the car on a run-in rather that in her lock-up. So, much more exposure to rain. Currently she copes by using newspapers under the carpet and changing them daily. Not satisfactory

I guess there must be a double skin area around the main bulkhead where rainwater drains through and away. THAT was certainly the system on a couple of older cars I have had in the past eg Golf. Presumably there is some corrosion at the bottom of that double skin area - which will be behind what is laughingly called the "instrument panel and dashboard" on the Austin 1300. I cannot SEE anything - but logically that is where water must be getting in.

Questions:

a. Am I thinking along the right lines
b. How can we get it "fixed"

Mum is 93 so we are not looking for a cure that will last another 39 years. However "drill a hole in the floor to let the water out" is not an acceptable answer.

and finally
c. Any suggestions as to WHERE we can get the work done

Thanks folks

Snod

sorry I can't help but just want to say that is awesome!

I had that problem with my very first car, a Mini, which would be about 40 years old if it was still around today, I was always told the repairs would be far to expensive and yet no one actually told me what those repairs would be, i was advised to lift the carpet and i would come across a few holes with rubber bungs in, that i did and yes i did find the holes with bungs in, took them out and the water drained out, it was if Austin expected that problem to develop in the cars later life.

That brings thoughts of bulkhead panels being fitted the 'wrong' way (lower panel over top panel) during manufacture, so that the water ran inside the car and not past the joint.

Think it was the Mini, but memory is not what it once was.

mini floorpans where built upside down so always leaked, id bet on it being dranage holes being blocked,

ill gladly take a good look for free if you can get it to my garage?

That's a great little car, and nice colour!

Similar thing happened on my sister's mini - new door seals and windscreen seal sorted the bulk of the leaks.

Out of interest when you put the screen back in did you use a sealant too?

It's not coming in through the side door window and then through the drainage holes in the bottom??

yes, sealant was used on the windscreen. When the screen was out (all glass came out for the respray and any damage below the rubbers - actually not a lot - was properly repaired). First time with the glass back there was a very small leak by the windscreen seal when it was "attacked" with a hose. Understandable given the rubber seal will have been a bit inflexible after 40 years. So, screen came out again and was put back with sealant metal-to-seal and glass-to-seal. That glass will now not come out except with a knife.

New door seal rubbers were fitted a couple of years ago and they do not leak. There was always a very small 'dribble' from around the window quarter light at the bottom swivel - so that was permanently sealed up years ago.

Snod

No, I tried to check that by properly taping plastic sheet to the inside of the door and then under the door bottom and onto the outside of the door. Sure, water came through the drain holes but then quite definitely was routed to the outside - but the floor still became wet.

Snod

A very nice car `mum` has ther snod, not many around. Its true about the build quality of early BL cars,they were a running joke!
I would have first suggested screen and quaterlight rubbers. What about the splash panel inside the front wing, if it is pinholes, water will get in thru the kick panel and onto the floors!

If it was the panel inside the front wing then I would have expected the water problem to be worse when the car is being driven. In fact it seems to be just as bad when the car is stationary with a nylon cover over the top part ie a "half cover" as they sell in Motorworld and the like.

All the underneath and esp arches were reundersealed only last Nov as part of the respray job.

Anyway - I can't see pinholes letting in this much water. I'm thinking of fitting a bilge pump in the footwell !!!

Since this problem has been around for a while I have three strategies

1. Look on Wiki for enlightenment
2. Buy a full size nylon car cover and get mum to use that (she is remarkably agile for 93 years and will cope). That will really sort out whether the problem is drainage into the floor well or whether the car being driven in the rain is a major factor
3. Just wait for warmer weather so I can take ot the driver seat (to make access into the floor well area a lot easier) and then also to do a GOOD clean down inside the engine bay and look there for any obvious problems

Snod

Chris - PM me with your garage location and a suitable day/ time and I will willingly bring the car for you to have a quick look

Snod

pmd snod

I have had a couple of these, and always loved them .. such a fantastic drive and lovely sound affects.

Thought this one was the one around Wallasey Village, but I think that may be a four door version, have a photo somewhere. If it is the right one your mum stopped me one day and asked for help as it had started to smoke and she was worried it was going to go on fire !!

Have you looked under the air filter housing and the bulkhead between the engine bay and front dashboard, as they rust away in that region and cause water to come through.

The other as someone has mention the bottom of the wing but check the wheelarch area as this may have become holded, only needs to be a small hole, but with the water coming off the wheel at quite a force can make it more than a little damp.

funny, i bought a 1300VP off a guy in north wales last week and i was talking to him about your mums car.

my wife's granddad used to have a garage opposite your mums one, he had a 71 teal blue clubman in it.

Mum's car will be the one you have seen around Wallasey Village. Yes, I do remember her having a "smoke" problem one day. It was due to a short in the trafficator switch. The switch was replaced - but ironically is in need of replacing again. I have just picked up a replacement of Ebay.

I went to see Chris_G today and he gave me a few ideas (THANKS CHRIS) that I can have a go at fairly quickly.

I am sure you are right about the real source of the problem being the box on the bulkhead where rainwater drains through the grill just under the windscreen. I have checked that the box drains OK ie pout in a can of water and it drains out under the wheel arch as it is supposed to do. I am not yet quite sure from WHERE it drains - I need the car up on my ramps for that. It is common for the drain pipes to get blocked with decomposing leaves and other junk - but these drain freely.

However, almost certainly there is some corrosion/ holes in the base of that box. NOT the easiest job to get in there to seal anything up (big understatement). IF (big IF) I could push a stick or similar up the drain pipe from the box (so it will not get blocked) then I guess I could pour several successive lots of Waxoyl in through the grill and then let each lot set to build up a layer. If that job was done on a hot summer days (is that a joke?) the Waxoyl solvent would evaporate quite quickly. When set - pull the stick back out of the drain pipe.

Should work

Heath Robinson would be proud of me

Snod

Try a plastic bag over the grilles, and then give it a good hosing to with water to see if it's stopped.

David - effectively that procedure in place as of this afternoon. Once the full car cover arrives it should solve a lot of the problem anyway. I suppose the real answer is that mum should go put her car in her lock-up (200 yards away) BUT I do not want her to do that because it will be a disincentive for her to USE the car and (a) the car needs using regularly (b) it is good for mum to get out and about. So, a car cover and parked by her front door is the answer for the moment.

I picked up a full car cover from Motorworld but it was far too heavy and bulky. Even I had problems handling it. I have a lightweight one on order. OK, it will not last as long but who cares - just get another if it wears out. They are not that expensive.

Snod