a tough decision

[JoeMackin]

Well I would like to thank everyone in the forum for helping me make a tough decision. Recently I was given the opportunity to sell my 03 Vert for very close to what I bought it for.

I had been having problems with a water leak through the convertible top and GM was going to lemon it out. They would not give me a trade out option only a buy back. I love the car and hardly ever take it out in bad weather, when I do its a very minor leak.

I went over the decision many times and the deciding factor was all the people on this forum that talk so adoringly of their once owned Vette. I truly have a passion for this car and would regret the loss. There were a ton of options that I could have used the money for but in each case I could just hear my own story of how I had to let go of my Vette for what ever I was purchasing in its place.

So thank you to all the Corvette enthusiasts for your learned experiences.

Joe

 

[Patrick]

So, Joe, how are you planning to fix the leak? Do you still need help figuring out the cause of the leak, and how to fix it?

Glad to hear you aren't giving up on your Vette.


-Patrick

 

[Eric]

Glad to hear you aren't giving up on your Vette.


-Patrick

I'll second that and applaud your faith. Now, when you're ready to see what a rainstorm is like on the inside of a Shark, I'll hook you up with the guy that has my old 71. I like to recall the onld Coast soap commercial, "How you gettin to work today honey?" - "Backstroke."

- Eric

 

[JoeMackin]

Patrick,
Well we have done just about everything we can do to stop the leak. We have replaced the top and realigned it many times. I have talked with allot of other corvette owners with my same year and type, all of them say they have the same problems. Basically its just an intermittent drip from the corner by the windshield and in the middle where the top folds. There is a grease type of sealant you can put on but most people who have tried it say it's just a mess.

 

[Tuna]

My 03 vert has 31K miles on it now and seems to attract rain on every road trip. It's doesn't seem to have any leaks. Sorry to hear that you are.

About the only time I notice any issues with the top is when I use high pressure water on it during a car wash and then only on the side windows where the top folds.

My old 92 coupe leaks more than any other Vette we've every had.

 

[Eric]

There is a grease type of sealant you can put on but most people who have tried it say it's just a mess.

That does sound messy since there is a chance of touching it and spreading and making a bigger mess.

Out of curiousity, does your leaking occur when the car is standing still, driving, or both?

And BTW, my post above wasn't intended to minimize your leak issue. I re-read it just now and realized it may have come off that way.

- Eric

 

[JoeMackin]

No worries Eric I dont offend easy. The leak occures more when the car is either standing still or moving at very high speeds .

 

[Alan76]

Joe
The two vettes I own were made in the seventies both looked like they have leaked for years for me its just a minor aggravation not enough to make me sell them. If I had bought them new I would not taken them out in the rain, Although it does not always work out that way. But you get the picture. As for as the grease,try vasaline jelly just a little to moist the rubber makes a nice seal without the mess.Keep the vette you always wanted they leak in the rain its not the end of the world not having the vette would be
Alan

 

[JoeMackin]

Alan,
I use a scilicone grease 2 per year to keep the weather strips in good shape as recomended, that does seem to help but only for a few weeks.

 

[jrose7004]

Leaks are just the nature of the convertable beast aren't they?

 

[JoeMackin]

Well the worst part is my girl friend has a rustang and gives me grief about the car peeing on me when it rains hard.

 

[srs244]

Leaks are just the nature of the convertable beast aren't they?

my 93 convertible (sold many years ago regretably) had what i would consider a really tight fit on the top, and it would still give me a drip from time to time at the top fold on the side window area (usually the driver's side, although my wife got her fair share also, lol). BTW you haven't really lived until you've been out on the road in south florida in a tropical "rain" storm. not unusual to get an inch or more in a very short period of time. because of that, i never consider my experience with that drip a problem, just part of the corvette experience, LOL!!

 

[JoeMackin]

Yeah leak is predominately on the driver’s side too. If it were just on the passenger side GM would charge extra for that.

 

[BarryK]

not to minimize your trouble with your car, but if you think it's frustrating having a Vert leak, how about my '65 COUPE that leaked like a sieve if I got caught out in the rain with it or even from just washing it.
All the glass was removed during the paint job I just had completed and even with all new gaskets and weatherstripping it still leaks a little although not at all as bad as before.

 

[JoeMackin]

It’s frustrating that the millions of dollars that they spend on the engineering of this car and they don’t find a fix to something other automobiles have never had problems with.

 

[BlackNBlue95]

It’s frustrating that the millions of dollars that they spend on the engineering of this car and they don’t find a fix to something other automobiles have never had problems with.

I agree..
-=Rick