Hi all. Well, as usual I started out on this Monday morning messing up on the computer. The introduction to this forum plainly said "new members", and naturally I first posted to the "general Maverick forum" which didn't post anyway for whatever reason. One of these days I will learn to read the instructions. First of all, I have driven Mavericks since 1980, when I purchased my first one and fell in love with it. I have owned and driven different ones since. I own a 1972 Maverick Sprint. This car was bought from a lady in Dinuba, California in terrible shape; but the price was right. She was driving it over the famous California "grapevine" daily, which is a torturous series of mountains hard on brakes and transmissions. She added air, as it didn't have factory air, and used the same single core radiator. It looked to have overheated numerous times. I opened the trunk and she has miscellaneous water bottles and emply transmission fluid containers. Along with the overheating from a small radiator, she had a leak where the transmission cooler pipe goes into the radiator, so 1/3 of the radiator was plugged with mud and oil. Add to that the freezeplugs in the head were leaking, no cooling shroud, bad carb, leaking hoses, and on and on. How did it run like that? All I know is it did. She had it currently registered. After having the head rebuilt, hoses, carb, and numerous other things, it ran fine. All that overheating didn't hurt that 250 engine (bulletproof) or transmission at all. Okay, it still needed cosmetics. Bodywork, interior, grill, etc. I drive it that way for about four years at the end of which time my daughter starts asking if I will sell it. She really wanted that car. I thought to myself "okay, I guess I will give it to her. Missed it right off. I didn't see the car being driven for two more years. Then, this Christmas Eve, my family starts acting weird, and asks me to come out and help with some presents. Okay, I get out there, and all I hear is a big "Merry Christmas"; and there it sat, my Maverick I gave my daughter with a bow on it and all restored except for the engine which ran fine. I couldn't believe it. Now, have a couple of questions. First off, before the new interior they put in gets ruined, what usually causes the side doors to leak water, or should I say, where does it enter? My son-in-law is a bodyman/painter, but didn't have time to put on new door/trunk rubber as he wanted to get it over here for Christmas Eve. I know it needs new rubber even though it looks fair, but until I find some for the trunk and doors, where does it usually come in from on the door, as I remember it leaking and wetting the carpets. So, along with just writing a book, I was wondering where I might find the door and trunk rubber and a grill? Course we all know that Maverick/Comet trunks never rust or leak. All have a nice day. Jack.
Welcome to the Forum Call Steele Rubber Products for the weatherstrip I am sure someone on here will have a grill for sale http://www.steelerubber.com/ 800-544-8665
As these cars are very similar to Mustangs/Cougars, my experience in wet floorboards come from the following two areas: 1-Windshield gaskets-replacing and adding sealer should solve this provided it is not rusted out around the windshield. 2-Cowl vents-they don't make gaskets to solve this problem I don't have a clue which is more likely, but the door seals are probably not a problem. Do a search on this message board for 'Cowl Vent Repair' and you will get an idea of what to look for to find out if your problem is leaky cowl vents. Being that your car did not come with factory A/C, you have 2 cowl vents to deal with, one per side. The factory A/C cars only had one cowl exit, into the heater box. The cowls were never painted or coated from the factory, and they rust pretty quickly. Merry Christmas- Seth
Great story Jack. I keep waiting for my girlfriend to have my car hauled away by Chip Foose for one of his Overhaulin' features. Welcome to the board. Sprints are very nice!
have my car hauled away by Chip Foose for one of his Overhaulin' features... With my luck my car would go to "Pimp My Ride". Welcome aboard Jack.
Welcome to the board Jack. .Littleredtoy hit the nail on the head about where the water could be leaking in. In the case of our Stallion, the water was leaking in through the upper door weatherstrip on the drivers side. Replacing the weatherstrip took care of the leak. Water coming in around windshield gaskets and through rusted out cowls are the most common water leaks. But our Stallion had one more that is easy to overlook. Sometimes water can get underneath the seam sealer in the rain gutters where the roof rail molding is. Once there it just stays wet and rust. That's what happened to the Stallion. After digging out the old seam sealer, we found a small rust hole where the water was seeping in near the corner of the windshield. Since your car has already been painted, I hope that's not the case.
My daughter is driving my Sprint. I hope the next time she drives it back into the garage the Sprint has been restored!! What a Xmas gift!! Have fun with your "new" Maverick!
Welcome to the board lots of great people here. You can also check AutoKrafters for the door & trunk seals. Very nice Xmas gift indeed.......You lucky guy!
Hi Jack...welcome to the board! Congratulations on the awesome Christmas present. That is one heck of a family you have there. now for the bad news...odds are you have water leaking in at the cowl vents. It's very easy to check. Just take a glass of water and poor it slowly into the cowl grille just below the windshield and look under the dash for any leakage. It would be easier if you get someone to pour while you look. I hope you the best of luck and maybe the problem is elsewhere because this is the worst possible place it could be. Let us know if we can help and we would really love to see some pics of the car. Enjoy the board.
Hi all. Sorry if this comes out rather jumbled up. Am not familiar with replys on here yet. I just wanted to say thanks for all the responses to my problem and also to say thanks for the nice welcome I received. I went out in the garage and took a closer look, as it has been a couple of years since I drove it. When moving the rubber on the windshield, it does look as if that may be my leak. Since it isn't that expensive, I will have that rubber replaced soon. I don't have the heart to tell my son-in-law that the car may have to be cut, repaired, and welded back if it turns out to be the cowl area, so if it does turn out that way, I will keep it in the garage on rainy days and wait at least a year and then do it, and have him repair the messed up areas. I just don't want him to think I am going to tear up what he just did. He is very busy at his job, and sometimes works a lot of weekends, so he really did the best he could on it. It has a flawless paintjob, and really looks sharp. Nice interior too. Just a few bugs to get out and I will have a really nice car. Will beat driving the newer cars. I will leave them to my wife. Ha ha. I know it probably sounds like I am in denial, but I really do think that it might be the windshield. I will keep my folded hands pointing upward. That cowl job sounds like a bear, but I will do it if it needs it. Love the car. I have to replace a heater core in it. Does the dash come out with bolts, or is it welded in? Thanks again for all of your help and the welcomes. Great group. Jack. P.S. I almost forgot to ask. Does this group require hosting in order to put on pictures like another handyman site I belong to? I ask that because I never mastered the hosting process with my provider. I have free space, but can't seem to master it.
The heater core is replacable without removing the dash and is pretty straight foward. The non factory air cars are pretty simple. Best bet is to get a chiltons manual or something like it. Craig usually has a bunch of them. cselvey@netdirect.net
