53-55 Waterproofing - NCRS Discussion Boards

53-55 Waterproofing

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  • Troy P.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • January 31, 1989
    • 1279

    53-55 Waterproofing

    If anyone is interested in how to better keep the rain out of your roadster you are welcome to view the attached Chevy answer from September 1954 in pdf. This supplements the info Roy Braatz posted on the subject - the tricks he employs on his 55 driver.

    I haven't been able to locate a really good copy of Technical Service Bulletin #307 but I've cleaned up the pdf of mine as best I can. The photos aren't great but are understandable.

    Thought this may be useful now that the rainy season is upon us.
    Attached Files
  • Jim L.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • September 30, 1979
    • 1806

    #2
    Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

    Troy,

    Thanks for posting that. I've heard of this bulletin but had never seen a copy.

    If only the modifications it suggests were sufficient to keep water out of an early model.....


    Ten years ago, my son, two NCRS friends, and I drove my late Dad's '54 from Georgia to California. In Salt Lake City, we got caught in a downpour, the first rain of the trip.

    Darrell, who was driving the '54 at the time, came on the radio and told the rest of us that his RIGHT shoulder was getting soaked. Water, it seems, was entering the '54 at the lower, rear corner of the right hand side curtain, and shooting in a stream across the interior to Darrell's shirt!

    Since getting safely to California, my solution to the leakage problem has been to just keep the car out of the weather. Works every time.

    Jim

    Comment

    • Roy B.
      Expired
      • January 31, 1975
      • 7044

      #3
      Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

      Troy! great info to post I had that many years ago but lost it along with some others.

      Comment

      • Gary C.
        Administrator
        • October 1, 1982
        • 17563

        #4
        Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

        Troy, check with the AACA Library http://www.aacalibrary.org/ They have the NCRS archives cataloged and a copy of TSB 307 is probably in the NCRS collection. Gary....
        NCRS Texas Chapter
        https://www.ncrstexas.org/

        https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565408483631

        Comment

        • Joseph T.
          Expired
          • April 30, 1976
          • 2074

          #5
          Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

          Originally posted by Roy Braatz (182)
          Troy! great info to post I had that many years ago but lost it along with some others.
          Roy

          I think I submitted that in Vol.1 #1 of the SACE magazine.

          Where has the time gone?

          Joe Trybulec

          SACE`#86

          Comment

          • Troy P.
            Extremely Frequent Poster
            • January 31, 1989
            • 1279

            #6
            Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

            As time passes I think we need to revist these things as new owners have come along that don't have the benefit of the decades of knowledge that have gone before.

            Thanks for the tip about the archives. I'd like to get a better copy.

            I live in Washington where it has been known to rain a bit. When I bought my first '54 the floor of passenger compartment was void of carpet, painted red, and the fiberglass looked like Swiss cheese. Tracked down owners from back in the day and found one who talked about how much it leaked and the drain holes he drilled in the floor. I wonder if he ever benefitted from TSB #307.

            Comment

            • Roy B.
              Expired
              • January 31, 1975
              • 7044

              #7
              Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

              Originally posted by Joseph Trybulec (930)
              Roy

              I think I submitted that in Vol.1 #1 of the SACE magazine.

              Where has the time gone?

              Joe Trybulec

              SACE`#86
              I dont even wont to think about it , 68 now and times goes faster.
              SACE #1 ROY

              Comment

              • Michael L.
                Expired
                • July 31, 2005
                • 562

                #8
                Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                I'm guessing I'd need a set of side curtains before I start worrying about being watertight. I remember driving my car through Nuuanuu Valley to Honolulu on a fine sunny day when one of our typical tropical downpours swept the valley floor for about five minutes... I was soaked! I still scan the skies before a drive.

                Comment

                • Troy P.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • January 31, 1989
                  • 1279

                  #9
                  Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                  In Hawaii I'd suspect you didn't have the top up either.

                  When I lived on Oahu I had an XKE convertible. When it rained while the top was down my solution was to drive faster. Not easy to do in a place with speed limits typically 35 mph. Nevertheless, with the top down at speeds over 50 mph the rain would pass right over the cockpit and nothing inside would get wet. People look at you kinda funny driving in a downpour with the top down though. I gather 50 mph doesn't do the trick in your Vette.

                  Comment

                  • Roy B.
                    Expired
                    • January 31, 1975
                    • 7044

                    #10
                    Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                    Originally posted by Michael Lander (44237)
                    I'm guessing I'd need a set of side curtains before I start worrying about being watertight. I remember driving my car through Nuuanuu Valley to Honolulu on a fine sunny day when one of our typical tropical downpours swept the valley floor for about five minutes... I was soaked! I still scan the skies before a drive.
                    Just keep a pile of towels with you so your pants dont get wet making people think you cant hold it.

                    Comment

                    • Michael L.
                      Expired
                      • July 31, 2005
                      • 562

                      #11
                      Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                      Good one Roy! When I rebuilt my '55, I repaired all the "drain holes" that were drilled into the floor board. The guys I got mine from drag raced the car. The carpet had been replaced with a real interesting red resin with gold flakes in it... Kinda looked like a '60s metalflake vinyl seat... I guess they just hosed it out after races. They even went to the trouble of going up to the firewall with this stuff...

                      Troy, even at 50mph, I'd get wet, tire spray was even worse with the road grime... I got caught in a snow flurry a month or two back with the top off, got some real good looks then. Sitting at stop lights, I got a good dusting.

                      Comment

                      • Troy P.
                        Extremely Frequent Poster
                        • January 31, 1989
                        • 1279

                        #12
                        Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                        Then I take it you either don't live on Oahu anymore. Could only get snow on Maui and the Big Island at elevation.

                        Comment

                        • Michael L.
                          Expired
                          • July 31, 2005
                          • 562

                          #13
                          Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                          Moved from Honolulu to Las Vegas in '85, moved to Reno / Sparks in '02. Spent my early life in Hawaii, got too expensive to live well and no real opportunity as a younger person.

                          Comment

                          • Steven B.
                            Extremely Frequent Poster
                            • June 30, 1982
                            • 3976

                            #14
                            Re: 53-55 Waterproofing

                            I had a special bag full of "weather equipment" I used to carry in the '57 which I used when caught in the rain or just washing it. It was a precaution since the top was (and still is) very weather tight. I had a flannel blanket I put up tight against the rear bow weatherstrip and forward down the sides of the seats, paper towels I put between the windshield frame and top header and towels I layed on the arm rests, the seats and the carpet. After washing or caught in the rain I would ring them out and dry them for the next time---along with blotting water off the carpet.

                            Once, after washing and not getting all of the water off the carpet, I decided to cruise a little wearing my pegged white jeans. I forgot my seat belts had been laying on the carpet during the wash. When I got home I happened to look down at the red stripe across my lap. The dye on my J.C. Whitney carpet was not fast in the rugs.

                            Comment

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