Wet weather
 

So I have been anxiously watching the weather for London on Saturday. At times the afternoon looks ok then sometimes the whole day is showing rain. I am registered and will be there no matter what but probably will not bring my car if there is still a high chance of rain. I still have high hopes as this is one of my favorite car days of the year.

So this made me wonder, how many of you don’t care so much about rain and drive on wet roads, etc? Also, how well does the soft top seal to the body especially on a Superformance? Do you get water dribbling in making the carpet all wet or is it pretty tight? Just curious to hear from others who have experiences with this.

In short, Cobra's leak....
They leak at the windshield, they leak at the doors. The trunks leak around the seals. The top leak and the side curtains leak. You will have a foot wells full of water that Flipper could live in, which sloshes like a wave pool on acceleration and braking. In general, the windshield wipers are ornamentation.
Remember these were originally British cars..... :)
Rainx outside and anti-fog on the inside glass surfaces are a must.
A good project is to add foot well and under-seat drains to the car. Boat shops have some slick little assemblies for this addition.
Maintaining a good cruising speed will divert most rain over the windshield but water finds its way in regardless.
Will it hurt anything? Most of the cars do not have water tight electrical connections. I have seen the instruments fog up over time. The ignition box needs to be kept dry. The carpeting dries out pretty fast if the weather improves.... the cars under-hood detailing is wiped out. You will want to put any luggage or anything you want to stay dry in sealed plastic bags.
Then there is the hydro-planning on the wide tires..... and lack of traction on acceleration which are both quite dangerous.
My wiring diagrams will be useful too after prolonged driving in the rain. Relays don't like water.
On the plus side, you do get a lot of thumb's up from those people passing you on the road. Truck drivers.... well that is another story....
My son went on some car spotters website this morning and there was a photo of a guy in a red Cobra in the pouring rain probably on the way to London.

[IMG]http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...m/IMG_2484.jpg[/IMG]

My car must be quite different from yours. I get no sloshing on the floor because the floor leaks worse than the windshield etc so the rain just drains out the bottom! :LOL:

Blas, that picture of the red cobra in the rain makes me cringe! I can’t imagine...
Both of you guys confirmed my suspicions about the top. I figured it would leak and get the interior all wet. Its basically just good for dry cold weather days.

Lets hope for a miracle this Saturday...

I always ask potential buyers "Do you know the difference between 'waterproof' and 'water resistant'?":D

It's a machine it doesn't care. It will do what you ask or tell it to do. You've been wet before, drive safe.

Yes they leak - but then they dry out with very little obvious damage. A few strategically placed towels go a long way to managing the leaks, also a willing passenger to wring them out at the right time during any gap in the rain.

Well...…
After two Superformance cars and many, many miles in rain I'll add my few cents.

When I purchased #1855 in 2004, I asked the sales guy about the top and how well it worked. His reply, after a rather pregnant pause was..... "less wet". My best comparison is the top is a weird cross between a WWI 2-man button section pup tent and a plains Indian tee-pee. It's easier to get wet and dry out than to put the top up and then back down.

Floor drains, RainX, wipers make it legal and sorta work but the difference between stored in the trunk and attempting to move water off the windshield is negligible.

My trunk seals worked well but I'd still package in dry bags. I toasted a GPS unit in the rain. The rain will travel up the door to body gaps onto your left leg, looks funny but not as bad as if you got center punched.

Tires - Performance 17s that are rain rated work. You'll still hydroplane but it won't be as bad. Keep this in mind, it is real important for the next comment.

That big gauge in the middle of the dash, yup, the one that runs CCW is really a "rain gauge". Center it at 100% and the water will go right over the windshield & cockpit.

Jim

Regarding the shot from car spotters site. Met that chap in Columbus for London show registration. Wore a rainsuit and kept his speed way down to keep her upright.
He and his kin in another Cobra trekked in from Tarheel State. Hats off to them both!

From vast experience, a set of diving goggles (I prefer a yellow tinted set), rain ex on both sides of the windshield in advance (wipers are not as effective as you would think), and a offshore two piece rain suit (pants and jacket) are your best bet when driving a cobra without a top long distances. Additionally, a pre-designed floor drain with a removable rubber plug is also highly suggested for both sides of the transmission tunnel.

Other than that, making sure your tires are in excellent condition, and taking acceleration/deceleration, and lane changes in moderation, goes a long way to making your trip a little safer.

Bill S.

Duct tape (actually, I use shipping tape as it is clear and you don't look so stupid with tape all over your car) between the sun visor and the windshield frame and wind wings and windshield frame also helps immensely. It is amazing how much water flings through those small gaps at 70 mph and hit you straight in the face!

I can’t speak specifically to the Superformance, but my Mk4 FFR ha been soaked several times. My Rod Top works great, but the car still leaks some. The windscreen side bars are a big leak point. I’ve siliconed them like crazy and they still drip some. The door gap at the cowl becomes a water channel at speed, but I’ve found small hand towels folded at the lower corner of the windscreen absorb most of it. I’ve spent some time with the wipers and they actually work pretty well. I’ve worked on the trunk adjustment and it stays dry.

As evidence, here is a video driving home from the mountains in North Ga. It started raining in Blue Ridge and didn’t stop until we got to Valdosta for the night.

As mentioned before, ponding water is a big threat with our wide tires. Slow and cautious is the key.

Safe travels.

John


https://youtu.be/srcA8T0qpvg

Well it did not rain much on Friday. We went to the auto cross. It rained a little on the way and maybe late in the day after we left.

No rain on Saturday, 18 years and no rain on Saturday. Friday yes and Sunday yes.

They gave 409 rides. Oh wait a minute the chief did shut it down about an hour because it sprinkled a little. I don't think that would count as "rain".

Great event.

For me, the worst part of driving in the rain in a Cobra was the water on the inside of the windshield. At highway speeds, the water in the footwells would blow upward and cover the windshield. Headlights from other cars behind me made it impossible to see. I vacuumed 15 gallons of water out of her the next day.

My son and I were also caught in that deluge on the way to London with no top. Two sets of Frogg Toggs, a window squeegee, and slower speeds made it an exciting ride. As for windshield wipers, they are a nice decoration. About as practical as a screen door on a submarine. In the end, the car and the occupants both dried out. The whole weekend was fun and worth every memory.

Scott

You need to drill four 3/8" hole in each footbox. 1/4" will not work because they can clog up with just dust.

Spend more time RainX the back side of the windshield.

The way I apply RainX

Clean windshield with denatured alcohol. Apply RainX with a cotton cloth, let it haze and then apply second coat of RainX. Let it haze then buff with a clean cotton rag. Then buff with a damp rag.

Good for at least 360 miles in the rain.

The closest my convertible cars get to a rain storm is when I clean them with waterless wash. I cannot imagine how leather seats & dash, not to mention Lucas electrics, would fair exposed to rain. I'd have to completely strip out the interior to prevent mildew and rot. I'm not ashamed to admit my cars are "fair weather" types that get to stay dry within a trailer if traveling any great distance.

I got caught in a ferocious downpour on the way to London. I have a 3/8 hole at the lowest point of each footwell. I put these holes in after a previous experience where I accumulated 3" of water that couldn't get away. These holes work fine. I have no top. The wipers are of no help.

Obviously, the best bet is to stay out of rainstorms. When you do get caught, just slow down and take extra care. When you arrive, towel everything off, and the car will eventually be fine. Once home, I use towels and a large fan to dry my carpet. Never have had any lasting problem, electrically or otherwise.

Another consideration for windshield water repellant is Aquapel. Can be harder to find these days locally but is currently found at Car Toys, and/or on Amazon. It's what many repellant products wish they could be!

Brent

Another consideration for windshield water repellant is Aquapel. Can be harder to find locally but is currently found at Car Toys and/or on Amazon. In the words of the best detailer I know..."It's what many repellant products wish they could be!"

Brent