Gutting the Spider

Last night and today I spent numerous hours pulling out and discarding the deteriorating, mildewy carpet in the Alfa. This entailed removal of many interior pieces as well.

I then cleaned and prepped the floor pan, mostly the driver's side, to prepare it for chemicals and paint which stop rust. I found that there were 3 sizable areas of rust on the driver's side foot well, two of which had rotted through the floorpan....more areas of water infiltration.

After allowing rust inhibiting chemicals to work overnight, I attacked again this morning with a fairly large amount of vigor. I applied a special black paint which chemically changes the composition of the rust and stops it dead in its tracks.

Additionally I reinstalled the two floor drain grommets and resealed them. After the paint had cured, I addressed the holes in the floor using fiberglass cloth and a goopy fiberglass mixture which is impervious to water.

All of the holes in the floor pan are now taken care of.

So I decided to run some tests with my hose for water infiltration. I let lose the fury of the garden hose on the front cowl vent area and nary a drop made it inside.

Chris 1, Leakage 0

Next I ran the hose along the door seams on both sides of the car. No leaks!

Chris 2, Leakage 0

I then sprayed the vinyl top around where the windows meet it. Just a few drips, which I expected.

We'll call that a draw.

I was about to test the rest of the top all the way around but Mother Nature did that for me as the skies open up with a massive downpour. I deftly maneuvered myself into the Alfa to escape the rain and to my shock and dismay, water was pouring into the car from BEHIND me, over my left shoulder. The floor pan under my seat was quickly filling with water as was the rear deck area behind the seats.

Chris 2, Leakage 1

You see water running off the vinyl top enters a metal drainage channel and then exits from a drain tube connected to this channel (last pic below). The problem is, this tube was blocked somehow!

So I moved the Spider out of the rain and into the garage. I started dis-assembly of the panels around where this drain tube lived. Examining the tube, it looked fine, no cracks, etc. So I removed it and water poured out of it. Aha! A blockage!

I got a wire hanger and fished it into the tube but about halfway down I hit a blockage. I forced the hangar through slowly but surely and out started to come all the bits of blockage. A series of washers, a screw, a rather large, rusted spring, large amounts of sand and mud.

I cleared all the blockage bits and ran the hose through the tube. It was now flowing freely. I reinstalled the drain tube and all the panels and then filled a milk jug with water and poured it into the drain channel. It flowed freely and safely to the outside ground! SUCCESS!

Chris 3, Leakage 1 GAME OVER!

This was undoubtedly the source of the massive amounts of water I kept finding in the Graduate.

Now I need to go about sourcing some new sound/heat insulation material for the floor pan and then new carpet and reassembly can commence!