Drainage~Trunk area?

[Jeff Norwell]

Specifically, in the trunk where the quarters meet the floor...after the rear wheel wells.I was wondering if the factory had drain holes in this area.Was cleaning my car and there is so much crap down in that hard to reach area.Seeing a lot of 57's with major cancer in these areas.
if not.... I was thinking of drilling 1 or 2 small pilot holes to allow water and crap to drain out.
After power washing the entire car.... I could see where water and junk would just stay and not flow out of the car.
stupid question..... but amuse me... ha ha ha.

[gasman826]

It is kinda odd that the rockers have drains and the trunk does not.  There are two rubber plugs in each one of the trunk drops.  The aftermarket replacement panel does not have the holes.  Mine hold water very good.  If the area holds water, maybe it will keep water out.  It's just an area I will watch and hit regularly with the shop vac.

[Jeff Norwell]

Thanks Gary!

[Ecode70D]

[quote author=gasman826
It is kinda odd that the rockers have drains and the trunk does not.  There are two rubber plugs in each one of the trunk drops.  The aftermarket replacement panel does not have the holes.  Mine hold water very good.  If the area holds water, maybe it will keep water out.  It's just an area I will watch and hit regularly with the shop vac. [/quote]


   That's one of the areas that we always have to keep in mind on our cars.   The trunk drop rubber plugs on mine are not directly on the bottom. So there is that chance of water collecting in that area.  As Gary stated the shop vac sounds like it will have to do for me.   

[gasman826]

I replaced one of my trunk drops and did not drill the holes.

[Zapato]

been thinking of filling those voids with styrofoam formed in place. don't remember exactly how the process is done, did it in a shop class in high school, wasn't rocket science. and doesn't expand with as much force as the can foam products.

Zap-

[RICH MUISE]

I wouldn't fill it. Water will still get in, and you don't want to do anything that will trap it there. Whether we like it or not, Ford designed their cars to pass water thru. Best thing to do is keep checking doors, rockers,rear quarters, etc to make sure debris isn't building up and the drain holes are clear.

[Ford Blue blood]

I wash them (the quarters) with a hose and dish washing soap.  Those rubber plugs are the first to go in the two I have plus the Edsel, wash it, wash it, wash it and then rinse really well.  When the water runs clear and clean hit it again with a high pressure nozzle and rinse again.  I then blow out the area and let mean ol mr. sun dry it for a couple of days.  Tape the drain hole shut, then I pour in a half pint of Por 15, dribbling it along the quarter from the wheel well area just at the trunk hinge to the rear.  The reach down in the quarter with a throw away brush and work it all around.  Pull off the tape and let any excess drain out (almost always hardly any comes out. 

I do this with the doors, trunk lid and hood also.  They are off the car so I can rotate them to get the pinch welds filled up as those are the "rust gardens".  Now having said that, I have not owned any of the vehicles long enough to see if that process will stop the "typical" rust in these cars but I can voutch for it working well in a 66 Falcon Ranchero and a 62 Thunderbird.

[Ecode70D]

[quote author=Zapato link  been thinking of filling those voids with styrofoam formed in place. don't remember exactly how the process is done, did it in a shop class in high school, wasn't rocket science. and doesn't expand with as much force as the can foam products.
Zap- :unitedstates [/quote]



Zap!!!!!   
     Don't do that!!!   Even if it keeps some water out, those panels will rot out very with  quickly   with the condensation that forms in there.    Condensation  just happens  and the styrofoam  will accelerate the rusting process.           
      Follow Rich's advice.
Jay 

[Frankenstein57]

If you are building a daily driver, then I'd worry about it. But lets face it , the majority of these cars will only see weather when they are caught in it. I got caught in a downpour in Northern Wisconsin last summer, the next day I was cruising in 80 degree sunshine and it dried out just fine. Mark

[Jeff Norwell]

I agree Mark..... I was just seeing so much crap in the rear portion of the trunk area..... and never saw any drainage areas under the car in that section.
On another note of drainage,.... i have now got the interior of my 57 gutted.The front and rear seat frames are bare bones and quite a few springs are broken,rotted and missing.
The car was very dirty inside... and as mentioned in other posts..I need to replace the 4 floor pans.No big deal.
I did find the worst part of rot in my car....I took the sill door floor plates off(on top of the rockers..... the tops were completely rotten... There were remnants of carpet.... that prolly held water over the years....I could take a screwdriver and literally poke holes all along the top of the rocker in the door opening.
Bummer!
I took my trusty cut-off wheel and opened the tops of the rockers like a can opener.... and only to discover the the inside of the rockers filled to the top!.. .... with dirt,mud and  junk....
I got lucky.... The outer,lower portion, sides,. and rocker bottoms are rust free.the drainage holes at the bottom were heavily plugs with garbage.
Glad I found out now.... no power washer could even get that amount of crude out with out taking the rocker tops off.
I plan to really clean them and hit them with a rust inhibiter and a top coat.

[suede57ford]

Every time I drive one of my cars they get some water thrown up in the fender wheels.  Any run off from a sprinkler system in the road wets the underneath of the car, just like driving in the rain.

Keeping the drain holes free, and spraying the inside of the panels with a product like rust fighterI can help  prevent those internal areas from rusting as quickly, especially after replacing panels.