22 replies to this topic

[mrfmini]

Sorry to maybe ask a silly quesion but can somone confirm the need for the below:

https://easyspacesho...lastic_Sheeting

is this something I should have in place/recommended to have in place?

Thanks in advance for any assisatnce you maybe able to provide.

Kind Regards
Leeroy.

[A-Cell]

It's called the water shedder, and yes you should fit them to the inner door skin, behind the door trim panel ( called door cards by the modern lot). Water from the window channel runs inside the door, and then exits via the drain holes.
The water shedder prevents the water running inside the car, hence the name.
It's just a polythene sheet stuck to the inner metal door skin covering the access hole used to fit the window and winder mechanism. It is glued to the metal by the use of butyl wich stays sticky and flexible for about 20 years! You can just use silicone sealant to glue it on.
The trim clips are then pushed into the door inner throught the polythene sheet.
Hope this helps

[mrfmini]

It's called the water shedder, and yes you should fit them to the inner door skin, behind the door trim panel ( called door cards by the modern lot). Water from the window channel runs inside the door, and then exits via the drain holes.
The water shedder prevents the water running inside the car, hence the name.
It's just a polythene sheet stuck to the inner metal door skin covering the access hole used to fit the window and winder mechanism. It is glued to the metal by the use of butyl wich stays sticky and flexible for about 20 years! You can just use silicone sealant to glue it on.
The trim clips are then pushed into the door inner throught the polythene sheet.
Hope this helps

That may well explain some water getting inside that shouldn't as my car does not have this barrier.... shall be adding that to my shopping list.

Thanks once agian.

Leeroy. Fairhurst

[The Matt]

I've used cheap Tesco tablecloths before now. They're available in lovely colours and are cheap at about £1.50 for a 1.2m x 1.8m sheet!

[mk1leg]

also cheap plastic dust sheets from B&Q and use spray adhesive to fix to door.......

[dklawson]

My Mk1 does not have any such sheeting but all my daily driver (modern) cars have. I never even thought about buying replacements when they get damaged while working on the inside of a door. I have always made replacements from plastic trash can liners and secured them in place with window caulk. Like the Butyl mentioned by A-cell, the window caulk remains somewhat flexible for years and is easier to remove than RTV.

[mike.]

I got some damp proof membrane sheeting from my local DIY store, about £1 for a square metre and thats enough for both doors and more.

[A-Cell]

Properly fitted water shredders will also keep draughts out! Basically you are sealing the door but just using duct tape is a bit of a bodge.
Doug as you know the mk 1 with sliding windows has sealed bottom window channel and drain tubes, ingenious design from Issigonis. Incidentally Sir Alec hated the wind up windows as it robbed some of the storage and you got wind buffeted if you lowered them! That's why he insisted that sliding windows were retro fitted to his 9X prototypes!

[dklawson]

What I found interesting is that the very early cars (earlier than my '64) have different door drains. The trough below the glass didn't use vertical drain tubes. The horizontal trough opens into the door jam just above the lock/latch assembly in the door gap. The water was supposed to run out there and down between the door and car body. I guess too much water probably got forced into the lock which dictated the change to the drain tubes. The trough is still a terrible design given the materials in the 1960s. Today some fancy urethane or other plastic coating can be applied to seal it and turn it into some thing that won't rust away. It's a nasty area to repair during a restoration if you don't resort with fiberglass and/or urethane coatings.

Anyway, back to the OP, you have lots of options to prevent water and drafts from getting in the car and the plastic barrier (purchased or homemade) is a good idea.

[munkey26]

Just use duct tape, to cover the holes up............

I like Mike's idea of the B&Q membrane.

However, the above is just a bodge!

[AVV IT]

Just use duct tape, to cover the holes up............

However, the above is just a bodge!

but just using duct tape is a bit of a bodge.

Yes but is there actually anything wrong with it? I mean it's not actually visible once the door card is fitted and waterproof duct tape does do a very good job of sealing out moisture, so is there an actual downside to using duct tape or are you both just being purist about this?

[Dan]

Duct tape over the holes in the door was factory standard for decades.

[tiger99]

Most adhesives do not stick at all to polyethylene, however for some quirky reason of surface chemistry, semi-permanent adhesives which remain squidgy aned gooey (highly technical terms!) stick rather well. Builder's mastic, not the silicone stuff but its predecessor, still widely available, works rather well, if you can't easily get butyl strip.

[dklawson]

I love the butyl tape when I can find it. Great stuff.

In the MG/Triumph world it is very common for the top of dashboards to crack from sun exposure. While you can replace the whole thing, a quick fix is to fit a "coverlay" made of blow molded, textured plastic. The coverlay extends forward and is tucked under the bottom edge of the windshield rubber to hold its forward edge down. The back edge is held to what's left of the old dash using strips of thick butyl rubber. It works great and when done properly it easily conceals that poor old cracked dash.

[munkey26]

Just use duct tape, to cover the holes up............

However, the above is just a bodge!

but just using duct tape is a bit of a bodge.

Yes but is there actually anything wrong with it? I mean it's not actually visible once the door card is fitted and waterproof duct tape does do a very good job of sealing out moisture, so is there an actual downside to using duct tape or are you both just being purist about this?

If you're going to do a job, do it properly to the right standards