HOW TO FIX A LEAKY COWL VENT I have owned several Mavericks and Comets which “leaked” whenever I was caught out in the rain, or even when I washed my vehicle. That got old real quick so I opted to seal off the areas I suspected were contributing to the problem. I installed a NEW Windshield Gasket, with an generous amount of primering and caulking procedures performed around the problem areas by Mr. Fernando Silva. Fernando is a professional glass installer and advised that even a small amount of debris, or dirt can impede the caulking from adhering to the glass which is what helps keep the water “out”. I photographed Fernando during the entire process and I will show HOW to install a windshield gasket and re-seat a windshield properly and the many steps required to insure success. For example, I didn’t realize that the caulking which Fernando used was “heated” and that it only sticks to CLEAN glass and CLEAN metal areas to form the seal. Fernando has a special caulking receptacle in his truck which HEATS the caulking by using the exhaust from the engine for about 15 minutes then he quickly inserts the pre-heated tube of caulking into a “battery-powered” caulking gun and completely fills the areas around the glass and gasket areas. After the caulking solidifies the excess is trimmed off with a razor blade and a special solvent is used to remove any specks or spots from the painted surface without damage to the coating. The entire operation took about three hours to complete but IT WORKED ...I do not have ANY leaks around my windshield areas. It's wonderful to not get my feet wet, or soak my rug when there is any moisture in the windshield areas. Quite impressive to say the least. Now for the Cowl vent area which is shown in detail on the next page, and the steps taken are listed in the text which is directly below this insert. The photos shown above depict steps necessary to eliminate the louvers of the cowl vent area and possibly correct a water leak age situation. CAMEO has performed this procedure on five vehicles thus far with great success and we thought we would pass it on to others that may be interested. There are several steps we took that are not photographed such as cleaning out debris that had accumulated over the years and protecting the cowl area from further leaking. After cleaning Fiberglass Resin was applied to the exposed metal area, then we cut sheets of fiberglass matting and overlayed the areas being protected then again brushed resin over the matting. This type material hardens quickly so have everything prepared so no time is lost. After the sealing is completed we applied a coat of black primer for further protection as well as for esthetic reasons. Photo # 1 shows the initial stage of cutting out the louvers. Be sure to cut evenly and leave yourself an “edge” for welding purposes. Photo # 2 Grind the trimmed area removing all paint and rust. Photo #3 ”Step” the exposed edges of the metal to support the new panels. Photo #4 Transfer the template to the metal you’re using for the patches and cut to size with tin snips or shear Photo # 5 shows a metal patch “tack” welded into place. (Don’t make a continuous weld here it will warp the patch area and make your finish steps more difficult) Photo #6 shows the edges of areas to be patched that have been “stepped”. This is advised since this process puts both metal surfaces at the same level and makes filling easier. Photo #7 shows the patch being placed on the passenger side and the same process is repeated here. Note the area around the windshield wiper arm shaft is trimmed so that at least a half inch of metal remained for strength. Also the center strip between the original areas of louvers was left intact and we “stepped” the edges to accommodate the new patches. Leaving the center strip also provided a guide for keeping everything on the same plane and avoids valleys or mounds on the finish portion of the work. Photo #8 shows the patches in place with grinding of the welds performed and the bondo work completed then a light coat of primer to protect it until the finish paint job can be applied. Photo # 9 shows the finished appearance after painting is performed. It should be said at this time that there are several ways to deal with a leaky situation on these cars such as removing the entire cowl vent area, making the repairs to the damaged area with metal patches at that location, or buy one of those tacky plastic cowl vent seals that are sold to Mustang owners for their problem which is identical to these cars. Or even cut a “magnetic” plastic strip to fit over the cowl vent and apply it quickly in the event of rain. Or deal with it the way we described here. I personally feel that this is the way to handle the problem once and for all. Footnote: The flanging tool can be purchased from Eastwood Company. www.eastwoodco.com Part no.# 31015. The steps and procedures outlined above are somewhat “wordy” but if you look at the photos above you can just about see what has to be done. Care should be taken when removing the slats from the cowl area to “leave” enough metal area to provide a surface for future “stepping” operations. I’ve found that an eighth inch is plenty since the stepping tool doesn’t go in too deep anyway. Also when tacking the new metal to the areas being covered it helps to “alternate” your welds so that the heat is not concentrated too much in any given area to prevent “warpage”. For example, tack one end, then go to the OTHER end and put a tack at that point then to another point away from the last heated area. You get the idea. We also had a water soaked cloth and a bucket for quenching the welded areas to keep the heat down. It works fine. SOME bondo has to be performed but the less, the better. Dr. Bill and I did the roughing in and the finish welding and grinding. Then a covering of primer to retard any rust in this newly repaired area. THEN it went to Crocketts Auto Body for the final finishing of the areas and finally the painting. If you’re careful and take your time it looks great. I had a little fun at a Ford Show when I finished my first car when a fellow Ford nut commented on the smooth area where the slats once were.. I told him that my car was a “Canadian” Comet and that’s why I had a smooth cowl. His response was to say Oh, my car was made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was difficult keeping a straight face but I did and after a while I sought them out and told them what took place. The fact that I convinced someone is a testimony of the neat appearance achieved by the filling in of this area. My AC still works great, I don’t get leakage from the wiper stems, and my feet are dry. Success!!