Is it possible to make a Series hard top completely water tight?

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Webley1991

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As the title says.

Mine has always had a few places where rain seems to leak in. Were they completely rain proof from the factory?
 
Good question. I think you'll find most responses that they now leak after 35-40 years. Taking you literally, my first landy was a 75' SWB heard top which I owned from 80 to 82. I lived in Shetland then and the weather in winter was extreme. The landy didn't leak at all. It never had condensation problems, the only downside was it was freezing in the winter, much worse than my '83 model but it's got improved heater.
So, last summer I converted to a canvas tilt. This winter I put the hardtop back with new rubber seals and fixings- all nice and dry around the seals but she leaks like an old ship around the doors! Yes they always leak! :confused:
 
Mine leaks when it rains from somewhere around the windscreen. It depends on which way it's facing as to how much water gets in. I don't think Landrover were all that bothered about the series vehicles leaking, afteral, they mostly sold them to tough people who spent most of their time outdoors.

Col
 
Dumb luck has seen mine virtually water tight this year, haven't done anything to it, it came off in the summer for fitting a canvas, went back on for the winter and bingo nearly completely dry inside. Wish I knew what I did differently to last time. I think the harder you try to stop the leaks the more disappointed you will become.
 
At least the holes in the floor allow the water that came in through the holes in the roof to drain back out. Genius design, no wonder we led the world for a long time.

Col
 
To be honest my roof dunt leak at all. I get a dribble from a window rubber now and then and an issue with something around the passenger door. Other than that it’s fine.

The biggest leak I had was water off the roof and sides ran down to the joint between roof sides and tub. From there when parked facing down hill it would run down this joint until reaching the front door pillar. As this is in two halves with a gap behind the door rubber, it would leak through and down onto the floor.
A dab of silicone did the trick but by removing paint down to bare aluminium the silicone made a chemical bond to the silicates in the metal so it won’t peel.
 
There is a product that will work on leaky anything. It’s a rubber spray that cures by absorbing dampness from the atmosphere. In dry conditions the spray heads also release a water mist to aid curing.
It’s used for pond liners and flat roofs and was developed in Canada I think.
Can’t for the life of me remember it’s name but if you can find a pond lining company and drop off the roof they would spray the inside for you with a 3mm coating. It has something like a 300% stretch rate anorl.
Ain’t nothing coming through that.
 
I've never had a landrover yet that didn't leak series or otherwise, considering they built them in the wettest place in the uk you'd have thought they'd have taken that into consideration.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I have read before that the doors are almost impossible to get water tight even if all the gaps in the hard top are sealed.

If mine is stood outside in the rain I get a puddle on the drivers side floor where it leaks round the corner of the windscreen, some of it also gets behind the dashboard. I have never got round to sorting this as it is stored under cover, but would need to if it was stored outside.
 
Mine is quite good. A little dribble by the passenger door seal.

What I have found is that after removing hardtop for summers and then refitting it leaks differently. I think it’s important to get the windscreen to hardtop bolts done up first and then work backwards. Also I think slacking off the windscreen bolts (for folding) allows the screen to move a little as you re-settle the top. Retighten once the top is all snugged down.
 
flat said:
This stuff is excellent, I have used it on a lot of things. It’s not a structural repair or anything but for hairline cracks that weep water it works really well
Click to expand...
It's worth getting some just for the name. The good folk who gave us No more nails, brought out a better product called 'Sticks like ****' You have to get some just for the joy of having it on the shed shelf.

Col
 
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