The location where you're describing the leak was one of the worst on my car. If you look at how the metal on the door curves to accomadate the front torsion bar hinge, you can see why. Here's a quick overview of how the drainage system works on the doors alone to help you understand the problems that occur, so that the solutions will make more sense. Plus you'll find out what makes the gullwing doors on the DeLorean so unique! The gullwing doors consist of 3 seal types: Inner seals (snaped), outer seals (glued), and "spray" seals (bolted). All 3 are made from rubber. Inner door seals are made to keep the passenger compartment sealed. This is the main seal which runs the entire peremiter of the door. Below the inner seals, the glassfibre underbody has been designed as a gutter the channel waterdown the sides of the car, and out along the rocker panels. Inner seals are outside the passenger compartment, but behind the door panel. Outer door seals are located to sit between the outer door and body panels. This seal is designed to keep as much water as possible out of the gutters (also to possibly reduce wind noise). The outer seal only seals the sides of the doors. Spray seals are located at the top between the door and the T panel, and at the bottom between the door and the rocker panel. The top seal in important because it keeps as much water as possible out of the gutters, and off the torsion bar (mainly while parked). The bottom seal is equaly important as it prevents road spray from the wheel from forcing it's way up against the inner seals (while driving). Water can enter the gutter from the top gaps between the upper spray seal and the outer seal. The gap between the outer seal and the lower spary seal is where water in the gutter drains out. Here are the commom areas where the doors are prone to leaks, and what you need to do to waterproof your DeLorean by way of fixing/preventing them. 1. Headliners... Even if you have a perfectly good rubber seal, headliners can circumvent that seal to cause a leak. The problem is that when the headliners are cut, the edges can be cut too long. What happens is the cloth will be pinched around the rubber door seal, and can access the gutter. When this happens, the cloth can 'wick' water into the passenger compartment. Think of an oil lamp, and how the oil makes it's up up the wick against gravity. Water will be sucked up thru the cloth, and will drip inside. Solution: Lift the inner seal up, and trim back all cloth accordingly with a pair of scisors. 2. Poorly Seated Seals... When installing the seals, you have to let the doors 'seat' themselves. When placing a new seal onto the car, most people will push the rubber down snugly as far as it can go. This is wrong. You can push the rubber down below where the door stops. This will create an open gap where water will flow thru. Solution: When replacing the seal, only push the rubber down far enough so it can maintain a temporary grip. When you have the complete seal in place, simply close the door. The door will only push the rubber down as far as it needs to. With good rubber, you can create the pefect seal each time. 3. Damaged seals... Over time seals can become cracked or damaged due to age, useage, or both. This cracked or torn seals will create gaps where water can leak thru. Worn rubber will lose it's plyability. This makes it less flexable, and keeps from from sealing against the door properly. Plus where the rubber twists (i.e. windshield angles), the rubber Solution: To get the most out of your door seals, try rotating the inner seals. Swap both seals from side to side. This will allow the flexable ramaining parts of the rubber to take the tight upper twists. Just keep the seam twards the front of the door where it's least vulnerable to water. For craked and torn rubber, I reccomend instant gasket material. In itself, the instant gasket is just like rubber the you can form and mold as to how you want it. You can use it to reattach torn rubber, or you can rebuild missing gaps entirely. You won't win any concourse competitions with it, but it sure does the job. The instant gasket can also be used as an adhesive to reattach the outer seals if they have come loose over time. There are more areas still when it comes to water proofing the DeLorean. But this is only meant to be a quick write up for the doors. But I can tell you with full confidence that these procedures have worked for me. I regularly powerwash my car, and I have no leaks! -Robert vin 6585 --- In dmcnews@xxxx, jake@xxxx wrote: > > well the car was outside today and we had some pretty average rain. > > i've got a leak, but doesn't seem to be the door seals, in fact i > thought it was the windshield, but it doesnt seem like water could > get up under the ridge. the leak (as far as i can tell, although > water does tend to be sneaky) is up at the very front of the car on > the passenger side about 3 inches in from the edge of the sun visor > that is closest to the center of the car (puddled on the top of the > sun visor today). > > anyone seen this? any ideas? > > jake