72 Door Panel Question

[gator2511]

I never played with old trucks until I bought mine last year so I gotta ask this question.The first time I got caught in a heavy rain, water was running out of the bottom of the door cover panel and onto the floor. When I removed the handles and door panel cover on my truck, there was no seal on the big plastic cover and no seals or covers on any of the holes in the inner door skin. I have solved the problem by getting the round seal that runs along the side and bottom edges of the plastic panel and I taped the rest of ther holes and it works fine. Is this door supposed to have cover panels over the access holes? If not how do you keep the water out of your truck?

[70rs/ss]

Originally Posted by gator2511

I never played with old trucks until I bought mine last year so I gotta ask this question.The first time I got caught in a heavy rain, water was running out of the bottom of the door cover panel and onto the floor. When I removed the handles and door panel cover on my truck, there was no seal on the big plastic cover and no seals or covers on any of the holes in the inner door skin. I have solved the problem by getting the round seal that runs along the side and bottom edges of the plastic panel and I taped the rest of ther holes and it works fine. Is this door supposed to have cover panels over the access holes? If not how do you keep the water out of your truck?

The outer window seal is what is supposed to keep the water out, but this is why hundreds of thousands of these doors have rust in the bottoms. The seal keeps the water out and if it gets in then the drain holes along the bottom of the door near the outer skin is supposed to let it drain out. If you keep the water from getting past the seal, then it will not come through the panel or anywhere else for that matter.

[gator2511]

I didn't know those seals worked that good! I've seen newer cars with plastic sheets in the access holes to keep water out of the passenger compartment and thought these trucks should have the same thing. My seals look very good but it doesn't keep the water out. Of course down here we get some BIG thunderstorms.

[nu2-72]

Your outer window rubber and the glass channel seal should keep out virtually all the water. And the drain holes must be open to allow any water that does get in to drain out and air to come in to dry the insides. Blow the interiors out and check those seals and drains. Moisture trapped between the skins with a little dirt will eat doors up pretty quickly.

[gator2511]

I'll check out the door drains today!