Are your rods water/wind proof?

Yes... When it is in the garage.
But outside of that is a different story

 

Paintable, flexible seam sealer is the best for metal to metal (by design) joints exist. I've been confounded for years, however, by the failure of the repop trunk seals in my '32 5 wdw to keep water out. They don't even come close. Windshield has been sealed in and the top's been filled so otherwise it's quite tight.

 

silicone caulk, but not where you are going to paint, it's difficult to get it off so the paint will stick. I have '29 cars so I use original style windlace around the inside of the doors. Works good.

 

One thing that I know is gonna cause me some anguish.

I like a dry car. Up here its gonna get moldy and smelly if there are leaks...no two ways about it.
I plan to retain the cowl vent and hope to use a roll down rear window (5W Deuce)...but my biggest problem will be the windshield. I REALLY want to have it open...but I want it leak free when its closed.
Guess I'll have to come up with a better style sealing system and maybe incorporate some drain tubes at the bottom corners to take away excess.
Glue sealing will be a last resort that I really hate to even think about!

Where does water usually enter a 5 window windshield? Top, sides or bottom? (I know it ends up at the bottom D) but does it start up high???)

 

The most common reason for a Ford cowl vent to leak is an incorrectly installed gasket.
The flat surface of the gasket goes UP, the contoured side goes into the contoured channel.
The next reason is an incorrectly adjusted vent lid.
Some have an inner collector channel with a drain which either has a hose through the firewall or other location. Make sure drain is clear and drains properly.

Ford tipout windshields often leak because the gasket is correctly installed or shrunken from age. The adjustment of the frame on the hinges is also critical to proper sealing.
Some have

 

My Es*** leaks from the body seal between the cowl and the windshield panel. I won't melt, but the day I discovered the problem I found that the leak was directly over my stereo, which promptly stopped working.

 

If its not raining, and the cars not moving...than no leaks and no wind!

 

I'll tell ya, folks were tougher back in the day... My 40, made in Janesville WI.(cold weather) came from the factory with no heater. Seems back then, just getting out of the weather was enough. We don't need no stinkin cup holders!

 

Dude....call Steele Rubber Products. They have a ton of stuff that I used on my '32. It's all sold by the foot and really good stuff. There a ton of different types and they have tape backing. Seriously....for the custom stuff, I highly highly recommend you check Steele out (www.steelerubber.com I think). I just call em, it's faster and easier, and believe it or not...they are really cool to talk to.

 

my p***enger side window is shattered and my driver side window just fell outta the track and wont roll up now. the windshield works fine.

i figure all those exhaust fumes need to get out anyway....and my elbow is on the sill rain or dry.

 

Hmm..
No top..no wipers..no side windows..no back window....

I guess NO..

 

Well if it is a fenderless ******* roadster there is noway to stay dry...Duh
but a closed car hell man spend some time adjusting stuff buy some decent seals hose check it on a dry day[ wash it] yeah its a hotrod so, why should we suffer in it ?

 

Nope. Even the new one, the '62 isn't. Oh well.

 

I have had my 34 in some white knuckled rain storms, Louisville Ky in 92, blinding rain on the Penn turnpike and the single wiper blew off as a big rig hit a chuck hole and swampped us. Yeah, the old girl leaks a bit, but only on the p***enger side. So, no problem.

 

Has anyone thought of a convertible top that fits between the seats and the back wall of the body of a roadster? Something that just covers the top, but not the sides or back? Something that keeps the look of a roadster, but has a top for downpours.

A few years ago in engineering school, I worked on a project to keep motorcycle helmets from gathering drops of water and fogging up during the rain. We used aerodynamics to blow air across the visor and keep streaks and standing water from blocking a biker's vision. I graduated before testing it on the road. But we did build the prototype helmet with special inlets and exhaust ports at the bottom of the visor.

I am looking into building a roadster, but rain scares me - shorts out my hearing aids and fogs up my gl***es.