Finally fixed all leaks, now what?

[Billyvannuys]

Top photo, rubber around windshield disintegrating, next;  original top on car falling apart, next; classic rubber around rear quarter window problem, bottom: there she is, warts and all.

So, here I am oh, I'll say about $5,500 into this car counting $3200 paid for car (way too much, I know), plus new tires, new AC compressor, motor pulled and all gaskets replaced, all new brake parts all around including master cyl. and new ABS pump, but brakes still suck, plus so many other things I've paid for, I can't even remember them all..

 

 

The bad- Now needs new top, needs some brake work, brights stopped working, rubber falling apart around all windows on outside of car. I messed-up rims using wrong cleaner and now they are etched.  Needs body and paint. Mono leaf may be  source of clunking sound when I pull in driveway.  Every time I put top down, that weird rubber piece falls off the little side window. Convertible top motor is sounding a little weak. The car has 78,000 miles, but the original owner didn't take care of it and it obviously sat in the sun for a very long time. Wife hates car, gets mad at me every time I put money in it.

 

The good-  car starts at the flick of the key, tranny feels great, AC blows cold. Has only 78K miles. no rust. only two tiny dents on car. All lights and gauges and do-dads work perfectly. Interior is in fair-good condition with no rips and little wear on red leather seats but some seams are coming loose. In the 17 months I have owned this car, I have never seen another one on the road and I live in Los Angeles County.  

 

 

I am basically neutral-heading-towards-bailing  on car at the point. It has put me through so much hell I have never really had much fun with it. So, what am I looking at here for a new top, new paint, fix brakes, fix rubber parts? About another $5K? Wow! This is what happens when emotions take precedence over logic. Oh, yeah, there are no junkyards within 90 miles of me that have any parts for this car. I can probably fix the bottom exterior rubber pieces around rear top area myself because you guys have provided enough instructions and I know someone on here sells them. Otherwise, all other repairs will have to be done by a professional.  

 

So, should  I stay or should I go? What would you do?  I know there are likely no idiots like me out there (not you guys) to pay what I paid for this car. But, if I keep it, I want paint, top, brakes, rubber pieces, brights, smooth rims, blah, blah, blah.

 

[Imp558]

Chinese Matt has a fix for the weatherstrips, he mods a more readily available one. The other rubber parts I imagine a 'vert guy will comment on but if they aren't available I personally would pull a piece off and walk a wrecking yard looking for something similar. There was a story about soaking stuff like that in tranny fluid to restore it a while back. Also taking them to your local body supply, they may be able to match it up with something.

 

The wheels are no big deal but they will cost you a weekend of your life. It's nice to have them broken down first but Epoxy paint stripper (rubber gloves involved for damn sure) some of those nylon plastic wheels and buffing wheels from HF and they can be stripped down to aluminum and polished really nicely. My X-Laces had really bad clearcoat on them and I gave up a weekend of my life a while back.

There's actual wheel paint out there too if you wanted to paint the center parts white after stripping and buffing.

 

The high beams aren't an issue, members here can give you guidance and help troubleshoot that when you're ready. I have schematics for it, as do others.

 

The top is a problem and as another member is finding out now doing it at home is possible but is a huge amount of work. If it's not your daily driver perhaps put the top down and keep it in the garage as a sunny day car so you can enjoy it for a while. Of course you just said you did an AC compressor but...

[rich_e777]

Here is the source I found a shop to do mine.

https://www.topsonline.com/model/Convertible_Tops_And_Accessories/Oldsmobile/1992_thru_1995_Oldsmobile_Cutlass_And_Cutlass_Supreme.html

 

To fix the rubber piece in the first pic the windshield will need to be removed and new weather stripping put in. A fairly easy fix if you have the right tools or a windshield repair shop can do it for you. Since the windshield is still intact it shouldn't be that much.

 

Forget the rims and plan a trip to a yard and find some 5 spoke or similar rims on a W-body. I had those same ones one my coupe and switch to 2nd gen GTP rims and it made a hell of a difference. Those things weigh a ton.

 

When you say all new brake parts I think literally every thing related to the braking system all the way to the manifold vacuum. Decent pads, rotors, hardware, replace old fluid and bleed air. If everything was replaced properly the brakes shouldn't suck. Maybe you need to find out if the vacuum going to the booster sucks like its suppose to. 

[Imp558]

Here's the cables a little cheaper: http://www.hydroe.com/Oldsmobile-Cutlass-CONVERTIBLE-TOPS-POWER-WINDOW-PARTS-p-121.html

[95whitevert]

I feel your pain...

 

I just had a lot of that stuff replaced, I am lucky that I have a family member who owns a body restoration shop.  The windshield rubber was replaced with rubber from a town and country van, it matched up the best from the samples we found.  I think I paid ten bucks for it.  I used a mod found in the forum for the back windows.  It worked pretty well. A little modification was needed but now they look great.  I had the top replaced by an old timer a few years back. I was told it was a bear to do so I took it to a retired professional.  Should have had the convertible top motor replaced when the top was being replaced, the motor crapped out two years ago and it was a pain to replace.  I am also lucky my wife actually likes the car so all the money I have sunk into the car isn't used against me (yet).  Oh and the brakes on my vert are pretty weak, I had the master cylinder/pads/rotors/lines replaced and bled and re-bled and they still are weak.  Haven't replaced the booster yet.... 

[tonytoca_87]

My 95 vert leaks pretty bad aswell. That rubber trim on the windshield came off on my car so when it down pours and im driving i get soak. The water also drains down the screws that hold my visors in place smh. Right behind my driver seat theres always a small puddle of water that i have to constantly use a wet vac to dry the floor. The rubber thats attached to the top that supposed to keep front windows sealed leaks. The part where it bends when top folds, you can see a small gap and thats a big issue too. So i feel your pain. My wife tells me i deserve a better car but she will never understand the way i love this damn car lol. I drove through 6 states to purchase mines 2 years ago.

[oldmangrimes]

Tonytoca_87, you can fill that gap in the weather stripping by cutting a piece of new weatherstripping to fill the gap.  Cut a small piece to roughly match the shape of the weatherstripping profile, but thicker than the gap, and stick it to one piece of the old weatherstripping to fill the gap.  When the top closes it will compress the seal and hopefully stop your leak.  I bought some with adhesive on one side, and I also used a little superglue to help the adhesive, since it is exposed to the sun when the top is folded.   Now that gap doesn't leak on my 95, although I'm getting leaks in a number of other places.   I hope when I get my new top installed my total leaks will decrease.  But I'm driving a 22 year old convertible, it's going to leak a little.  

 

For the wheels on billyvannuys car, I would also recommend the GP 5-spokes.  The offset is different from the stock wheels and they fill out the wheel wells better.   I bought mine for $100 off craigslist. Also they are a little wider so there are some handling benefits.   Maybe you'll get lucky and find a set of the white ones, that would look great on your car.

 

It's summer, put the top down and enjoy it.  You're in LA, you shouldn't be worried about leaks for a few months.  You're going to be either making car payments on a new reliable boring depreciating soul-crushing commuter car (which will probably need expensive repairs too), or paying to repair a neat old convertible that brings a smile to your face when you cruise to the beach.   Maybe you could store it for the winters, and just drive it in the summer and not worry about the rubber seals.   Fix the brakes, of course, and make sure the suspension clunk isn't a safety issue.   But it's not a show car so don't paint it.   Nobody cares about some small rips in the seat, or a ding here or there.   Don't put $5000 into it right now without the wife's approval, but it's reasonable to spend at least $2000/year on a car, that's still way less than a car payment on a new car.   

[Nas Escobar]

I noticed you didn't replace the booster. The booster on these cars pre 94 are known to be on the weaker side. What ends up happening is that the diaphragms in the booster fail. 

 

http://www.w-body.com/topic/32492-hard-brake-pedal-no-stopping-power/

 

Might be worth reading 

 

To fix the rubber piece in the first pic the windshield will need to be removed and new weather stripping put in. A fairly easy fix if you have the right tools or a windshield repair shop can do it for you. Since the windshield is still intact it shouldn't be that much.

 

 

When you say all new brake parts I think literally every thing related to the braking system all the way to the manifold vacuum. Decent pads, rotors, hardware, replace old fluid and bleed air. If everything was replaced properly the brakes shouldn't suck. Maybe you need to find out if the vacuum going to the booster sucks like its suppose to. 

 

Verts are different. Verts have their windshield pressed on with silicone (like most other cars) BUT the weatherstripping doens't go on the glass. It goes on the windshield surround. Actually to change the windshield, you have to take the trim around the glass (visors, the end and middle pieces) then remove the windshield surround. It's all held in by phillips screws. The 1st picture is actually a common vert problem, but it can be replaced unconventionally. There is a common weatherstripping that is used on glass that will fit there but must be cut. I have yet to do it but I have the weatherstripping the glass guy gave to me as a gift. I have to paint my new glass surround and install it. 

[Nas Escobar]

My 95 vert leaks pretty bad aswell. That rubber trim on the windshield came off on my car so when it down pours and im driving i get soak. The water also drains down the screws that hold my visors in place smh. Right behind my driver seat theres always a small puddle of water that i have to constantly use a wet vac to dry the floor. The rubber thats attached to the top that supposed to keep front windows sealed leaks. The part where it bends when top folds, you can see a small gap and thats a big issue too. So i feel your pain. My wife tells me i deserve a better car but she will never understand the way i love this damn car lol. I drove through 6 states to purchase mines 2 years ago.

 

I leak too but on the side, at the B pillar. My frame isn't straight so it leaves a gap between the weatherstripping and the roof frame.

[tonytoca_87]

Tonytoca_87, you can fill that gap in the weather stripping by cutting a piece of new weatherstripping to fill the gap.  Cut a small piece to roughly match the shape of the weatherstripping profile, but thicker than the gap, and stick it to one piece of the old weatherstripping to fill the gap.  When the top closes it will compress the seal and hopefully stop your leak.  I bought some with adhesive on one side, and I also used a little superglue to help the adhesive, since it is exposed to the sun when the top is folded.   Now that gap doesn't leak on my 95, although I'm getting leaks in a number of other places.   I hope when I get my new top installed my total leaks will decrease.  But I'm driving a 22 year old convertible, it's going to leak a little.  

 

For the wheels on billyvannuys car, I would also recommend the GP 5-spokes.  The offset is different from the stock wheels and they fill out the wheel wells better.   I bought mine for $100 off craigslist. Also they are a little wider so there are some handling benefits.   Maybe you'll get lucky and find a set of the white ones, that would look great on your car.

 

It's summer, put the top down and enjoy it.  You're in LA, you shouldn't be worried about leaks for a few months.  You're going to be either making car payments on a new reliable boring depreciating soul-crushing commuter car (which will probably need expensive repairs too), or paying to repair a neat old convertible that brings a smile to your face when you cruise to the beach.   Maybe you could store it for the winters, and just drive it in the summer and not worry about the rubber seals.   Fix the brakes, of course, and make sure the suspension clunk isn't a safety issue.   But it's not a show car so don't paint it.   Nobody cares about some small rips in the seat, or a ding here or there.   Don't put $5000 into it right now without the wife's approval, but it's reasonable to spend at least $2000/year on a car, that's still way less than a car payment on a new car.

 

Thanks for the helpful information will try it out

[tonytoca_87]

I leak too but on the side, at the B pillar. My frame isn't straight so it leaves a gap between the weatherstripping and the roof frame.

Never really thought about my roof not being straight. I should look into that it could be my issue though when i had this company replace my windshield that when the leak started to occur. I have 5 more month of warranty with them so im going to see if they can take a look at it. Sucks kuz my interior is starting to get damaged from the water smh

[Billyvannuys]

Thanks for the great ideas about the 5 spokes, and the windshield rubber and brakes. Yeah, I could go slowly with it, even if I did put another $5K into it eventually, I won't have any car payments and probably have more fun at a lower cost.

I appreciate all the talk about your various leaks with your tops and weather stripping but what I was referring to when I said the leaks are fixed was the oil, tranny, and AC compressor leaks which were far more disturbing to me. Pardon me for being unclear in that regard. Yes, the water leaks at the rear side quarter windows and a little at the unraveling top seams. Hopefully those can get replaced. You guys all love these cars so much, not one of you said to get rid of it and that's encouraging. I hope I can start having more fun with it. Thank you all.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Billyvannuys

[Nas Escobar]

Never really thought about my roof not being straight. I should look into that it could be my issue though when i had this company replace my windshield that when the leak started to occur. I have 5 more month of warranty with them so im going to see if they can take a look at it. Sucks kuz my interior is starting to get damaged from the water smh

 

That would be if your leaks are from the top of the side windows. If you're leaking from the windshield, you have to look at the windshield surround. The Cutlass Supreme in vert form does not have the glass installed in a traditional manner where the glass is glued in with the seal surrounding the glass. The vert has a windshield surround.  The glass is glued on normally as any other car but it doesn't get any sort of rubber seal. That winshield surround is screwed on to the A pillars and header bow, and it has a thin piece of rubber that's known to shrink and break over time. That rubber is your seal. I took mine off because it was breaking off and flying off in pieces and it was a big mistake. I got water leaks. I put duct tape around the windshield surround and that stopped the leaks. The other place where the glass folks would have messed up is those A pillar moldings that are visible when you open the door. Check those as well. It would be a smart idea to have someone sit in the car and spray water at the car with a hose to see the source of your leaks.

 

By any chance, with all windows up, do you hear any wind noise? Particularly in the windshield area?

 

Thanks for the great ideas about the 5 spokes, and the windshield rubber and brakes. Yeah, I could go slowly with it, even if I did put another $5K into it eventually, I won't have any car payments and probably have more fun at a lower cost.

I appreciate all the talk about your various leaks with your tops and weather stripping but what I was referring to when I said the leaks are fixed was the oil, tranny, and AC compressor leaks which were far more disturbing to me. Pardon me for being unclear in that regard. Yes, the water leaks at the rear side quarter windows and a little at the unraveling top seams. Hopefully those can get replaced. You guys all love these cars so much, not one of you said to get rid of it and that's encouraging. I hope I can start having more fun with it. Thank you all.

 

Remember it's a cruiser, not a show car. It's okay to have imperfections. Everything will come back together in due time. If you do get wheels from another W, only the 88-96 wheels (and 97 in the case of the Cutlass) will fit. The exception to that rule is the 95-99 Monte Carlo and 95-01 Lumina. The 1st gen W's have a funny offset because of the brake caliper. Normally, FWD GM cars had a high offset but the W's have a lower offset than the other FWD platform. Once 97 came around with the new gens, they migrated to the common offset found on the other GM FWD cars. Our offset has to be closer to the center and away from the face design otherwise the front brake calipers wont clear.

 

As your weatherstripping, you'll have to get them custom made or find a yard that has them in good condition. No real way around that. I have Sebring side seals, but I have leaks in the corners. It was better than nothing though, my weatherstripping was chewed up.

[tonytoca_87]

That would be if your leaks are from the top of the side windows. If you're leaking from the windshield, you have to look at the windshield surround. The Cutlass Supreme in vert form does not have the glass installed in a traditional manner where the glass is glued in with the seal surrounding the glass. The vert has a windshield surround.  The glass is glued on normally as any other car but it doesn't get any sort of rubber seal. That winshield surround is screwed on to the A pillars and header bow, and it has a thin piece of rubber that's known to shrink and break over time. That rubber is your seal. I took mine off because it was breaking off and flying off in pieces and it was a big mistake. I got water leaks. I put duct tape around the windshield surround and that stopped the leaks. The other place where the glass folks would have messed up is those A pillar moldings that are visible when you open the door. Check those as well. It would be a smart idea to have someone sit in the car and spray water at the car with a hose to see the source of your leaks.

 

By any chance, with all windows up, do you hear any wind noise? Particularly in the windshield area?

 

 

 

Remember it's a cruiser, not a show car. It's okay to have imperfections. Everything will come back together in due time. If you do get wheels from another W, only the 88-96 wheels (and 97 in the case of the Cutlass) will fit. The exception to that rule is the 95-99 Monte Carlo and 95-01 Lumina. The 1st gen W's have a funny offset because of the brake caliper. Normally, FWD GM cars had a high offset but the W's have a lower offset than the other FWD platform. Once 97 came around with the new gens, they migrated to the common offset found on the other GM FWD cars. Our offset has to be closer to the center and away from the face design otherwise the front brake calipers wont clear.

 

As your weatherstripping, you'll have to get them custom made or find a yard that has them in good condition. No real way around that. I have Sebring side seals, but I have leaks in the corners. It was better than nothing though, my weatherstripping was chewed up.

Yes i can hear alot of wind noise when driving. Thats the 1st thing i noticed when they installed the new glass

[sean1991olds]

You mentioned leaking tranny fluid, I've been to a shop for this, guy said yeah on these you can expect to have to replace the tranny gasket every 50k miles. I looked at my records and its been about that. It was replaced at the first 50k miles too funnily enough! I'm at about 95k now, and last gasket was done about 10 years ago.. guess it is about time!