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I've gotten caught in the rain a few times, but nothing like today. It just poured. Within half a mile I was drenched to the bone. I pulled off the freeway into a residential area and found a small apartment complex with a mostly empty carport. I borrowed a spot and dried everything off as best I could with an old shirt I had stashed in the car.

During my build I took some precautions to make my car reasonably waterproof, even though I never planned to drive it in the rain. Now I'm kind of glad I did. Stainless steel hardware for all the exterior pieces, rubber covers for exposed wiring and plumbing, sealing trim for the rear fenders, vinyl cover for the boot, a dozen coats of spar varnish on the dash and console.

Half an hour later the rain stopped, and the car was all cleaned up and ready to go.

My car is slightly less waterproof then it needs to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQtgxHdFZxA
The ECU got completely soaked and stopped working towards the end of the run. I removed the ECU opened it up and dried it on the tow vehicle air conditioning for 20 minutes and the car was working perfectly well again.

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2015 & 2016 EMod Florida State Autocross Champion
2013 & 2014 DSP Florida State Autocross Champion

Scrap Metal Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14558

waterproof!!!

i have drilled drain holes in the floor to let the water in and out when wading through floods as i have done on about 5 occasions just trying to get home.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Mine is waterproof enough that the first time it got rained on I drilled some holes in the floor to let the water out. Other than that, it's about as waterproof as riding a motorcycle. I don't have a proper windshield or any front fenders, so the only thing other than my legs that stays dry is the seat back. Water comes off the front wheel straight into my armpit. Luckily it doesn't rain much here in the summer.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

Mine couldn't be submerged like a submarine but every connector (except the ones at the Megasquirt) were waterproof. The ECU was located beneath the scuttle and there was an additional drip shield installed above it. Drip loops were used as often as possible when building the wiring harness.

The car could withstand whatever you could drive through - no worries about water.

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-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

from the internet:

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What is a Drip Loop?

An electrical service drip loop is a loop formed on the incoming feeder wires of your electrical service, before the meter. The overhead wires come to your service pole via the utility company. Out of the weather head on your service, you have three wires to connect to their wires.

These wires should be left long enough to make a half-moon shape or a smiley face as it is.

What Purpose Does It Serve?

The reason for having a drip loop on an electrical service is to allow any rain or moisture, that may make contact with the wires, a place to go away from the weather head and the electrical connection to the utility company's wires.
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They don't seem to do that here, though I have seen coiled wires at service entrances in some other places. I've never seen anything like it on a car or motorcyle, but it doesn't seem like a bad idea.

I *have* made a special note that I need to run the parking brake and throttle cables so any rain or condensation drain out one end instead of collecting in the middle, though...

The R1 car's harness and electrical system was nicely weatherproofed. It was easy since the ECU was from a bike, all of the connectors were already waterproofed.

TETANUS was all old school with first generation Toyota electronic ignition, dizzy and carbs. Pretty sure I could drive it through water just below the carb inlets without any issues.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I'm with those that made holes in the floor. My car's not finished, but I plan on using large-diameter removable plugs (cars back in the '70's and earlier all had 'em) to let the water out. Even with the convertible top I plan on building, the car will never be "waterproof" so, as I don't wish to have my very own "car pool", I have to let what comes in, out.

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Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

The only water proofing I did was to use 'dum dum' between the scuttle and the body so that water would not come in the seam.
And under the hood locations, the only water that can come in is what comes into the open cockpit.

Al

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Super Seven 3.4

I'v been caught in the rain on numerous occasions. This day was the worst. After the autoX it rained real hard all the way home. My Nitto's are slicks at this point, and it was a soggy puckered ride home. I was hydroplaning at 60 KPH. I had an inch of water in the car. Only an inch because then it runs over the frame rails.

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Chris


Build log http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12374
Completed build showcase http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=16865

Strewth , that must be wetter in there than an Otter`s pocket.

Bob

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Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16640&p=187700#p187700

Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave

I'm guessing that's what mine looked like when I got caught in a rain storm on the way home from work this spring. Except I don't have a windshield or front fenders. It was a bit sketchy on the worn out R888's.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

NASCAR-style stock cars used to punch a flared hole in the floor pan and use bathtub stoppers. The mechanics could pull the stoppers and take the car to a car wash to clean out dirt, grass, gravel, etc. after a race.

Various production cars I've owned have had plastic or rubber plugs in the floor, but they were more or less permanent; getting them out usually munged them past re-use, anyway.

I like the bathtub plug idea! IIRC, they can be had in several sizes. A larger one on each side of the floor might be just the ticket! Cheap, too!

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Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/