First rain experience

[egchewy79]

Well, it was bound to happen sometime.
Drove the cobra to work yesterday and had a quick errand to run on the way home.
Just before I got to my destination after work, a dark rain cloud appeared overhead despite a 0% chance of rain on the weather forecast.
Started dumping rain half mile from my destination (for my errand). Luckily I had my tonneau cover in the trunk.
The store I was at let me stay inside for a bit despite the fact that they were closed after 5pm. Shop owner had lots of questions about the car.
Things lightened up and then I made the decision to try to make it home (~15mi).
About a mile from my house, full on downpour despite having a fully sunny sky.
A few observations:

-left leg gets soaked. I'm going to need to check again if this is coming down the windshield post or just dripping through the door/body gap. I'm pretty sure I used silicone to fill the gap before putting the trim piece back on but can't remember. My left shoe was filled w/ water by the time I got home
-Rain-x your windshield regularly. I had applied some earlier this season, but clearly it wasn't enough. Do the inside of the glass as well.
-Raindrops hitting your eyeballs at 40mph sucks
-Traction is non existent so be careful w/ the throttle. I could feel my rear sliding side to side just rolling from a stop.
-Expect to have some strange smells. I couldn't pinpoint it, but was having some burning smells that I wasn't accustomed to. I think it was just water from the side pipes, but did have a slight electrical smoke smell to it. I think my fusebox was dry, but was paranoid the whole time.
-Trying to remove water from your tonneau cover is nearly impossible. I've seen others put a large beachball under the cover when parking overnight, but I didn't have a ball or the time to inflate one. I was able to get water off half the cover while the other half dumped directly onto my driver's seat.

I got her home and blew most of the water off w/ compressed air. Then towel dried the rest of the body.
Turned the AC on on the minisplit to dry out the air overnight and did some light detailing around the rear fenders and side pipes where there was visible road grime.

I might keep a brimmed hat in the trunk in the future for this purpose. I've thought about keeping a rain suit in the trunk as well, but haven't gone on any longer road trips where the weather might be a factor.
Overall, I would put this in the top 3 sketchiest drives I've done, as visibility was really challenging and there was definitely some hydroplaning at times.
Stay safe out there.

[MikeHolt]

Rain+Cobra=Less than enjoyable drive!

My first encounter was a drive back from an air/car show. The sky turned green and the deluge set in. To add salt to the wound, a school bus with a girls softball team passed me with all of them hanging out the windows laughing and pointing!

If not so annoying, it’s amusing to watch the water start to gather along the channel between the left fender and hood. It makes its way up and then comes under the wind screen to dump right in your lap!

Wind wings and visors help. But, a good rag to use on the inside of the windshield is essential for visibility!

[Jim1855]

I've spent a lot of time in the rain. Happens on 4,500 mile trips 6 states from home.

The water on the left leg, right for passengers is off the wind wings and then the gap between the door and body. A rag between the body and door to guide the water down helps but might not stay at speed. A "dam" of tape should work.

Rain-X is critical, both inside and out. Once you get to 40mph or so it's great, wipers help at city speeds. But the wipers work almost as well when stored in the trunk.

Drain holes in the lower area of the floor will help. I've spent a fair amount of time bailing out the foot wells. The tourists in Greyhounds chuckle, but they're in a Greyhound, I'd rather be in a Cobra and wet.

Tonneau. I fab'd a stick from the rear cowl to the dash cowl that at least separated the two sides and is easier to pack than a beach ball. Made it easier to wipe the water off the cover. Never really had a problem.

Tires. Can't help there w/o spending money. I always ran tires that worked in the rain. Goodyear GS-D3s, Michelin PS2s. Many of the summer performance tires don't fare well in the rain, I knew I was going to get wet. It's hard to find tires of appropriate sizes and then with good rain performance. Going slow might be the safest option, just didn't work well for me.

Jim

[Al_C]

Welcome to the rain club! My worst instance was driving back to Chicagoland from the LCS in Ohio. This was before I had a top. Tony Irrizarry was in front of me on I-70 and it was coming down so hard I couldn't even see him. We hit two storm cells between Columbus and the Indiana state line. Then it rained again for a good part of I-65 north and I-80/94. In 2024, with the top, I was dumped on from Columbus to Indianapolis. As they say, the top helps you stay "less wet". This year I trailered.

Good advice I received from Jeff Kleiner is to put a piece of tubular insulation (like a mini pool noodle) in the gap between the door and the body. Water comes off the base of the windshield, goes around the corner and drops through the door onto your left leg. A towel on your lap will also help.

I just got caught in a downpour a week or so ago. Like your case, there was no rain in the forecast. It took the interior a few days to dry out, but it's all OK.

[JMD]

I've had some light rain, but nothing heavy enough to be a problem. As long as I was over 55mph I didn't get rain my face and the wind kept the windshield clear, so my takeaway was the heavier the rain, the faster I need to drive! Because seeing = safety! ;)

(I also have Cooper Cobra street tires, not the sticky summer tires a lot of people have, so wet traction isn't as much of a problem. I mean, you can't floor it or anything, but as long as you're driving the way you normally would in the rain they don't need any special consideration and are certainly not scary.)

[coyobra]

If you have the time or are able to pull over, you can cover the car with a cheap disposable plastic car cover and wait out the storm. (Around $12.00) I always had one in the trunk just in case. Fortunately after 4800 miles, I never got caught in the rain. Of course being in So Cal not much chance for rain especially when I saw clouds, the car stayed in the garage. For the "die hards", you can get these covers from Eastwood or West Lake on Amazon. Many other overseas companies make them too. Cheap insurance.

[Gaijin]

2X suggestion. Invest on a cheap outdoor cover and keep it in the trunk always in case needed. They fold really well into a neat square and tucks in well forward most part of the trunk. Same with tonneau cover. I leave in the Gunshine state and we tropical showers and sometime even severe thunderstorms just because. I don't like the thought of getting my Cobra wet but I have riding Harleys for many years too. Kept a raincoat in the saddlebags, just in case.

[Derald Rice]

Well, it was bound to happen sometime.
. I think my fusebox was dry, but was paranoid the whole time.
-.

This is the primary reason that I moved my fusebox to the trunk...

Secondary reason is that it is easier to get to and see when a need arises..

New car will also have the fusebox in the trunk.

As far as a rain jacket, I keep a Frogg rain jacket in the trunk at all times.....In the same bag as the car cover.

[Jeff Kleiner]

If you drive 'em it's bound to happen! just another adventure :) I've said many times "I've never driven out of the garage while it's raining but I've sure driven back in a bunch of times soaking wet."

Al mentioned my advice to him regarding foam. I keep 3 pieces of soft memory foam in a bag in the trunk and when the inevitable happens use them to help divert the rain away from my left knee; one gets closed in the gap at the top of the door, another gets stuffed into the gap between the wind wing and windshield post and the other goes between the top of the door and bottom edge of the windwing.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=70187&d=1499869021

Do this, put a towel across your lap and you'll stay surprisingly dry...as long as you keep moving forward. Getting stopped at a light in a downpour really bites :(

Jeff

[Norm B]

I have a Whitby Soft top and have extensively weathered proofed the car. I added D shaped weather stripping to the doors on the flat where they meet the body and used two sided tape to attach the windshield weather stripping to the body on the valleys on both sides. With the top on things stay pretty dry. Have to be careful to park on the flat to prevent water pooling on the body and making its way under the top. I have pictures taken of me putting the top on in an unexpected rain shower and my wife hiding in the partially covered car.
Part of the fun.

Norm

[Avalanche325]

I was on my way home from an autocross, I was in the middle of nowhere and the sky opened up. It was all good until I rolled into a small town and had to stop. Then an 18 wheeler went by me in the next lane and it was like getting hit with a dirty gritty firehose.

Don't forget to wet-vac your carpet. I got at least 3 gallons out.

[kgkeys]

I had a bit of experience with this myself, last weekend. I was trying to participate in the cruise portion of a drag and drive event, but ended up driving myself into a flash flood warning. So I just spent the day at the hotel.

Kyle
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The golf umbrella is good if you want to jump out and dry your hands, so you can look at your phone long enough to decide whether to keep going or stop and put the cover on.

[Dave Howard]

Hate is a strong word, but I hate get caught in the rain while in the roadster. We have a Rodtop for long trips which is about 98%. Some water still seeps in. But being caught with the top down isnt fun. Ive gone to great efforts to seal the body around the frame and to seal the windshield post opening in the body. Especially the drivers side. Water dripping through that location goes on the fuse panel. I used to have covers for the seats made from bath towels. Helped on really hot days. They have come in handy during rain events. The worst thing is the hours of cleaning required every time I run on wet roads.

[weendoggy]

Drive across Nebraska, what's a little rain, be brave and enjoy it. :D

https://www.weendoggy.com/trip09/rain.mp4

[egchewy79]

Did you have a top? Looks like most of your water is in the outside of the windshield:)

[JR-FFR5011]

I think we've been caught in rain twice in the past coming home from the Huntington Beach FF car show.
Both times I just kept driving and enjoying the rain coming around the wind wings and visibility was horrible, traffic was stop and go.
Got a lot of thumbs up and snickering, but as Mike Holt said, I'm driving a cobra.
You are going to get wet unless you find cover fast, and when you are on a freeway, that's hard to do.
I should have stayed in HB and parked in a covered garage for a couple hours but had get home itis.

Easy on the speed, brakes, and keep your distance from the car in front of you!
I just drove it into the garage and toweled the car off. Cleaned up the floor later.
This is why my Challenge Car still does not have carpet, just the dash is covered, rest of the interior is bare aluminum.

[MARIAH]

Others have offered some added experiences.
MARIAH was been "wet" many times.... although we now mostly run with the Hard Top which only means "less wet".
We have had rain suits in the trunk for 15 years. We do have black towels rolled up beside our seats that we lay across our legs and laps.
Box Fan will dry the interior and carpet in a couple days.
LIGHT SWITCH was our only casualty and that took a couple years to show up. I attributed that to getting wet all those early times.

After a Road Atlanta weekend, We drove home 3 hours in the rain, with lightweight wind jackets cinched up around our faces. All we could do was laugh at ourselves and smile at those who passed us by. Those 20 years and 100,000 miles later, that first real soaking is still a cherished memory. Twice we were in "road standing water events" that dowsed the Distributor and stopped her cold. Now I carry small WD-40 to get us moving again. From my '88 donor, I left behind the PS, PB, A/C and that rubber blanket covering the Distributor (all of those decisions at various times have been questioned). Enjoy the ride (carefully).

[Jphoenix]

I agree, rain can be fun!

217409

[weendoggy]

Did you have a top? Looks like most of your water is in the outside of the windshield:)

Nope. No top. Wife and I were dry as long as we were moving along. Painters tape in areas keep it out of the cockpit (mostly). More water hits you from behind (wind turbulence). Slower driving, just whipped out the collapsible umbrella! It's an adventure! Not the first, nor last time in rain. :o

[kevin j sullivan]

Guess I've been lucky. Caught in the rain (and snow) several times. So long as I continue at about 40MPH I stay dry! It all goes right over my head.

[kevin j sullivan]

I stick a large beach umbrella under my cover, problem solved. (wedge the bottom of the shaft between center console and seat.)

[MARIAH]

From a safety view point... on two different trips, the rain is so bad others are pulling off the road....
So we find a Semi that is parked and pull IN FRONT OF HIM.....not behind. Just saying.................

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Agree with kevin j sullivan, keep moving if you can. Also Rain-X on both sides of the windshield. Only issue I had beside the sketchy tires was the door leak on my leg.