weather resistant interior

[flynntuna]

Anyone have any ideas on what would be needed to make the 818 interior more weather friendly? It doesn't have to withstand the abuse like the Subaru comercial were two kids wash the interior of their dads car;) , but able to withstand damp mornings without getting a funky smell?

[Racebrewer]

If you use aftermarket bucket seats (composite or aluminum), make sure that there are holes in the "bottom of the bucket" to ensure that any moisture/rain will drain out.

I've seen racing karts caught in the rain with an inch of water in the bottom of the seat. Always drilled drain holes in mine.

Ditto for the floor pan depending upon the design.

John

[Hayai]

Also think about not having carpet, and try to make the inside panels look nice and finished.

If you're going to have an audio system get a receiver and speakers for marine applications.

[flynntuna]

I was thinking of not using carpet, maybe floormats. I don't want bare metal, but its has to look finished. I'm open to all ideas, as long as it looks "classy".

[Xusia]

I've owned multiple convertibles in the rainy Pacific Northwest. In my, I believe informed, opinion you don't have to go to such extremes as marine audio gear and no carpet. Unless it's a torrential downpour, it takes a while for rain water to accumulate to a significant level in any area. Also, when driving at speeds above probably 20 MPH or so VERY little rain will actually be landing in the vehicle. So unless you are truly worried you might leave the car outside for hours in the rain, I think normal audio gear and standard automotive carpet is fine.

Just my opinion, but I would personally NEVER drill holes in the floor pan or undercarriage. That allows water on the road to be kicked/splashed UP into the vehicle through the hole (while driving, of course). Think about how much water the car in front of you kicks up in the rain, then think about how much water your own tires are kicking up directly onto the underside of your car. I think that's far worse than any water that might accumulate as a result of rain.

If you are really worried about rain, and don't plan on buying or carrying a convertible top, I recommend 2 things: 1)A tonneau cover for when it's parked; and 2)A bikini top for when you are driving. Of the 2, I think the tonneau cover is more important because you are more at risk when parked than when driving. Both are small items and shouldn't cost much, even if you have to fabricate them yourself. :)

[Jeff Kleiner]

As an FFR roadster owner who has been caight in the rain more times than I can count I can tell you the following with a high degree of certainty. I believe much of it will apply to the 818 as well:

---Holes in the floor let water out not in (I suppose if you were to place them right in line with the spray path from the front wheels the opposite might be true but on the flat floor towards the center, no problem)

---Except in a torrential downpour as long as you are moving most of the water goes over rather than into the cockpit; you get very adept at looking ahead to try to time it so you don't end up stopped at traffic lights!

---Much of what comes inside drips from the cowl and door tops

---Rain-X is as good as wipers but be sure to do the inside as well as outside of the windshield

---The FFR carpet gets real funky real fast if you don't get it drying right away! As soon as you get back to the garage shop-vac out as much as possible and get a fan blowing on it.

---Sube Clubman seats don't mind the water at all!

---The canopies at drive through banks, gas stations, hotels, even mortuaries (yes, I did, but there were no services going on!) make a great place to take cover while you let the storm pass

---If the downpour is bad enough with no shelter available you can pull off onto a side road, get your waterproof cover out of the trunk and put it on the car then get back in and take a nap inside your 4 wheeled "tent" while you wait for it to let up!

---If you drive on BE CAREFUL! A very light car with giant tire contact patches is not the ideal recipe for wet road travel.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Red Tag]

Jeff, great insights!!

[apexanimal]

You could always truck bed liner the interior of the car...

[rjh2pd]

As far as drain holes go. I think it's a great idea, but like xusia said, water spray could be bad. I would suggest plugging it by threading the hole and using a bolt or drain plug.

[wallace18]

C-3 corvettes had a one way drain plug ( rubber type plug) in the floor pan in several locations. Let water out not in. You can get them from any corvette resto parts place.

[jethro13]

I like the idea of bed liner, and carpet. You can shoot the liner on the bottom of the floor tubs, and 1" up on the sides. You can also shoot everything, it is not as quiet as Dynamat but will dampen noise as well as seal it up and make it easy to hose out. You can put in carpet on the sides either permanent, or with velcro (with exception on the tunnel - may have to go permanent) so they can be removed, and make up large floormats to pull out when they're soaked. I built a '72 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser this way, drilled holes in the floor, shot bedliner on floors and carpet on everything that was vertical. Electrical and dash were sealed up, regular audio deck unit, marine external speakers, all stainless nuts/bolts etc. It was wheeled in mud, rain, rivers, ocean, you name it topless. I literally hosed it out after playing with it. I've used RhinoLiner, Linex, Gator, and a few others. Recently I used Raptor Liner on my '67 Camaro floorpan, trunk & wheel wells and it is by far the most friendly to use, and makes the least mess.

[Xusia]

Good insights Jeff; many along the same lines as me. One difference that came to mind in reading your post is that all my convertibles have had tops, whereas a lot of roadster owners don't appear to buy those. Driving around when/where you could get caught in the rain without a top could definitely allow more water to get in than I've ever experienced. Also, the carpeting supplied by FFR might not be of the same quality I'm used to when it comes to water repellancy. If that's the case, those wanting to make their 818 more water proof might want to opt for different carpet. :)

[BipDBo]

I live in Florida, and would like the 818 as a daily driver. I'm wating for the coupe and an option for AC.

[Vman7]

It amazes me with some of the ideas ppl come with in these forums.......how great is that! :)

I am with BipDBo, living in orlando, you would be surprised with how much it rains down here, mostly in the summer.

I do like the idea of either the bedliner paint and the drain plug idea, which could be set up somewhat like on a boat.

[akjason]

Jeep Wranglers have rubber plugs in the floors for just this situation as well. I never keep the plugs in during the summer, and even with all that ground clearance and knobby tires I never get road spray coming into the tub. I also second the idea that marine audio equipment is not necessary. I don't know how many times I've been caught in the rain or covered in mud, and regular speakers and head unit work just fine. What does kill them is direct spray from a pressure washer, but it took me a couple dozen times to kill the head unit doing that, haha.

You could get Wrangler oem/aftermarket replacement plugs from your favorite auto-parts source, or whatever size you wish from a variety of manufacturers. They all sell in bulk, so you'd have to buy from a distributor unless you want 1000 of them, haha.
http://www.caplugs.com/productdetails.aspx?id=1000021&itemno=BP+SERIES
http://www.caplugs.com/productdetails.aspx?id=1000021&itemno=BPF+SERIES
http://www.caplugs.com/productdetails.aspx?id=1000021&itemno=BPFE+SERIES
http://www.mocap.com/sheet-metal-hole-plugs-flush-standard.html
http://www.mocap.com/sheet-metal-hole-plugs-recessed.html
http://poeppelmann.us/kapsto/products/product-details/kapsto-group/protective-plugs/kapsto-serie/gpn-915/
http://poeppelmann.us/kapsto/products/product-details/kapsto-group/protective-plugs/kapsto-serie/gpn-910/

On a kind-of related note, all these manufacturers make caps that would finish off an open tube end very nicely if you don't want to weld a cap on.
http://www.caplugs.com/productdetails.aspx?id=1000021&itemno=CCF+SERIES

[RM1SepEx]

McMaster.com

[Jeff Kleiner]

You guys are taking this hole thing too far! I'm not talking hole saw sized holes that need plugs. I did mine with a phillips screwdriver and hammer by the side of the road after my feet were in an inch of sloshing water the first time I got rained on hard---2 on each side, right through the carpet and insulation. Crude and effective; water gets in, water runs out without pooling :D

Jeff

[Xusia]

Holy crud Jeff! I've driven convertibles for many years and over thousands of miles in all seasons (and I live where it rains a heck of a lot), and I've NEVER gotten that much water in my car. EVER! I'm not sure how you managed to do that, but in that case, yeah, you might have wanted a drain hole... LOL :)