Hi to alls
Water tends to seep inside the doors of the Jaguar MK2. This is due to the lack of sealing in the window seals of the doors.
The water that passes through the seals remains at the bottom of the doors, leading to deterioration and rust.
Some doors have holes underneath, possibly to drain the infiltrated water. Are these holes original on the MK2 ? They are not found on all doors.
Should they be created if they do not exist?
Regards
Gérard

 

i can't see why holes would not be of benefit, as water, no matter how new and flexible the weather stripping is around doors and windows, it will get in. and if so, i would want some place for it to escape, if only in vapor form.

 

There should be drain holes adjacent to the outer door skin. They are covered with a small piece of angle that channels the water past the rubber door seal. They clog up very easily. The hole in your door will be much more effective in draining the door at risk, since it's on the interior side of the seal, of allowing water into the car.

 

PeterDo the two holes in the attached photo correspond to what you call drain holes ?
Are there any others ?
Regards
Gérard

 

They are in the right place. The link below is the angle piece that goes over them. You can see some holes near the bigger ones for the screws that attach the angle to the bottom of the door. As it all rusts so quickly, I'm inclined to make my own angle pieces from aluminium sheet.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134653341060

 

Thank you very much Peter
The answer is very clear
Regards
Gérard

 

And any time you have the door card (or whatever you want to call it) off the door then take the time to completely clean out the bottom of the door and drain holes and then flood the lower area with whatever is your local favourite anti rust system.
In Australia I use deodorised fisholene which sticks like sh---t to a blanket. otherwise any oil based product will give some protection.
The standard MK2 door drain hole system clogs up very easily in areas with dirt roads and lots of vegetation.
It might be worthwhile putting in extra and larger holes if you live in that sort of environment.

 

For anti-rust wax, I'd make the selection on the basis of smell, especially the preference of your gf/wife. I'd always used Waxoyl, but my wife says it smells awful. I am swapping to lanolin based substances especially in areas that connect with the inside of the car. Rustbuster sell one that's no too expensive.

 

The original seals were totally useless, but later on, in the late 60s, the seals changed to a rubber lip like modern seals and less water could get in, although of course it stil got in !! There is a particular rust trap where the bottom of the window channel has a fibre pad between it and the outer door skin. This holds water and causes rust to make a hole in the skin. Yet a pad is needed or the channel will eventually damage the door skin, so on my new doors that I managed to obtain when rebuilding a Mark 2 in the 80s, was to soak these pads in Waxoyl. I also managed to buy the later window seals and chrome holders as well.

 

Totally agree with the rust spot in the rear door and I wish I had thought of the waxoyl soaked pad. My rear doors had the rust spot and the previous restorer (a Jaguar specialist who employed Monkeys to do the welding) had repaired the spot by welding in a patch. Problem was welding the patch in distorted the door skin and left a large dent. I could push this out to get the door flat but any pressure on the skin and the dent popped back in. We solved the problem by lining the inside of the door with a layer of glass fibre which gave the skin it's strength back so it remained flat. The alternative was to fit a new door skin which involved a lot of work.
This is the rear door in question showing the small square weld repair and the brown patch which is the dent.

 

I've read of people using some modern sound insulation in place of the felt pad. It's supposed not to absorb water.

The later arrangement with the rubber seal requires a different chrome strip at the top of the door. Strangely that type doesn't seem to be available, though the older chrome that doesn't take the rubber seal is. However, moldings of the same section, but greater length, were used on series XJ cars and it is possible to cut them to fit a Mk2.

 

My car is a very late Mk2 and it has the newer rubber seal and chrome bead/holder. I can confirm that the bead/holder is impossible to find new. A kind soul on this forum sold me a set that I had rechromed a few year ago. My originals were mangled beyond repair. They should do a better job of keeping the water out.

 

When my car had some restoration work in the 1970s, I obtained some of the later type chrome. Even in those days, it was hard to find. It wasn't all Mk2 length; some was longer for an XJ and had to be cut to fit. I also gave them the rubber and said cut to fit the side window. What did they do? They cut the chrome and rubber to the same length and attached it on top of the old chrome. Sometimes, you just want to cry!

 

Hi Bill Mac
Thanks for the comment.




Attached photos of Jag MK2 door with drain holes : I guess this is the inititial design to address this infiltration issue .
Regards
Gérard