Is the singular purpose of the drip tray beneath the rear window in the boot to balance air pressure in the cabin and boot as to allow for ease of closing/opening etc?
It has the drainage elements only because the method allows the elements limited access and any water that enters must be drained off?
In that sense drainage in only a secondary service contingent on the essential purpose of the tray system?
I have made that sound like a Greek philosophy question but I imagine you understand what I mean.


the rust may contain traces of metal

 

Isn't it the cabin air exit route?

 

I cleaned mine and painted it with truck bed spray.
Also removed the glued headliner fabric from the floating vents and replaced it with thin rubber pads.
It's a clean tray.

 

mine seems to be more rust than metal in places.
needs renovation.

 

very likely, i say drip tray as everything rusty and wet has dripped into mine.,

 

ah, this is the piece with the infamous cowbells that I have been avoiding for at least two years now

 

simple to fix with tray removed.
​​​​​​buy a sheet of 1/8" inch thick rubber padding at Joann Fabrics or Michael's for $1.00.
Cut it and apply to each of the four hanging / floating metal "doors" with contact cement.
Best done with the tray outside the car.
It's a nightmare to remove the tray because the sunroof motor must be removed first, and to remove the sunroof motor, the entire rear seat must be removed first, and so on.
But once out, clean and spray the inside of tray with truck bed coating and it's good for another 30 years.

 

I think you've got it exactly right so far as you've gone in respect of the drainage elements but the main purpose is to ensure extraction of air from the cabin and prevention of fumes from the back of the car coming in - I say that because once I fixed the cowbells on mine, the cabin became more fragrant... You must take the opportunity of having the air extractor out (that's what it's called, by the way) to put new felt on the cowbells.


This is what mine looked like before I cleaned it up and painted it with Hammerite

 

now I feel really slack. I dont have a sunroof...........

 

Over rated Steve, I opened mine once to make sure it worked. Sunny day, bright light blinded me, shut it, end of story.

Dave

 

I think of it as an escape hatch, in case of a flood.

 

In case of a flood, wouldn't all the Lucas Electrics would short out?
I agree with Dave. Nix has a professionally added sunroof, Trucklet has a factory one. I've never opened either of them for the reason Dave states.

I also had a convertible roadster once, after that, a sunroof is a Very poor substitute!
(';')

 

I have one but stopped using it out of fear itll break.

 

you open it before water gets to the alternator.

 

I was thinking more along the lines that I am a lazy ar$e, as I dont even have the extra work of the sun roof motor to get at my cowbells. No excuses.

 

So which was do the flaps swing? i forgot to record this detail before i pulled all the rusty chunks out, i think i know but I can get almost anything sdrawkcab

 

towards the rear of the car.

 

ah so they are just 'hinged' as such by fine fabric dangled from the arching bar above them... ingenious ... for a time...

from another person's post some place

 

a metal square is rivetted to a piece of I don't know what in two places, so the metal squares "hang" freely.

The factory glued pieces of headlining fabric over one side of the metal squares to eliminate metal -to-metal contact noise.

but after years, the glued dried and the fabric came off the metal squares causing the famous "cowbell" noise when the doors were slammed shut or when the sunroof was open, or when the car rode over bumps, etc., etc.

I don't know about "cowbells", to me it sounded like the kind of tiny bells you put around the neck of cats. Took me a while to figure where the sound came from. It was a mystery. I kept finding squares of headliner inside the trunk. Still didn't dawn on me. Difficult to SEE unless the trunk lid is open and a second person opens and shuts the doors. It's an air pressure thing.

then came the learning curve, how to get to the metal "vents".