Top Down + Heavy Rain - Gauge Hood =

I pulled such a typical me, boneheaded move last night. We had friends over for dinner and then took them out for desert in the VW. I didn't put the Miata in the garage knowing I'd have to put the Passat back in next to the Honda. Well, we get back, I park the Passat out front (on the premise I'd move it later), and we start chatting it up and next thing I know it's mega late... they leave, and I'm so tired that I don't even give the Miata a second thought. Next thing I know, it's about 4 or 5 am and I hear this thunderous clap and the hard pelting of falling rain... when it hits me... the Miata is out back, outside of the garage, with the top down. I threw on a shirt and ran outside only to confirm what I already knew... my car was swimming in it! Water was getting all inside the dash, behind it, and god knows where else... I got lucky the damn thing didn't short on me when I started it and moved it in the garage.

Argh... now to dry the damn thing out...

Pull the seats out, pull the drain plugs in the floor and get a fan to circulate air on it and/or in it. Open up the doors, trunk and hood and let it sit. I know your carpet is out, but if it's on the back deck and behind the seats, pull it too. Hopefully it will be OK!

You should see this thing... I had about an inch of water sitting on the floorboards... it's sitting outside looking like a praying mantis - doors and trunk wide open, both seats out, both seat belts and race restraints hanging out like antennas... I'm hoping it'll be dry by tomorrow morning.



Probably not though.

If the sun comes out tomorrow it should be fine.

I once bought a Ford Exploder from a guy who chewed tobacco. You can imagine what the inside of the truck looked like.......

So I took it to the car wash and gave it the "engine cleaner" and "tire cleaner" once over. EVERYWHERE.

The truck was dry in a single July day and the interior was spotless.

(Early Exploders were trucks, and therefore self draining.)

Were'nt you looking for a good excuse to buy the big WetDry Vac?

Ive done that before. I let it sit out with the top down and a big box fan aimed on the seats. The most fun was driving to the quarter washer without seats to vacuum some of the carpet. That is a great driving position. Very low.

Happened to me two weeks ago!

I feel your pain. Definatley an "oh sht moment"

Chris

This brings up a good question, if you saw a miata, other than yours in a parking lot with the top down, would you put it up? I saw one once at a Best Buy and I was going to throw the top up but not latch it. As I was walking up the guy was too, so I just turned around.

Yeah I sure would put their top up.


Believe me, my wet/dry vac got quite the work out this morning. I'm hoping now I can make it out tomorrow morning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Majik

This brings up a good question, if you saw a miata, other than yours in a parking lot with the top down, would you put it up? I saw one once at a Best Buy and I was going to throw the top up but not latch it. As I was walking up the guy was too, so I just turned around.

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If it was raining yes. Helping others almost always works out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kags1969

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Majik

This brings up a good question, if you saw a miata, other than yours in a parking lot with the top down, would you put it up? I saw one once at a Best Buy and I was going to throw the top up but not latch it. As I was walking up the guy was too, so I just turned around.

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If it was raining yes. Helping others almost always works out.

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I would and I have! 8)

Well Three-Bean, it's my turn to do it. :banghead:

I woke up startled last night... THUNDER... and I had an OH-$#!7 moment... I yelled out MOTHER ####! and tossed on some shorts...

Too late... My baby was soaked...

This morning I took out the seats and set 'em in the sun. Pulled out the wet/dry vac and sucked up all the water I could. I even pulled up the carpet and got the water under there... left the carpets pulled up from the back and put fans pointing under 'em to dry out the padding.

What a PITA! 2 1/2" of water in the bottom of the 12 gallon wet/dry vac and she's slowly drying out.

Now I'll have to test everything.

RJ

You'd think I would have learned my lesson the first time... hell, I didn't even hear the weatherman at my own station telling me it was going to rain... twice in as many weeks... :(

DOH!