Roof – How to re-route your roof drainage hoses to prevent lower sill rusting

There are two areas of the Figaro that suffer badly from excessive rust. One is the rear wings which due to the location and way the chassis is spot welded in this area, water can be contained and over time and rust from the inside out causing paint bubbles. The other is the lower sills which again can suffer from water retention but this is often due to repairs or simply dirt blocking the top front roof’s two water hoses.

The design is poor but there is a solution. You can re-route the hoses from draining at the bottom of the car to draining inside the front wing. This allows water to drain without any chances of it becoming blocked and means never again will any water enter the lower sill and stay there, rusting the car! If you are getting your lower door sills changed or repaired then this highly recommended upgrade. It is also a good preventative measure with low-cost materials.

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WATER DRAINS FROM THE TWO HOLES IN THE ROOF

THERE ARE TWO RUBBER DRAIN HOLES
The holes are located proud and in place to catch the water that has entered the front of the roof gutter

RED LINE – HOW THE WATER EXITS THE ROOF
Water at the front part of the roof gutter escapes via two rubber grommets which are connected to a hose which runs down inside the
windscreen trim, then the chassis and exits the car inside the bottom of the door sill.

TURQUOISE LINE – HOSE RE-ROUTE
Shows the re-route to the wheel arch outlet

DOTTED BLUE LINE- WHY THE LOWER DOOR SILL ROTS
The dotted blue line below is an indication of how the water runs down the lower door seal and becomes trapped. There are actually several drainage slots all along the sill where it joins the inner sill but quite often blocks up and if the sills have been replaced or repaired won’t be there anymore.

HOSE ROUTE TO BOTTOM OF CAR
The hoses (in red) drop down the pillar but then go in front of the door seam behind the fuses and relay panel on the offside. On the nearside, it goes behind the ECU and ends up at the sill.

RE-ROUTED GROMMET END
If you have drilled the hole in the wing, you can either use a sealant like Tiger Seal or we have located these grommets. Pack of 10 Open Sleeved Wiring PVC Long Grommets, Multi Grommets. Click here