We all know to remove the side drain plugs under the carpet and clean them out periodically, but here's one that some people might not know of:

You know that long black tubing that goes from side to side in the engine bay by the firewall? You may have brushed leaves off from on top of it when they slip through the crack between the cowl intake and the edge of the engine hood. But, don't ask me how, leaves manage to find their way underneath that blasted thing. The result could mean that the leaves' acids could eat away the lip/ledge that channels the water to the sides of the car. Furthermore, the water could absorb behind the soundproofing that's on the firewall and may potentially cause some rust.

That black tubing can be easily removed by pulling it off. Reinstalling it is a snap and doesn't require any tools. Spend some time pulling back the corners of the soundproofing and check for rust.

I ordered the upper chassis braces this past week from iPD, and while I was outside looking for the mounting holes, I noticed I had some rust in the driver's side corner due to what I explained above. :-( Thankfully, the mounting hole for the brace was -several- inches away from where the rust began to form. I got the car back from the body shop today, and the guy did an awesome job by sheetmetaling, painting (well, so it looks!), and fiberglassing the area, plus he reconstructed that lip/ledge. What's remaining of that soundproofing covers everything up and one wouldn't be able to tell that work was done on it, unless he was looking for it.

Just wanted to share...
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Regards,
Eric Staufer,
'89 244DL 118k
My 240 Page