Mike,
An additional, very real risk of having a bad trunk seal is that the
vacuum created while driving at highway speeds will suck your exhaust fumes
right into the trunk and continue into your cabin. I can attest to the misery
that this condition can create. A number of years back we returned 820 miles
from our Lake George, NY 300 Meet to Holland, MI through an all day steady
rain with our windows of our 300C rolled up tight. My restoration was fresh at
the time and I did not realize how bad our trunk seal was. Not only did we
have literally gallons of water in the trunk upon arrival, but my wife had to
keep her eyes closed for most of the trip because the exhaust fumes burned her
eyes so badly I didn't doze off from the poisonous gases, but I was probably
just lucky.
It is really imperative to fix that problem. The easiest and most
successful way will be to purchase a brand new trunk seal. The fit of it will
probably be far from perfect when you first install it, but by playing with
its fit you should be able to get it to where a dollar bill should have
friction when pulled between the deck lid and the body around its entire
perimeter. In a few places you may even have to pack a little something - like
a piece of insulated wire - under the new seal to get it in full contact with
the lid. It will be worth the extra effort to get this right. BTW, for an
extra tight fit, check it with a $100 bill instead.
Good luck.
Keith Boonstra
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