I have an 83 S bone stock...recently I needed to pull out the spare (flat tire). At first I noticed the insulation was damp. Then as I pulled the spare out, there was about an inch of water in the well. Although the rim of the spare had a trace of rust, the well area did not show any sign of corrosion. Any ideas where the water is cominig from? The rear carpet area NEVER seems damp. Any ideas how to stop it (ie, what should I look for). Worst case, should I drill a hole in the well area to let the water drain?
Any help is appreciated

 

There are two drain holes at the bottom edge of your hatch seal at the back of the car. These get plugged up all the time, which causes the water to drip into the hatch and down in the spare well. Poke the holes with a stiff wire, they usually plug up right near the opening so they're pretty easy to clean out.

 

Have you looked under the remaining carpet in the rear? Water, like electricity follows the path of least resistance, and gravity. You could have a seal leak in your rear window and it just slowly accumulates into the tire area where it doesn't probably get enough heat to evaporate. Just an idea. Hard to find these things unless you catch it while it's actually leaking. Good luck, and check all your seals for moisture. I'd check behind you side plastics too.

 

check this first, I assumed this to be eliminated already. Shame on me, I know what assumptions make ya. LOL

 

OR-
make sure the drain HOSES are actually connected to the holes in the hatch channel!!!
AND-
make sure the OTHER ends are running correctly out the rear panel under each corner of the bumper

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

+ 1 for what stu said.

And, the spare tire well makes a fantastic beer cooler. Open Drain plugs when you're done!

 

When I used to do bodywork, if a car came in with a leak say in the trunk, we'd stick someone in there while someone else would run a hose over all areas in the vacinity. The person in the trunk could then pinpoint the exact cause of the leak.