Bikini top and rain quesstion

[SwissEd]

My FJ40 has bikini top and OEM mats (1980) and under the drivers feet there is some kind of cloth/ padding that is a 'water sponge' and I suspect a rust trap when it gets wet (like last weekend). What do most people do who have open or bikini tops with trucks that can get wet periodically in rear section as well as rain entering front foot area? I have heard some people remove all mats so it dries out quickly. Should I remove whatever is the 'padding' under the floor mats? If so, what is the best way to do this without spoiling. Thanks guys, Ed

 

[rusty_tlc]

One option is to tarp your truck if it looks like rain. I keep a small poly tarp and a few bungee cords in my truck at all times.

 

[alkarich]

I also kept a tarp and bungee cords in the vehicle. Worked well.

As for the "water sponge" as you put it, I would get rid of that no matter what.

 

[John Smith]

You can do what I did and remove all of the fabric backer stuck to the floor and the factory mat to get rid of the sponge.

 

[CruiserStuff]

I, too, removed all the stuff off the back of the factory mats. I also take out the drain plugs in the floorpan so water can "exit" easily. I use a sponge to get the remaining water out before it can sit in there too long and pull the mats out to let it dry properly.....

 

[rusty_tlc]

I, too, removed all the stuff off the back of the factory mats. I also take out the drain plugs in the floorpan so water can "exit" easily. I use a sponge to get the remaining water out before it can sit in there too long and pull the mats out to let it dry properly.....

All that plus I drilled a few extra holes in areas where water tends to pool up.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

One option is to tarp your truck if it looks like rain. I keep a small poly tarp and a few bungee cords in my truck at all times.

You can do what I did and remove all of the fabric backer stuck to the floor and the factory mat to get rid of the sponge.

All that plus I drilled a few extra holes in areas where water tends to pool up.

Ditto. Ditto. Ditto.

As for the tarp, I use a large tarp and cocoon the truck. But I'm not running a soft top (yet). If you have a cage, no soft top, and are expecting rain, you might want to put a piece of plywood over the top of the cage. After a few days of rain I discovered a big sag in the tarp, and despite trying to be careful, dumped about 10 gallons of water into the cab, all over the seats, etc.