Dear Tom and Ray:

The rear window of my 2000 Ford F-150 leaks from the top. Can I just have the seal/molding replaced, or should I have the whole window redone? And if so, can I use a window I find at the junkyard?

-- Deb

TOM: Well, if you want the cheap solution, Deb, get one of those sailor's rain hats, with the flap that goes down the back of your neck. That'll at least keep the rain from running down your shirt and into your shorts.

RAY: But a better solution would be to replace the weatherstripping. Unless the glass is cracked, there shouldn't be any need to replace the window itself.

TOM: But to replace the weatherstripping, the window has to be removed. So you just need to go to a mechanic or an auto-glass shop and tell them you want the window reinstalled with new weatherstripping.

RAY: They'll pop it out, replace the old, dried-out, cracked weatherstripping with fresh new stuff, and put your window back in. If you're right, and that's where the water is coming from, that should take care of it.

TOM: And you definitely want new weatherstripping. It's fine to get rear-window glass at a junkyard if you ever need it, but there's no reason to buy old weatherstripping.

RAY: And besides, when you're driving a 13-year-old truck, you really can't risk parking at a junkyard. It's just too easy for your truck to be mistaken for fresh "inventory."