Miata Mailing List: December 1995, Message #155
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   From: ssharp@indirect.com (Sam Sharp)
Subject: Re: Broken cowl piece
   Date: Sun, 3 Dec 1995 21:01:20 -0500

>A quick visual survey throughout the summer may show the cause of the 
>broken cowl piece at the bottom of the windshield.  All of the cars in 
>our chapter that are driven in winter have a cracked or recently replaced 
>cowl, whereas the ones that are garaged in winter (or when it's starts to 
>get frosty at night) do not have broken cowls.  It leads one to believe 
>that it's water getting in under the rubber gasket and freezing that is 
>causing the passenger side end of the cowl to break.
>
>Are there people in more moderate climates that suffer from this problem 
>or is it just found on cars where there is a winter?
>
>
Yes!  Baby spent the first 5 years of her life in a garage in Midland,
Texas.  She has been in the garage most of the time since we've been back in
Albuquerque.  She's NEVER been in freezing rain in her life.

Could it be that the plastic has lost some of its moisture content, and then
cracked as it contracted when the cold weather hit?  I think this is the
sequence when plastic dashboards crack.

Hmmmm...Baby hasn't been that cold, either, and I think I first noticed the
crack in warm weather.  Beats me!

Sam and Baby (Who says:-----RAINSUX-----)