An MG boot/trunk is a holey place, not a holy place! I have discovered 12 apertures in just the boot lid alone, 8 for the luggage rack, 3 for the MG emblem and one big-a** one where the lock mechanism resides. All of these have been re-sealed with generous amounts of clear RTV sealer. But I think I am on to something with this suggestion of the license plate holder.
The assembly itself bolts to the rear panel with two bolt/washer/nut combos, pretty straight forward, put some RTV around them. Then I saw them! There are two rubber grommets where the electrical wires for the license plate light come off the rear harness and through the rear panel and up to the lights themselves. Over time the weight of the covered wires, they are sheathed in black vinyl, have pressed downward in the grommets and have made the holes oblong rather than round. Even though they weigh next to nothing the movement of things in the trunk has drawn them in a downward position and made the vinyl coverings a virtual pathway for water running off the boot lid to drip into the trunk floor.
No wonder the rear panel and carpet covering it never seemed wet, the water ran down the vinyl covering behind the carpet and down to the lowest point, the bottom of the trunk floor. Where the carpet became a giant wick and sucked up all the water until it could hold no more. I think I've found my problem; slathered RTV around the vinyl tubes and the grommets until it covered everything. I will let everything cure a day or so and then give it the water test.
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