(G) Rust! No, REALLY??

And so it was that I submitted my Uno Turbo for its WOF today... about a week overdue...

...and it FAILED - a little surprising, six months ago I rebuilt the steering rack and it was otherwise fine, it's sat in a garage and been driven only to Motorsport events, so if anything you'd have thought that perhaps the tyres would be worn out...

...but NO, it's failed because of rust in THREE separate places underneath

I've had this Uno Turbo for four years now, and at the beginning there was some fairly serious rust: edges of the tailgate opening, corner of the front windscreen, rear strut top on one side. I got all those sorted out and they haven't been a problem since. I've never failed a WOF with rust...

...until today. Now I have to weld the edge of the driver's floor (where it meets the seam), the corner of the passenger's floor (inside the jacking point), and the back edge of the sill where it meets the rear wheelarch. (In reality jjhepburn will probably be doing the welding!)

Photos will follow as we attack this sometime in the next 28 days. I just wonder how this rust was never visible before and is suddenly now a problem (I always have the same WOF tester inspect my car...) Maybe it started from the inside (under the carpet) and from under the plastic wheelarch trim. I have never taken the carpet out nor taken off the wheelarch trims. I think the moral here is obvious? Before rust is obvious, take out carpets and remove trims... wirebrush and treat rust that's found... Grrrrrrr...

All this time I thought it was one of those nice, clean, tidy examples. Maybe I actually have a REALLY RUSTY Uno Turbo that over the next couple of years, will completely fall apart

Anyway that's my rant over, thanks for reading

-Alex

alex, even i have learnt the plastic and glass tailgate can rust on a turbo.....

Hi alex you've just pointed out the first areas uno's rust the same places mine went and some, next is floor to sill inner rear wheel arches and the water trap inner quarter panel behind rear lamp above where the bumper bolts on, i'd have a good poke about removing carpet and kill any tin worms metal moth's you may find and treat them with a good rust inhibitor and waxoil all inner panels like i did dont forget cars rust inside out. i now sleep soundly at night. a link to the best rust killers known to man guaranteed http://www.bilthamber.com/hydrate80.html

Join the RUST CREW mate

T-SHIRTS to follow soon.......... lol

surely the door isent a fail less it actualy has a hole throu into the cabin as it isent structural

Ah but I said 'floor' not 'door'...

Thanks for your advice with the wheelarches, Antsuno. Looks like I should take off all the others and inspect as well.

In fact thanks all round for your responses, yes the 'FIAT Rust Crew' T-shirts are a good idea I'll be getting back to my rust the week after next.

-Alex

Hmm,

I have failed to find even tiny spots of rust on my floor/sills/underside/arches...well but there was little bit on my rear door (result of a scrub with another car years back), and a little one on the footsteps.

Apart from that, I was really surprised to find my uno apparently rust-free
Possibly because, mine is a 98 model, and fiat had possibily started galvanizing the steel by then..

I have treated my underbody with waxoil/paint mixture, so can sleep without worries for a couple of years now..

Seems like fiat is taking a long time to learn from their mistakes......

Rgds
Rajeev

they only galvanised the bonnet and boot, on the last of the mk2's, it must not rain as much in india eh! he he ! Ant!