Technical rust prevention

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Technical rust prevention

leroya500

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Is it worth while on the new shape panda to spray inside the sills and paint the front subframe with stone chip?
 
Any rust prevention measures are a good idea regardless of how long you keep the car because it will be easier to sell a car in good condition to a private buyer than it will a Rusty one .

Agreed, I would say it's a good idea moving forward, it will hold value better and make for easier maintenance, plus easier sale too
 
Well having spent 40 years in the bodywork trade I've never none it affect re sail price one way or the other, factory rust prevention measures these days are exceptionally good and unless your keeping your car for 15 years or more then I wouldn't bother, in fact my 4x4 is going to be the last car I buy and hopefully see me through till I shuffle my mortal coil, so hopefully it will last me 15 years + and I'm not going to bother, in my honest opinion all you will get out of it is piece of mind. Hence my original question how long you going to keep it.

When was the last time you saw a 10 to 15 year old car rotten, I've done rot MOT welding twice since 2001 both cars were used for launching boats on the coast, salt water problems.

illy
 
Is it worth while on the new shape panda to spray inside the sills and paint the front subframe with stone chip?
No

The car is fully galvanised before it is painted, so is extremely well protected. Conversely, badly-applied stone chip can eventually start to peel slightly allowing water to be held behind it leading to issues

Fiat guarantee it rust free for 8 years, and you will easily get more than that. 'Interfering' with the factory rust proofing may invalidate that warranty too.
 
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On balance I think I'd be less likely to buy a used car that had been "rust proofed" - you might wonder why it had been done - to cover up damage? - or how well it had been done - any coating has to be done perfectly and, if carried out when the car is more than a few days old, has to follow absolutely meticulous cleaning.
 
There are still parts of the car which are prone to premature failure due to corrosion, but the emphasis has shifted from the bodyshell to the components.

On the Panda, think sump, springs, spring pockets on rear subframe, handbrake cable attachment brackets, rear brake drums etc.

I think we've moved on from spraying wax into box sections, but a little attention to the known weak spots is worthwhile if you plan on keeping the car.
 
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There are still parts of the car which are prone to premature failure due to corrosion, but the emphasis has shifted from the bodyshell to the components.

On the Panda, think sump, springs, spring pockets on rear subframe, handbrake cable attachment brackets, rear brake drums etc.

I think we've moved on from spraying wax into box sections, but a little attention to the known weak spots is worthwhile if you plan on keeping the car.

Think I might just do the subframe then
 
There are still parts of the car which are prone to premature failure due to corrosion... spring pockets on rear subframe
The real enemy is damp mud holding water in places it shouldn't sit

The 'cups' the rear springs sit in have drain holes in them, but these become blocked by small stones, and then a layer of mud etc builds up in the cup causing rust to both the cup and the base of the spring. Regular washing of this with a hose, and regular removal of anything bocking the drains, will prevent this happening. There are other places around the car this happens too - same solution, regular hosing out (not a pressure washer, just a jet from a garden hose will do) - in fact, spending more time washing under the car (wheelarches, suspension parts, around the various brackets under the car that things like the exhaust hang from) rather than polishing the bodywork you can see will really help it last a long time - and do more good than spraying wax onto the dirt
 

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