General Rusty bits

[benjo]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on the matter of rust on a 98 seicento sporting in the boot area and around the arches on the inside, mot due soon and its a bit worrying as its around the seatbelt mounting areas.... has anybody else had to do much to areas like this, I think it is save-able but just wondering if I'm better to just get it all welded up, look a bit awkward to me!
Is this a common problem? And I obviously want to try and stop it reoccurring again. Where am I best to look to find the source of the corrosion?

 

[fingers99]

Some rot there, some don't. IMHO the rot is caused by some shells being dipped too quickly, so that he air had no chance to escape.

Weld it up (before and after pics, please), and spray it with Dinitrol or such every year and you should be OK.

 

[benjo]

Yeah that might be the reason, it does seem like its more on the inner skin? (are the panels dual skinned?) I've had a poke about with a screwdriver and although it looked nasty it seems quite sound underneath.

I'll post some pics and make some inquiries about getting it welded up, I do think it will be an issue for the mot but to be truthful I want to tidy everything up anyway

Thanks for the reply

 

[rallycinq]

If you have attacked it with a screwdriver and its solid it might be OK, but be pretty quick about scraping all the rust away and reapplying a paint finish so that it doesn't get any worse.

Cheers

D

 

[benjo]

Hmm, thats what I was hoping! Do you reckon its worth smoothing things over with a filler after I've treated it all? Wondered about using something like kurust first then filling????

 

[rallycinq]

If it needs a lot of filling, its structuraly weak, so needs done properly. If its just a surface issue then you can fill if smoothness is something you desire, but what ever it is get it sorted ASAP. It won't get better by magic.

Cheers

D

 

[benjo]

I wouldn't say it needed a lot and there are no holes so to speak, its more for me when I look in the boot and won't see it!

I think I'm going down the route of treatment and surface filling, I'll post some pics when I can.

Do you think it will look like I'm trying to cover up a bigger problem to a tester?

Cheers

 

[fingers99]

Do you think it will look like I'm trying to cover up a bigger problem to a tester?

Depends on how well you do it!

 

[Diwiak]

hm strange, seen two cinqs in/out thoroughly, 11 and 12 yrs old, both was in very good condition, not rust at all - only one of them, after cutting-thorugh body in boot it have small rusty scrabs inside of one bearer

personally iam using rust remover, 2 times, then base paint, and then "body" paint(usualy used to protect underbody)

 

[willieboy]

mine had rust in the corner of the boot which the previous owner treated by knocking and grinding all of it off then using a solid base resin by the looks of things, i'll get a few pics when i can for you

 

[fingers99]

mine had rust in the corner of the boot which the previous owner treated by knocking and grinding all of it off then using a solid base resin by the looks of things, i'll get a few pics when i can for you

Don't do it like this, it's lethal.

 

[benjo]

After some discussion with my people in the know it seems I'm def going down the welding route, I'll get some pics on here later to show the before state. A mate has said he'll do the welding for me so it will probably work out cost wise what it would have done for me to b*gger about with treating and filling etc. I want to keep this one for a bit so feel its best to get rid of the rot rather than try and hide it

Fingers - whys it lethal? Are we talking a strength issue here?

 

[fingers99]

Yes, either now or later. Rust always spreads, filler has no structural strength, glass fibre has plenty but only if used appropriately (Lotus Elite, anyone -- the old one, I mean). There's very little on a modern car which isn't in some sense structural (and it's getting worse).

Years ago 5 people I knew were driving a van in Wales which literally fell to bits and 2 of them were killed.

 

[benjo]

Right, finally taken some pictures of my rusty bits in the boot area, camera died before I could get one of the small bit starting around the rear seat lower mounting! I think for my piece of mind I'm going to get it welded up, I need to get the passenger door plated over anyway so will get it all done at the same time

I'm also a bit concerned about what will happen when the battery is disconected as I only have 2 blue keys! Do I face a problem with the imoboliser?

Also uncovered some titanically abismal wiring when examining the boot but that's going to have to be another thread I reckon :bang: