Paint bubbling....

[Will16V]

Just washed my car this morning, and noticed some of the paint around the rear arch is bubbling.

I squeazed them with my finger and all this black water came out, so it looks like the arch is just starting to rust....whats the best way to get rid of this before it gets serious?

HELP!!

 

[SteveJJH]

I have the same problem, im gonna take it to a guy locally, but aparently it could be a cut out and re-weld job, ill have to try and get it sorted asap cos i dont want it to be.

 

[Marc]

Youll never really get rid of rust once it starts. As Steve said its better to get it cut out and a new piece inserted. If ur a bit handy you can always take it down to the metal by grinding the rust out and then treat it with a rust inhibitor. You may also need a bit of filler in there!!! Then spray it up. Be warned though the rust will finally come back through!

Dont think many peeps would like to do this on their pride and joy!!

 

[Baz]

Got the same problem on my N plater, its where the inner arch and the shell seperate, this causes moisture to get in between and as it has no escape it bubbles through the body work causing rust, if you pop the bubbles you get the water back out (smelly)!

Having my arch cutout and re-built end of the month, but have been told to jack it up, get the wheel off and get all of the mud out from around the arch, thus preventing the build-up.

Once its sorted properly it shouldnt come back! Big money repair though!

 

[Colin_S]

Just get a wide arch kit fitted like me and then you dont need to worry about rusting round the arches.... as they are not even metal anymore.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

My wifes 95 N 1.9D has done 185K in dismal Scottish weather and doesnt have any bubbling on the rear arches. But then either its luck or due to the fact that I always pressure wash or hose the rear inside arches when giving it a wash! Sediment trapped in or against the arch seams is like a damp sponge and never really dries out. A small crack or chip in the seam is all it needs to start the rotting process on its trail. Therefore, as already explained it eventually finds its way through the panel metal, galvanised or not! One bit that has bubbled badly on the wifes car is around the rear wiper on the tailgate. Incidently her collegue has a similar 95 N 1.9D 120K with bubbled rear arches and around the rear wiper also!

If the rust is not too widespread and only down to a few pin holes, the section can be sanded back (preferably bead blasted) gently peened in and leaded, as used by many classic restorers. I managed to do this on my old MK1 Escort rear arches with success (compared to previous Trustan 23/P40/P38 attempts) . The area is cleaned, gently heated, fluxed, lead bar melted onto panel, filed to profile, skim filled, sanded and painted. Tricky but produces a good finish. Also the tin/lead (solder) also provides parasitic protection to the neighbouring steel preventing further rusting, similar to galvanising. The seams around the repair inside and out should also be cleaned back and resealed with a good auto body sealing mastic and painted. Waxoyl applied to internal cavities/seams and inside of wings provide good protection when repair is complete in the future (never use underseal - if it separates from the panel it traps moisture!!).

If the rust is worse than above then a cut and repair panel will be required. The problem with this type of repair is retaining the original panel profile. Welding always causes some panel distortion and can promote more rust later on due to heat stress. Lots of filler is required to get things back in shape. Best left to the professionals.

Ultimate repair is obviously to replace the quarter panel. This is the most expensive, but if done professionally will outlast the rest of the car.

Sorry for being long-winded, but hope this helps!

 

[grey16v]

Mine has a little bit on the back left arch,i hate rust it makes ur car look tacky,i got the drill and a wire wheel on it the other day and cut it back to bear metal in my garage b4 it got even worse,lucky it was only surfice rust and hasnt gone rite through,i couldnt get the colour match rite (metalic grey) any1 know what the exact colour is?? stupid halfords.anyway its booked in 4 wednesday in bodytone,he is spraying the whole back panel 4 £80,then it will be rust free

 

[Eddd]

My Willy has a bit of the rust near the petrol filler and the bottom of the hatch is pretty nasty as well. Still pretty good for a 10 year old that has been driven in all weather.

Corrosion protection has come a long way!

 

[Ben H]

Touch wood, my rear arches are original and un-rusted on my July 1994 16v. But on my old 1.2, the famous rear arch Clio rust was well under way - it happened where the arch was bent inwards to the car and moisture was able to get in between the end of the panels and the paintwork. By the time Id spotted it, if I prodded the paintwork then the paint would just flake off - so it was too late.

On my 16v now, I keep the edge of the arch coated thoroughly in wax and always wash off any salt straight away. The only problem I have is a couple of rust spots on the drivers door bottom (thankfully out of sight) and at the bottom of the rear arch there is a tiny spot on one of the pressing holes (difficult to describe!).