Rust!

[jameswrx]

I had a look at my car today (53 plate black 172 for rust as I keep reading “it’ll be rusty on the inside”

Now bare in mind my car hardly ever gets cleaned BUT the key for me with these is my car has its original factory paintwork (except the front bumper has been touched in years ago)

I see a lot of these rusty now but suspect it’s from previous damage repairs or were there factory changes.

I know people say it’s a myth they don’t rust but how many people who know their bodywork is original and not prev repaired (remember galvanising is only a top layer of protection so once sanded.. rust away) have had their cars rust?

My mate has the exact same MY in black too and his one original arch inside and out is perfect yet the O/S he bumped it and it’s rusted.

BTW my car has done 130k and hardly ever gets washed. I was expecting to see some sort of rust free for all behind the covers but... just spider webs.

 

[botfch]

Filler cap is the usual suspect for rust on a lot of them.

 

[jameswrx]

So I picked the wrong side to check? My thinking was N/S being in more road debris and water should be the worse.

So it could still be rotten as a pear! My filler cap area does look like you could grow plants in it so will look.

I actually went out to throw a load of bilthamber down inside thinking it’d be a mess in there. Perhaps my friendly spiders drink all the moisture for me ha!

 

[botfch]

I doubt any rust will be that bad it's mostly a cosmetic thing, only worth fixing if you intend to keep the car a long time.

It's generally down to poor paintwork by Renault, theres a few bits where they all seem to develop some rust, brake servo seems to be another for example.

 

[Louis]

Mine has never had paint and starting to see rust on the offside rear quarter above the arch. Nothing real bad but still there. Inside the arches are fine

 

[jameswrx]

I doubt any rust will be that bad it's mostly a cosmetic thing, only worth fixing if you intend to keep the car a long time.

It's generally down to poor paintwork by Renault, theres a few bits where they all seem to develop some rust, brake servo seems to be another for example.

I’ve no plans to sell it as it was basically given to me a few years ago & I was going to flog it straight away. It took me by surprise how good it was and had it ever since. I’ve known the car years before I owned it, never been modified which has got to be something for one of these!

I’ll dive into the O/S and get some bilthamber about the place anyway.

 

[David172]

I have two small areas of bubbling on the rear quarter panel but nothing serious, I'm startig to suspect there has maybe been a repair done in the past, the other side is spotless. Hard to be fussed about paint though when you have binned it in the gravel before

 

[imprezaworks]

You are doing well if the car you have has never seen repair work.


Like when people cry about the small tabs on the bumper being sprayed and assuming it's had a front end. Could have had the front end painted due to stone chips.

 

[B-shaw557]

I have two small areas of bubbling on the rear quarter panel but nothing serious, I'm startig to suspect there has maybe been a repair done in the past, the other side is spotless. Hard to be fussed about paint though when you have binned it in the gravel before

If its bubbling on the lower rear quarter, your sills will be fucked by now.
Have a look behind your doorcards and take the skirts off, I wish you the best of luck 😂

 

[B-shaw557]

To the OP, worth treating that with something to help prevent it.
Ive spent a small fortune on dinitrol products, supposedly the best out there, to protect the sills once ive cut the rot out.
They do a rust converter primer which actually works, so ive been told. Wants to at £30 a can. Cavity wax to apply inside the sills and stonechip outside/underneath.

Check my buildthread for updates on said work, welding them up tomorrow.

 

[Louis]

I have two small areas of bubbling on the rear quarter panel but nothing serious, I'm startig to suspect there has maybe been a repair done in the past, the other side is spotless. Hard to be fussed about paint though when you have binned it in the gravel before

Is it the drivers side? Run your hand along the underside of your arches. Bet you'll find one side is rolled and the other isnt

 

[David172]

Is it the drivers side? Run your hand along the underside of your arches. Bet you'll find one side is rolled and the other isnt

Na its passenger side, both arches feel the same I think.

 

[David172]

If its bubbling on the lower rear quarter, your sills will be fucked by now.
Have a look behind your doorcards and take the skirts off, I wish you the best of luck 😂

There's no sign of it rusting on the inside in the same place as the outside. Tiny bit visible at the bottom corner on the inside though...

I'll take the skirts off when I have nothing else left to worry about

 

[B-shaw557]

Surprising that, you're lucky 😂
Must be a repair that as sills arent bad.
I'd still look at treating and protecting them whilst there's something left to protect haha.

 

[botfch]

Tbf phase ones are usually much worse somehow

 

[David172]

Surprising that, you're lucky 😂
Must be a repair that as sills arent bad.
I'd still look at treating and protecting them whilst there's something left to protect haha.

Yeah I'm thinking repair. I think they used titanium paint instead of iceberg too, I just never really noticed because of how different iceberg looks in different light.

And yea I will defo be treating whatever I can when I get a chance to look at it properly

 

[Louis]

Oh yeah that's not a normal rust spot haha

 

[jameswrx]

Could that one have been a bad stone chip? There’s a hole right in the middle.

 

[imprezaworks]

Nah. Would need to see a pic of the rear quarter to be sure though

 

[1985michael182]

Its always better to hit rust asap the longer you leave it the smaller the chance of a simple repair. Sand blast or at a minimum wire wheel the pitting. If you leave any corrosion it will come straight back.
Inside your panels use cavity wax, warm it up first so it runs into all the gaps.
Your rusty fuel cap panel needs doing asap or you will be in a world of pain if its rotten.
Prevention is always better than a cure with rust. Once it starts you wont stop it just delay it.

 

[Flat Eric]

I've been keeping an eye on some light bubbling on the rear N/S quarter for a few months now.

Thought I'd check it today whilst out on the drive and there's a big bubble further down towards the skirt.

I dread to think what the insides look like.

Is this a simple repair for a spray shop to sort or will it cost big money?

 

[imprezaworks]

@BaileyWolves

 

[BaileyWolves]

Thanks dan 👍 I had similar on mine when I bought the car. I had two options to treat rust and paint with the certain chance of it returning or have the arches cut and replaced. The inners were totally gone glad I didn’t go for the easy fix. Body shop did an awesome job mate and well worth it if ur keeping the car long term

 

[Flat Eric]

Thanks dan 👍 I had similar on mine when I bought the car. I had two options to treat rust and paint with the certain chance of it returning or have the arches cut and replaced. The inners were totally gone glad I didn’t go for the easy fix. Body shop did an awesome job mate and well worth it if ur keeping the car long term

Cheers for the response.
Can you send over who you used if you don't mind.

 

[BaileyWolves]

Of course mate it’s a classic car restorer in Wolverhampton they are called elite body repairs the guy who owns it it is a nice bloke +44 1902 597847 based in claregate by tettenhall

 

[Gaz_]

With the inner sills, what’s the cause? are they rotting from the inside out or are the skirts holding crap causing the sills to rust?

 

[Louis]

I've been keeping an eye on some light bubbling on the rear N/S quarter for a few months now.

Thought I'd check it today whilst out on the drive and there's a big bubble further down towards the skirt.

I dread to think what the insides look like.

Is this a simple repair for a spray shop to sort or will it cost big money?

View attachment 1467844View attachment 1467845

Mine are starting to look similar, I've looked inside the rear quarters and they're absolutely sound in there.
Plan on getting it sorted at some point, im in no huge rush now though as if they need cutting out anyway makes no difference really.

 

[ksixx]

Think this thread just saved me from buying a Clio with goosed sills 👍

 

[Flat Eric]

Of course mate it’s a classic car restorer in Wolverhampton they are called elite body repairs the guy who owns it it is a nice bloke +44 1902 597847 based in claregate by tettenhall

Hiya mate.
Can you PM me more details on this please and how much the guy charged and what work was involved

Thanks