Rust reference...

[BestGear]

Hi Guys

I know the subject of rust is one we all avoid, but having spent a fair bit of time looking at XKs before buying, plus checking over the one I bought, I thought it may be worth listing the areas of trouble.

So here goes....!

Front Floor pan - double layered area rusts as originally it appears that no treatment was applied at the factory.

Front wheel arches - if you remove the plastic wheel arch liners, it is worth checking as you may be dissapointed as to what lies behind!

Sills front end - if you dont have mudflaps, the sill end behind the wheels gets a fair old hammering and rust is quick to start.

Sills Middle - you will see that the sills have a weld under the drivers door. This join can rust badly if not treated and dealt with. You may be surprised to see the rust is there already when you go prodding...

Sills underside - this one is not easy to see, but if you look under and up to where the sills meet the floor pan, there can often be a line of rust starting to eat away along the line of spot welds. Best to treat (jenolite) and waxoyl (or whatever!) to prevent it betting worse.

Sills rear end - the rear end of the sills have a curved area with an upward fold at the rear. This traps all sorts of mud etc and retains moisture. Ensure that this area is cleaned at every car wash.

Rear wheel arches - check behind the plastic panels that sit behind the wheels. These are retained by a plastic nut and are easy to remove. There is a ledge behind there that traps mud and moisture.

Rear Chassis - while under the rear wheel arches, look at the double skin area that rises up from the underside of the front chassis rail. This double skin seems to trap moisture and rust inside. What you may see is the swelling of this area and see the double skin being prised apart. Not one to miss...

Wheel arch lips - all 4, check and remove any trapped mud as again, water is retained and soon rots through - the first sign may be some little blisters in the paint.

Boot floor - empty the boot, and check the line of where the battery tray is spot welded to the boot floor. Do look hard, as you may find that the sound deadening pads are hiding the rot... This line can end up with rust - why - I have no idea... but have seen it on several cars.

Boot floor - check that all the plastic/rubber plugs are fitted tightly in their holes - if not, rust seems to start around the hole edge.

Boot floor - there are two water drain holes towards the rear of the floor - not sure wht it needs them, but I guess its best to check them while you are there!

Rear bumper - side brackets - there are two brackets that carry a plastic "guide" at each side of the car. The bumper cover slides into these when fitted. The rust can eat away the metal carriers and even rot right through. If your rear bumper appears loose if wiggled behind the rear wheels, then its too late...

Rear bumper - back mounts - the rear bumper mounts (the bits that holds the bumper on) are aluminium and screwed into plastic brackets, and rot away to a white powder. For some reason, this area traps water, so worth smothering with grease if yours are still ok. If your bumper looks uneven at one side, or there is an up/down movement when pushed, then its already gubbed. The bumper is held on by two bolts through these ali mounts and can be a pain to remove if the rot is too far gone.

Rear Subframe (A frame) - this is only really visible from underneath although the bushes can be seen behind the rear wheels, and the problem identified by AVOS. The suspension subframe is hend to the body by a couple of large bushes or about 3-4" diamemer (from memory). These apparently corrode into the subframe. Secondly, the whole subframe is a double skinned pressing, and can rust badly from within - so an injection of waxoyl/dinitrol etc would be advised.

Double bulkhead box - these are the areas under thebonnet, just ifront of the windscreen. Remove the plastic lids and check for water or the dreaded rust. There are drain holes so make sure they are clear of leaves etc.



Anyway - hope you have not all slit your wrists by now... and I hope you dont find anything to loose sleep over.

David

[mike020150]

Hi David, A great summary and all the more important as our cars age gracefully (with Waxoyl or similar protection). Mike.