Removal of sill covers and repair

[sheldon1]

Just had my 1999 3.0 Se sill covers removed here in Devon . There was a hole on the near side front sill and 6 holes on the drivers side. had sections out and re welded plates in .

They have also waxoiled the rear subframe aswell. Total cost £212.50 plus vat.

A worthwhile investment as I intend to keep my pride and joy now 16 years old.

Paul

[J44EAG]

Corrosion is perhaps now the S-types biggest enemy, Paul.

I think you have got away very lightly given the age of the car. What you paid seems a very fair price.

I have it in mind that Jaguar at the time didn`t put much effort into corrosion proofing. Whether that has changed in new ownership remains to be seen. Both subframes on my recently aquired 04 X350 are also a victim of the dreaded tin worm, all be it superficially. I certainly have a job for next year in this respect. Some work needed on the frames with a wire brush, some Jenolite, a repaint where possible and some wax oil.

At the end of the day, Jaguar had to produce a product at a reasonable cost with a similar lifespan. The problem we have is future proofing cars which perhaps were only really designed and built for a reliable life of maybe only ten years or less.

Mike

[oldtimer]

Some years ago we were being told about galvanized bodies but that has proven to be a load of old tosh as I said at the time. A thin coat of zinc to take the body rust proofing through the Warranty period may be. Of course the spot welding process destroyed any protection that may have been used. Endless stories and photo's of extreme cases of corrosion are now emerging, most of which could have been avoided had an anti corrosive regime been in place

I have lost count of the number of times I have tried to encourage members to invest in a small compressor and proper Wax oil injection spray gun which comes with a couple of metre long plastic lances. This allow Wax Oil ( or the other stuff that Martec prefers - sorry -senior moment - can't remember) to be injected into the most inaccessible of areas. This process needs to be repeated from time to time, not to double up on what was done last time but to cover the bits missed the first time. It really is a tediest time consuming job but saves hundreds of pounds in the long run.

Oldtimer

[Montana5]

The design of the plastic covers don't help either, overlap at the Wheel Arches is a water feed and presumably there is no sealant under the plastic where it rests on the Door Kick Plate area.

Doug

[J44EAG]

I think it was Brian who also said the back ends of the sills were open....that really helps keep the water at bay doesn`t it?!

Aluminum is definitely the way forward in the fight against corrosion. Yes, I know its not totally bullet proof but it does help. The underside of my 350 is spotless. Its just the steel sub frames that still corrode. Quite a bit of that to clear next summer.

I`ve just been over at Jagcare in Portsmouth for a chat this afternoon. John and the guys say they are really noticing an increase with corrosion related problem cars. That even now extends to the earliest examples of the steel XF from around 2009>. Such a shame. Makes owning a steel car something of a ticking bomb if not wax oiled from virtually new.

Mike

[oldtimer]

Mike,
Turn the clock back for a moment and you will remember that steel cars have been rotting away for ever. Just a reminder of one or two, Mini , Morris 1100 , Early Vauxhall Victor , Alfa it goes on and on. And all the Jaguars, I know I've had one of most of them. My very first Jaguar, a 1937 2.5 litre ( some of my pals are quick to say did you have it from new - no , I bought it in 1958) was an exception to this - all the bl***dy wood rotted away instead.

I can remember seeing a certain make of car "in the white" sitting out in the rain going rusty prior to going in the paint shop !

I think the old philosophy was make em cheap and pile them high. You young guys will not remember that in the early 1950's there was little money about or cars. Most cars went for export so there were few available so as a result waiting lists appeared. I can remember my Dad spending time gazing at glossy brochures of Mk 1 Consuls and Zephyrs - we thought they were fabulous.

Manufacturers don't want their cars to last for ever - Mike, I think you are quite right - the useable life is ten years, it is only idiots like us that attempt to extend that life.

Sheldon - I suggest you have a good read of the S type blog ,there is loads of stuff on the subject of corrosion

Oldtimer

[Martec]

Fancy bashing S type now you have left them Mike!

Unfortunately you are right the early cars (up to 2002.25) have rear wheel arch liners that direct the water into the sills, also all the holes exposed in the rear wheel arch also channel the water in. Oldtimer's 2003 is better protected.

When I built the MkII I went to great lengths to close off Jaguars open areas and the wax them. I made the mistake of thinking it was all done, 10 years later the corners of the doors bubbled again on my NEW steel, so now I wax all the cars every 3 years (DINITROL).

Atleast with steel you can weld another bit in. Galvanising in my experience of an old Porsche slows it down and it is less likely to transfer from one panel to another quite so quickly, at least the panels have paint inside them now.

Brian

[oldtimer]

Of course, Dinatrol - dambed if I could remember the name. Used to be very popular, I had not heard of it for years until Martec mentioned a year or so back.

I guess we get accustomed to using a particular product but I doubt there is much to choose between either Dinatrol or Finnegan's Wax Oil. I believe both have the characteristic of percolating between spot welded panels