Rust In Peace

runsgrateasanut · September 10, 2015

Hope nobody objects? but thought the question I asked on the Lexus Lad thread might get more of a viewing if a more appropriate seperate thread - so copy and pasted. Malc please copy you interesting response.

Quote

That gold LS400 [M13BOS] was my car for fifteen years until recently.

I considered the car at the end of its life because of rust,
particularly underneath around the rear sub frame. Bubbles also starting
to come through on the rear wings and sills.

If not for the corrosion it would have remained in the family as it
was one of the finest pieces of engineering I have ever experienced.

Now involved with extensive research on rust proofing [ok, reducing] the 2004 LS430 which takes its place.

Unquote

It does beg the question how much would it have cost to have a
welding job done? We seem to pay hundreds for OEM parts with virtually
only a flinch, and yet someone with good welding skills, sheet metal and
strengthening bar just doesn't seem to light our fire or come into the
equation.

I've got simiilar rust issues on my car as I did have a good look recently.

Whats the downside of having welding done?

Is it the time factor, removing carpets too much of a fag, cost or what?

If these cars are going to be around a long long time then owners will have to consider such work, surely?

Anyone had any welding done -put up your digit!

Spacewagon52 · September 10, 2015

Speaking to a mechanic a few weeks ago - he said he had not done any welding (where he works) for over 10 years. Has done some private work but very little. Cars seem to last a lot longer now. However, our LS 400's are getting a bit long in the tooth, so perhaps we will have more of these issues to come.

lordturns · September 10, 2015

Will be making a contribution here - with photos and details as my MK3 had rust issues. Think it will be of great benefit to all of you in the community :outforcount:

Malc · September 11, 2015

............ none done on my Lexuses at any time but I have had welding done on my Mazda and it's pretty painless and often at a tiny cost really ... depends who you use to do it, like any job on a car, and how extensive the rot is when it's discovered.

The problem with rot on many cars ( and I don't mean surface rust ) is that it can often eat into structural, difficult to get to areas that can and often do, make repair just so uneconomic, whatever the car and the life of the drivetrain and interior etc.

Malc

ambermarine · September 11, 2015

I had a MOT fail on the Mark 1 I owned and that was because at twenty years old the cills rusted from the inside out just before the start of the rear wheel arch (considered as a suspension point in MOT parlance).My local garage welded pieces of tin plate beaten to form a patch for £20 and the car passed its MOT.

The subframe at the back was identified as an advisory as being heavily corroded and to be honest that is why I got rid .

The rust within the skins of the rear wheel arches had been there and treated since the car was 6 years old .

I lived with that but as someone as already said if the car gets rust inside the structure it is virtually impossible to fix ,it is possible by waxoyl injection to slow the process down and prevent it in the first place if done at first purchase.

I am pleased to say that there is no rust on my Mark 4 and that as a lot to do with the process of paint application at manufacture coupled with better paints.

I also did the whole of the metal underside (where there is no underseal applied) with Dinitrol when I first purchased the car three years ago at that time the factory barcode notices were still on some of those parts as the car had only done 18k.

The underside of the car is a bit more road dirt covered now but there is no rust.

Chris Skelton · September 11, 2015

Underseal our friend!

You're right though. Welding is good idea-basic on older cars really.

THIS vid got me very interested in this car Citroen CX Turbo.(which I test drove recently but decided against...)

VERY thorough job-if you chase the following vids.

runsgrateasanut · September 11, 2015

Mine Gott! - looked at first three minutes of part 1. Too painful to watch more. Thats one patient Man.

Mention of older Cars - as i recall Sills were always a fail. Sixties Cars like the VoHall were total rust buckets. Velox and Viva. I think it must have been the main reason for their being condemned to the dump. People did get welding done as well as packing with "pudding" as I recall someone saying about a RR just under the windscreen.

runsgrateasanut · September 13, 2015

Looking forward to seeing "lordturns" photo's of rust and any welding work done to compensate.

Off to south of France mid week so may not see until my return. Not driving down as too far for me to cope with, as I just don't sleep in strange beds for a mid travel break.. Don't ask me why, I think the brain just refuses to shut off until 9.00am in the morning! Its all this wonderful News we are seeing on TV.

If you have this good old English weather for all of next week and beyond I'll be thinking of you (not! - as the

current vogue in pointless expressions, goes!)

Whatever happened to the Indian Summer this year? I'll settle for early October please.

steve20vt · September 17, 2015

My other car passion is a fiat coupe 20 valve turbo and fiat marea. If your talking about rust Fiat invented it.

My coupe is the same age as my LS and you'd think the lexus was only a six year old car. Even though the fiat is galvanised (the minimal amount) it still has significant rust issues in major structural areas.

Luckily I have the facilities, equipment and and skills to restore it to its former glory, time and money are the hold up for me.

Malc · September 17, 2015

... italy, Fiat, italy and RUST .. couldn't believe on my earlier trip around Italy this year, ( for those of you interested still ) just remembered I saw, north of lake Garda well rusty road crash barriers, like we all see I guess galvanised ones on motorways and the like, BUT in this part of Italy they were sooooo rusty, clearly never seen galvanising from new.

So it wasn't just Fiat that invented rust, it's an Italian phenomenon generally I guess

Malc

Scribe · September 18, 2015

I had a 1976 Chrysler Alpine (remember those?) whose front wings rusted through within five years. Had to get them filled and resprayed - and I remember how bad the paint match was.

Spacewagon52 · September 18, 2015

Is rust a major issue with imported cars (e.g. Celsior) from Japan? I read somewhere that the Granvia had to be undersealed when it came into the UK by the importers as the rust proofing underneath in Japan is negligible - I believe they do not use salt on their roads but I stand to be corrected?

GrahamG · September 18, 2015

Here is a report on the corrosion on my recently bought LS430 2004 82k miles which recently replaced my rusted out 1995 LS400.

My inspection included a £16.99 endoscope from amazon and it is a fun bit of kit. With its own variable light and colour image [also waterproof] it connected by USB to my Macbook Pro and was immediately found in Photo Booth.

I drilled a 10mm hole inside the top of the wheel arch and introduced the scope into the void to find pristine metal and shining black mastic in the seems. Not a trace of rust. Corrosion Block was sprayed into the void.

FLY-Shop® 2 Million Pixels Cmos 5m/16ft Waterproof USB Hd 6 LED Borescope Endoscope Inspection Tube Pipe Camera

This was the same result in the doors after removing the door cards. Where the lower 'chrome' strip on the outside is secured through the door shell with plastic pegs there was no rust whatsoever.

The upper trim strip is secured by mastic or double sided tape and again no corrosion as was the case at the bottom of the door void where I would have expected something at least. All was so clean I even decided against spraying any ACF-50 into the doors.

Underneath the car across the 'back axle' area all components were covered in rust except of course the stainless and aluminium items. Nowhere is it more than superficial and I have now treated it with Rustbuster fe-123 converter followed by Corrosion Block which will last about a year.

Also where the rear number plate retaining bolts enter the body there is no rust.

I have yet to investigate the door sills and the front wheel arches but I am feeling much better about the LS430.

The only area of rust really needing Rustbuster's two part epoxy mastic [on top of the converter] was forward of the rear wheel arch at the bottom, both in the arch itself and the horizontal surface just forward of the arch.

I can recommend the endoscope for the price and although it is not sold for 'medical use' I am sure I will find out things about the wife I didn't know when she comes out from behind the sofa.

Gbneil · September 18, 2015

My other car passion is a fiat coupe 20 valve turbo and fiat marea. If your talking about rust Fiat invented it.

My coupe is the same age as my LS and you'd think the lexus was only a six year old car. Even though the fiat is galvanised (the minimal amount) it still has significant rust issues in major structural areas.

Luckily I have the facilities, equipment and and skills to restore it to its former glory, time and money are the hold up for me.

Think it's your luck, or skill in buying, with fiats. I have owned loads, they are my go to cheap banger. My 20vt was immaculate for all the years I had it, on top and underneath. Same with all the old and new pandas if owned, cinquecento a, 127, 132 and pintos...and don't forget UNOs...

steve20vt · September 18, 2015

That's the reason I got the LS, my plan is to transplant the 1uz into the coupe, supercharge it and use a bmw gearbox. Then go and upset the drift boys.

I can confirm there are very few fiat coupes without rust these days. There are now "usual" rot spots to look for, it's not going to be long before they start going up in value being so hard to find a mint one. I've broken three very rusty ones over the last year.