Classic Impreza and rust!!!
30 September 2013, 06:04 PM
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Classic Impreza and rust!!!
Hi all,
A few of you may remember me mentioning a friend of mine who has owned a 1997 Impreza from new. This was a UK car and has had all its bodywork services (stamped in the book). He had the usual bubbling appearing on the rear arches so decided (being as he has a bodyshop) to cut the rear quarter panels out and replace them with new ones. On cutting them out this is what he found!
As he says this is a well looked after one owner vehicle with 100K on the clock and all its body services.... what are some of the others out there going to be like and also what is the point of people paying for new metal to be welded in to the outer skin if the inner one and surrounding could be like this!
Food for thought!
A few of you may remember me mentioning a friend of mine who has owned a 1997 Impreza from new. This was a UK car and has had all its bodywork services (stamped in the book). He had the usual bubbling appearing on the rear arches so decided (being as he has a bodyshop) to cut the rear quarter panels out and replace them with new ones. On cutting them out this is what he found!
As he says this is a well looked after one owner vehicle with 100K on the clock and all its body services.... what are some of the others out there going to be like and also what is the point of people paying for new metal to be welded in to the outer skin if the inner one and surrounding could be like this!
Food for thought!
30 September 2013, 07:27 PM
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Exactly! How many vauxhalls ford rovers of that age are still on the road?
30 September 2013, 07:47 PM
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The point is that lots of people want to keep their classics what they think is A1 and are spending money weldng metal into the outer skin and having it all sprayed up when the likely cause of the problem is behind it and hence it will only come back again in a few years... I couldn't care less whether they are better or worse than Fords and Rovers
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30 September 2013, 08:09 PM
#10
When I had my UK classic I always paid extra attention to the rear arches. I owned it over 7 years and did not have any rust problems, I had the front bumper removed for paint once and had a close look and that area was clear and the best tip I can offer for the rear arches relates to that rubber stip fitted around the arch itself. The rubber strip goes just under the side skirt but I removed mine completely and cut them off where they fit under the skirt, this enabled me to remove them often and I would then clean them and then clean the lip on the arch as regular routine before fitting the strips back on. That is a damp area that will attract rust if the opportunity is given.
Last edited by Silver Scooby Sport; 30 September 2013 at 08:11 PM.
30 September 2013, 09:02 PM
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How many of those cars, of a similar age do you see on the roads these days? I don't see many, maybe 1 or 2 a month, and I'm on the road all my working day.
Classic's I see everyday.
30 September 2013, 09:21 PM
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Whatever fate befalls or has befallen Rovers, Fords and Vauxhalls of a similar age is not my concern tbh!
01 October 2013, 07:40 PM
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As he said he is not expecting any compensation but would like his money back for the body services that were charged for and obviously never happened!
Subaru built some good cars, but let themselves down with the UK dealers, IM and several major faults that they refused to acknowledge as design issues... now they are nearly gone from the UK! Serves them right to be honest!
01 October 2013, 08:37 PM
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F1 - is your mate getting new panels through a dealer or somehow fabricating the whole quarter panel? The missing outside of the strut tower in your last pic I believe is the root cause of the quarter panel rust in most/all classics - there must have been something amiss with the undersealing process on that face of the tower. Whereabouts is your mates bodyshop? My car is disassembled in my garage while I try to find a welder to come to repair it (properly).
01 October 2013, 09:13 PM
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F1 - is your mate getting new panels through a dealer or somehow fabricating the whole quarter panel? The missing outside of the strut tower in your last pic I believe is the root cause of the quarter panel rust in most/all classics - there must have been something amiss with the undersealing process on that face of the tower. Whereabouts is your mates bodyshop? My car is disassembled in my garage while I try to find a welder to come to repair it (properly).
He is taking loads of pictures while he does the work and with his permisson I will post a mini project thread when the work is further forward.
The job will be A1 ... he is like that! I wouldn't have the patience!
01 October 2013, 10:11 PM
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01 October 2013, 11:18 PM
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Do not want this to happen to my car.
I really feel for your mate must have really made his heart sink when he saw that.
22Bs and P1s are changing hands for some serious dorrah would hope they have been checked out thoroughly by prospective buyers...
I really feel for your mate must have really made his heart sink when he saw that.
22Bs and P1s are changing hands for some serious dorrah would hope they have been checked out thoroughly by prospective buyers...
02 October 2013, 10:46 AM
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Anyone remember my threads about doing the front and rear bumper bars on my now sold classic?
****, dredd to think what other horrors are under the outer panels. I sold mine honestly (and cheap) and explained the rear arches were going so hopefully the next owner gets a good job done.
****, dredd to think what other horrors are under the outer panels. I sold mine honestly (and cheap) and explained the rear arches were going so hopefully the next owner gets a good job done.
03 October 2013, 12:17 AM
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Funny you should say that as that is exactly what the owner pointed out to Subaru.... who at first told him he was mistaken. When he pointed out his job they then told him to take it up with the original dealer who of course went bust many moons ago! When he pointed this out to him they said goodbye and put the phone down (metaophorically speaking)!
As he said he is not expecting any compensation but would like his money back for the body services that were charged for and obviously never happened!
Subaru built some good cars, but let themselves down with the UK dealers, IM and several major faults that they refused to acknowledge as design issues... now they are nearly gone from the UK! Serves them right to be honest!
As he said he is not expecting any compensation but would like his money back for the body services that were charged for and obviously never happened!
Subaru built some good cars, but let themselves down with the UK dealers, IM and several major faults that they refused to acknowledge as design issues... now they are nearly gone from the UK! Serves them right to be honest!
Hang on a sec, why are you treating this as a dig at Subaru?
The point is that lots of people want to keep their classics what they think is A1 and are spending money weldng metal into the outer skin and having it all sprayed up when the likely cause of the problem is behind it and hence it will only come back again in a few years... I couldn't care less whether they are better or worse than Fords and Rovers
The point is that lots of people want to keep their classics what they think is A1 and are spending money weldng metal into the outer skin and having it all sprayed up when the likely cause of the problem is behind it and hence it will only come back again in a few years... I couldn't care less whether they are better or worse than Fords and Rovers
03 October 2013, 02:44 PM
#30
Does he live anywhere near the coast?
I work on a guy's van that lives near the coast, it's only a couple of years old and it's a mess with rust.
Good old salt from the gritters does them no favours either.
Not quite sure why my classic has no rust on the rear arches. I'd imagine a lot of these issues start with damage repairs, nearly every Impreza I look at has had paint. Mine is all original.
I work on a guy's van that lives near the coast, it's only a couple of years old and it's a mess with rust.
Good old salt from the gritters does them no favours either.
Not quite sure why my classic has no rust on the rear arches. I'd imagine a lot of these issues start with damage repairs, nearly every Impreza I look at has had paint. Mine is all original.
