Calling on rust experts!

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
18,576
Location
Finchley, London
Got my MOT coming up and am a bit worried about developing rust. It was an advisory note in 2013, 'lower sill surface rust'. Nothing mentioned about it last year from the same MOT garage. I noticed it's got a bit worse, and you can see it in the photo. Plus some bubbling around the wheel arch. I will be getting another car soon but for now I hope this one gets through the MOT. This is the only area on the car rusting, which is not bad I suppose for a 14 year old car. Well, apart from some mild bubbling around the bonnet.

I picked away some paint from the shallow hole area, other than that, everything feels quite solid. Although it's probably not a good idea to jack the car up over that rusty jacking area. Do you think this will fail the MOT or be ignored or be another advisory? If it fails can any of you kindly recommend a cheap repairer in north london to fix this so I can get an MOT pass?

http://s28.postimg.org/ffjf2a38d/rust_july_2015.jpg
 
Can you poke through it with a screwdriver? If not, it's probably ok MOT wise. If you can, put some thick gaffer tape over it, they can't remove it ;)

I guess this depends if you want to sell the car or scrap it after, and how soon you will replace it..
 
Clarkey said:
Can you poke through it with a screwdriver? If not, it's probably ok MOT wise. If you can, put some thick gaffer tape over it, they can't remove it ;)

I guess this depends if you want to sell the car or scrap it after, and how soon you will replace it..
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Heh, I'll be lucky to get £300 for it. I do service it regularly though every 6K, and it's generally pretty reliable.

Yes, I just put a screwdriver clean through and made a centimetre hole in the middle of that circular crater area. :( Surrounding the hole that I made it doesn't feel like it wants to go through, at least, not as easily and not unless I pushed much harder. The bit below the hole where the car jack would go feels a bit weak too.

Hmm, I could put some gaffer tape over, :p but as my gaffer tape is silver, it might draw their attention to it more and I'm sure they'll pull it off no problem, lol. They've always been a reasonable MOT place, never found work for the sake of it, so I'm hoping they dont make too much of a fuss about it. But I'm not feeling super confident. Could I get all that rust rubbed away and some minor welding for under £200?
 
I had on old car welded on the sill and two places on the wheel arch for £60, including primer applied. I don't have the car anymore but it is still on the road 5 years later.
 
Clarkey said:
Easy repair for under £200, but if the car is only worth 300 and you want shut anyway you have to question if it's worth it.
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I'm just guessing tbh. Might be worth £600. Has about 120K on the clock, regular service stamped book, and drives fine. Interior is 'ok', but grubby here and there, and finish on steering wheel looking worse for wear. Biggest issue is the starter motor. The flywheel needs repairing or replacing, Car ALWAYS starts, but often it makes a horrible sound when it doesn't engage with the flywheel, and that would cost up to £600. I've lived with it for years though and it hasn't got worse.


delta0 said:
I had on old car welded on the sill and two places on the wheel arch for £60, including primer applied. I don't have the car anymore but it is still on the road 5 years later.
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Can you link me to the garage/person who did it?
 
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Just let it go through the MOT, if it fails on the rust, get a patch welded on - wont be expensive (assuming you're happy with just a plate being welded on then painted over with hammerite and you're not wanting an "invisible" repair).
 
Thanks guys. Yeah, I just booked the MOT for monday morning. I rang Minerva motors and am taking the car there tomorrow just to get a quote, but he said about £80 for preparing the area and treating with inhibitor, patch weld and primer, so I'd be happy with that. As the sill is so low down on the body and almost not noticeable unless you look for it, I'd be happy with a dark coloured primer and not bother with getting a top coat done. As 3dcandy quite rightly said to me, I should have treated it last year so if I can treat the dodgy areas now for not too much expense, probably a wise move.

delta0, thanks for that. The chap I spoke to is called Glen and I think his accent was mildly irish. Ring any bells?
 
Merlin5 said:
Thanks guys. Yeah, I just booked the MOT for monday morning. I rang Minerva motors and am taking the car there tomorrow just to get a quote, but he said about £80 for preparing the area and treating with inhibitor, patch weld and primer, so I'd be happy with that. As the sill is so low down on the body and almost not noticeable unless you look for it, I'd be happy with a dark coloured primer and not bother with getting a top coat done. As 3dcandy quite rightly said to me, I should have treated it last year so if I can treat the dodgy areas now for not too much expense, probably a wise move.

delta0, thanks for that. The chap I spoke to is called Glen and I think his accent was mildly irish. Ring any bells?
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It was a few years ago but yes it does. I sprayed mine by hand after and then put clear waxoyl on the sill.
 
As mentioned in post #2 if you put gaffer tape on they can't remove it. They can only open doors and bonnet/boot and do a visual inspection. A mate of mine owns a garage and he's told me that. I have 4 wheel nuts on one of my wheels but because there's a cap over them all they can't be see and a MOT tester can't remove it to check.

I've just replaced the break discs so I can put the 5th nut in now. Some guy at a tyre bay thought he a pro banging the nuts in as fast as he could
 
Nah, didn't bother with gaffer tape in the end. Well guys here's the latest. Had MOT this morning, two weeks in advance of renewal date, at my usual place. When he said it failed (as I expected), it was for a missing headlamp bulb clip, some other bulb thing and a worn tyre. Nothing about the rust. Hmm, that's good I thought, although was surprised about the tyre. Turned out he was looking at the wrong peugeot 307 refusal note!

The one for mine did actually fail on the rust. No surprises there.
Their wording: "Offside rear (outer sill) suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)"

£85+VAT. I thought I might as well get it done there as I probably wouldn't save that much going elsewhere, plus I can walk from and to the garage from home and they can do it and complete it tomorrow. Booked it in. On my way home, I found a garage even closer to me with a good review on Google, slightly cheaper and more convenient. £80+VAT. He said that's the standard welding price. Repairing it today. Plate weld, then some rust protecting treatment. Very nice chap, drove me home and is picking me up later today! Sounds a reasonable price?
 
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