Knew it had rust and MOT is approaching which Focus'ed my

[billy_bunter]

So the dreaded day arrived. Time to look at the rear arches...

 

 

 

Bloody Audi would not start so in the street it is then

 

 

Still has the arch liners FORD life limiting sponges in place. Not driven it in the wet for 4 days.....

 

 

bugger!

 

 

tother side

 

 

Was hoping to get another year out of the old jalopy.

 

Have to see what the garage say but I suspect that is at least a days welding. That is if they want to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[beko1987]

Put the arch liners back after covering the inner with glue, then hammerite the outside of the liners. The tester will think it's just plastic...

 

They killed my puma, with the back stripped out you could see through to the outside!

[mrbenn]

My Focus suffered in a similar fashion due to those bloody arch liners. Cost me 2 hours labour per aide to sort out which I was very happy with.

 

Looks clean apart from that!

[Split_Pin]

I remember my mums Fiesta MK4 had those liners, I could never quite get over how daft the material was in the 8 years she owned it.

[Tamworthbay]

I thought it was mostly surface then I zoomed in, at least it’s easy to get at. If if you don’t care about it, patch the fuck out of it for another years cheap motoring.

[billy_bunter]

My Focus suffered in a similar fashion due to those bloody arch liners. Cost me 2 hours labour per aide to sort out which I was very happy with.

 

Looks clean apart from that!

 

I have grown to really like it. Its the LX with 'sports' springs.

 

Clutch is on its last legs, It needs front pads and disks and the engine is missing at lower speeds along with a 'blip' on tickover when slowing down, TADTS. Plus the front sills are not looking great. The only job of that lot I am competent able to do is the brakes. 

 

Still its MOT'ed to mid April. Lets see if I can get the clutch to last that long...

[stuboy]

wire brush, underseal and cover in road debris, refit liners

[Dannyk]

I had the same, i just sprayed a rather thick amount of matt black paint and got away with it.

Mine also had a miss at lower speed, i say a miss, it was like being on a trampoline with a kangaroo, i found drive it like your colin mcrae sorts it out.

 

Best colour for them though, this was mine

[Cavcraft]

I have grown to really like it. Its the LX with 'sports' springs.

 

Clutch is on its last legs, It needs front pads and disks and the engine is missing at lower speeds along with a 'blip' on tickover when slowing down, TADTS. Plus the front sills are not looking great. The only job of that lot I am competent able to do is the brakes. 

 

Still its MOT'ed to mid April. Lets see if I can get the clutch to last that long...

 

Making it until April then sacking it off sounds like the best plan, sadly.

[sierraman]

Can be welded but plate it from inside. Personally, I’d put the arch liners back then pretend you haven’t seen it.

[mrbenn]

As long as the rust hasn't extended round to the seatbelt mount points then its unlikely to fail the test tbh.

 

It obviously needs sorting if you want to keep the car longer term. That will definitely go to a hole under "interrogation" but is perfectly savable at this stage.

[sierraman]

No, it’s prescribed area within 30cm. So, if the tester saw it it’s a fail.

 

You’ll probably find once you’ve chased the seam sealer out, the rot will extend right down to the seatbelt mounts. Plate from inside then paste from inner arch with sikaflex and some underseal.

[mrbenn]

I mean if it hasn't obviously extended to the seatbelt mount then its less likely to be seen behind the arch liners.

 

Mine looked pretty similar and the belt mounts were fine but obviously you don't know until you start prodding.

[mrbenn]

This chap has done an interesting video on this sort of rust:

 

[sierraman]

Round that area as well are the trailing arm mounts, once that’s gone it’s curtains. I’d check those from the underside. Same for sills below drivers door, frequently rot there as well.

 

Also they fail frequently on the inside of the apex at the back of the sills, feel those from the outside, likely to be crunchy.

[Bren]

I moved ours on because the sills were suffering and would have needed work every year. They are a good car but rot like fruit.

[ANYOLDIRON1984]

Shame cos it's otherwise really clean. Depends what the car is worth to you, really.

[sierraman]

Also depends how long you are expecting it to last. There’s no reason why a properly welded repair in that area wouldn’t outlast the car. If you are plating over the rot it will last a year or two. But to repair it properly there is cut the rot on the seams back to sound metal then fabricate some patches from zintec and weld it from the inside. That’s what I did. Apart from the actual welding bit. Then sealed it from inside arches.

[hpi_matrix]

Apply liberally

 

[theshadow]

bodger scarper brigade :-D apply loads,than glue the fecker,need not move again...

[MikeR]

how are the rear arms on the suspension ... no signs of cracks where the anti roll bar attaches ?

[twosmoke300]

Ive seen focus's that dont look as bad as that where i could rip the rear seat belt mounts right out of the floor . They are right behind that lip on the inner arch

[Split_Pin]

^^Concerning! Wouldn't strap my son into a bodged example.

 

They are a nice car though, one of the few motors where the designers appear to have thought of everything. I'd rock a good example like.

[sierraman]

Like I say they usually rot around the join from the boot floor to the inner arch tubs. So once you’ve chased the seal sealer out you’ll probably find it’s rotted all the way round to the seatbelt mounts. I just took the seats out, then fabricated a plate from some thicker metal then bolted the seatbelt mount back through it then had it seam welded all the way round, so the seatbelt mounts are strong. I had some pictures on my old phone to illustrate what I mean.

[billy_bunter]

Good inputs gents. Thank you.

 

I would bodge but its too near the rear seatbelt mount points. 99% of the time its just me. But only needs to happen once.....

 

Will check further this weekend. Inside rear arches, Trailing arm mounts, and the sills at the front. Drivers side sill has a patch of rust coming through!

 

I was hoping to get another year out of it but hey Ho.

 

I was chatting to the previous owner at work this morning and he was bit shocked that it will almost certainly be scrapped.

 

 

whats it's bridge value?

[Tamworthbay]

About £150 based on prices around here at the mo.

[sierraman]

Don’t forget to rag the heater control cables out. 10 minute job and they’re an easy £15-20 on eBay as they fit the Transit Connect.

[billy_bunter]

Well the clutch has lasted. Slipping like a good on on brisk acceleration but otherwise OK.

 

Which was nice!

 

MOT out on the 26th which is next Friday. I bought another focus so have spent today moving the electric door mirrors from the blue one to the new car. All went well. Until I realised that the passenger door solenoid on the new car was not actuating.

 

Before I start mucking around swapping door locks out. Is there a difference in the wiring to the solonoids on these. The blue car is a 2001 and the new car is 2005. Reason for asking is I did notice there was a colour difference white and black...

 

 

Sierraman. When you say the heater controls cables. Just the cables or the knobs as well?

 

Does anyone need any parts? I will drive it to the nearest bridge Friday afternoon. At present the wheels is all I will keep - for the tyres.

Edited April 19, 2019 by billy_bunter

[sierraman]

Not the knobs just the cables, they attach at one end to the controls and at the other to a gearbox which operates the flaps. Fits a Transit Connect.

[billy_bunter]

Thank You