Evaluate under 'Audrey' for us please!

[clavfunk75]

Finally since we purchased her in November last year have I got round to getting her up on Dads ramps to take a closer look. It's been serviced meticulously all of its life, but of course that doesn't include underneath. It had sill welds as you can see. I plan on replacing at some point.

Anyway, my Dad at 75 has had a lot of cars and looked after his own starting from a Riley 1.5 onwards. He's beyond anything major work wise in cars now but still likes to cast his eye over them as all old timers do!

So we had a look today and he seems to think she's in good shape underneath and he's seen cars a lot younger in far worse state, but the car definitely needs rust proofing which is what we intend doing.

Anyway we would love your opinions and advice guys. Does everything look ok underneath? Should we get the sills and arches done then proceed to the rust proofing it should we just get something done asap rustproof wise and sort arches/sills later?

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Mate
It's hard to tell from those photos but photo 7 down looks to be showing a bit of serious rust between the chassis rail and the inner arch bottom. Have you got some photos around the rear beam mount and also in the rear inner arches with the carpets removed? They will give a better idea of how the car is.
Barry

 

[clavfunk75]

Right, I haven't, I shall endeavour to do that in a day or two. If it's really bad is that something that can be sorted?

 

[tuonokid]

Anything that is rotted within 300mm of the rear beam mount is a possible MOT failure and seems to be the number one cause of Pumas being sold without MOTs. It includes several panels such as inner/outer sills, inner and outer wheel arches and the rear chassis rails. Outer sills are available as new panels and inner sills and the inner arches can be repaired if you have the skills and can weld but once the chassis rail is rotten it's a difficult and probably very expensive repair to be done properly.
Barry

 

[clavfunk75]

Feck, I do hope that's not £2k down the pan. I'll get some more pictures. It had passed MOT (Y868 SJH) in November but it was the car dealers garage that MOT'd it. Why do I get the feeling I may be in for a shock when I get it independently MOT'd in November

 

[tuonokid]

Yeah let's hope it's ok. Usually the worst ones I've seen are really crusty and rotted out at the front, bottom of the rear wheel arches where there's a proper flange going back into the wheelarch. If it looks solid around there it may be ok.
Barry

 

[Frank]

[post]363392[/post]
Feck, I do hope that's not £2k down the pan. I'll get some more pictures. It had passed MOT (Y868 SJH) in November but it was the car dealers garage that MOT'd it. Why do I get the feeling I may be in for a shock when I get it independently MOT'd in November

I don't know, why do you get that feeling?

Bad rust looks the same on any car, be that a Humber Hawk, Ford Capri, Fiat Punto or a Ford Puma and the best guy to judge what's going on is the guy on the spot and that guy thinks it's OK. -

[post]363388[/post] Anyway, my Dad at 75 has had a lot of cars and looked after his own starting from a Riley 1.5 onwards....

....So we had a look today and he seems to think she's in good shape underneath and he's seen cars a lot younger in far worse state

So, I must be missing something here, do you trust your Dad's judgement or not?

 

[clavfunk75]

i trust his judgement but also I really appreciate advice on here as long time owners know where to look and where the weaknesses are on these. My dad just said it looked in decent shape from the quick visual inspection.

I'm concerned it may have had a 'soft' tester that provided the MOT post purchase, given they work in conjunction with the dealer I purchased it from. The same MOT place was going to cut a hole in the floor instead of dropping the tank. Thankfully the dealer didn't let him.


I'll know more when I get the arch covers removed tomorrow I guess.

 

[zinc2000]

Photo's look no worse than mine did before I cleaned and undersealed most of it (rest being done this winter) but check the fuel tank around the breather pipe, they rot!!! i know as mine dumped its fuel on a garage forecourt!!.

Sometimes surface rust is mistaken for rot, but sadly sometimes people aslo cover up rot with underseal or similar, hit it hard enough you will soon find out how bad it is.

Run it through the government MOT check site, see what previous MOT's show up

 

[gingerdave]

If you really want to keep it long term then initially I would get under there with some ACF 50.Buy a couple of bottle of it with a hand sprayer .This will stop anything getting worse.Spray it everywhere and use a brush to make sure you cover everything that's rusty.Dont get it on the pads or discs!Couple of hours should get everything covered pay special attention to mentioned areas that rot out badly and don't forget fuel tank and behind spare wheel .Remove front wheel arch liners then dig out the mud at bottom of front wing and get some ACF50 in the bottom of front wings.Oh and tell Dad to get his working clothes on and get under there!.I still do and I'm 75.

 

[Frank]

[post]363402[/post] Oh and tell Dad to get his working clothes on and get under there!.I still do and I'm 75.

Professor Stephen Hawking is also 75. As I'm sure you know, the world is slightly more complex than being lazy or not being lazy.

 

[gingerdave]

[post]363403[/post]

[post]363402[/post] Oh and tell Dad to get his working clothes on and get under there!.I still do and I'm 75.

Professor Stephen Hawking is also 75. As I'm sure you know, the world is slightly more complex than being lazy or not being lazy.

Was tongue in cheek :grin:

 

[clavfunk75]

Just on a dinner break!

Actually Dads in fairly good shape for his age, (touch wood!) but it's not his problem so I don't want him to be working on it, besides he's busy laying laminate flooring in his house! :lol:

Thank you Dave for recommending ACF50, I shall get some.

It's all a bit awkward at the moment. I'm moving house, to where I'll have a garage thank goodness. Also awaiting urgent surgery to my carpal tunnels as I'm losing feeling in my hands. So I'll only be able to take a peek and then in a few months once I have healed, I'll give it a go!

Flipping screws are a bit rusted up on these carpets.

Right, out I go.

 

[clavfunk75]

N/S



upload photo internet


:lol: Couldn't resist joining in

upload photo internet

 

[tuonokid]

They don't look too bad at all. The mounting for the brake hose is always rusty but it looks like the flange at the bottom front of the wheel arch is fairly sound as well but we could have done with a forward shot into the bottom front arch where it joins the outer sill/wing.
Just check now where the chassis rail (where the rear beam mount is) and the inner sill joint and also where the bottom of the inner sill is showing (where the handbrake cable is clipped to) for flakiness if it's not you've got a fairly sound one.
Barry

 

[clavfunk75]

Thanks for tne assistance Barry, much appreciated.

Just dropped it off the jack tonight but just took these so hopefully will better show what you need to see.

Also if I'm in tne wrong section of the forum please do let me know. It's not a project (first car I have EVER worked on) but if I get more confident I shall definitely do more, such as removing inside rear carpets and seats etc.





picture upload

 

[tuonokid]

This is the area of concern I was on about anywhere within 300mm of the boltholes is an area of concern. On mine I cut out and re-welded in a patch in this area at the drivers side but the rest of the seams to adjoining panels cleaned up ok.
Barry

 

[clavfunk75]

Gotcha now. I'll get it up on the ramps Wednesday and have a look.

 

[clavfunk75]

I took the car to a body shop yesterday and the chap had a good look over it. He's already rebuilt a Puma and said it was worse than mine. Said it wasn't bad at all. So he's going to cut out the arches, and fabricate his own arches, cut out and replace bottom of front quarters. Said the sills looked ok.

Meanwhile, I have bought some ACF50/ Surfex degreaser, a compressor, 1.4mm spray gun. I'm going to do my own rust proofing to keep cost down. I just need a wand/lance (struggling to find anything)

Any info on here on how to prep underside in terms of washing? Any areas I should avoid? I have a cold water jetwash already.

 

[yippeekiay]

Sure I read in this forum a few times about Peugeot 205 front wheel arch sections you can buy (not full arch obviously) that fit the opposite side rear arches on a Puma so as to keep the same radius. In light of the bodyshop guy fabricating any - this way could be easier, quicker, possibly cheaper & a better finish. Not saying your bodywork guy isn't good at his job. He may be a dab hand at fabrication/panel beating. :wink:

Hopefully someone can enlighten me and you, if of course it's the usual rear arch rusting issue you're having that we see on nearly all Puma.