Rusty arch - GRRRR

[alex_89]

Hi Guys,

I'm sure this is a subject that some of you may be fimilar with! But my new 1.7 has some slight rust on the rear drivers side arch :evil: , It's not hugely noticeably but I'd love to get rid of it. Is there a way of removing this or at least preventing any further damage to my beautiful car!? what with winter approaching.....

would appreciate any help :-D

Alex

 

[Neil]

The only way to truly remove the rust is to cut it out, and have replacement metal welded in. Removing the surface rust can be a false economy, as chances are it'll return within a few months.

This is how my old 1.7 used to look before treatment:

All that rust was cut out, the area was acid treated, then repaired. From memory it was around £250.

 

[alex_89]

That is definetely reassuring! I think I'll get this done asap as i couldn't bear for it to get any worse, do you remember how long the work took?

Thanks

 

[Neil]

I think the car was gone for a couple of days - but it would depend on the garage and the amount of work to be done.

 

[Dal]

I've been fighting my arch rust for over 3 years now. Rub it back, kurust, anti rust primer, filler, more primer, topcoat. Do it every 6 months or so and after the initial outlay of £20 or so in bits, hasn't cost me anything other than a days labour here and there.

Not got rid of it though obviously!

 

[Cherie]

As Neil says, you're looking at least a couple of days. They'll want one to deal with the metalwork, and start on the paint. They'll leave the paint to harden overnight before a second coat/lacquer. So avoid any place that says they'll get it back to you in a day.

The reason that getting rid of the surface rust is a pointless exercise is because it's just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. As the edge of the arch is rolled back on itself, it collects water in the join. Water and metal don't mix very well, especially after years of driving. The sooner it's caught, the better, it's possible that they can cut out the bad bit, and save the curve of the arch which is the awkward bit to replace, as there aren't any replacement arches available.

And Dal's looks worse than that now.

 

[Dal]

My rust dots have joined up a bit now I'll grant you. The old banger is playing dot to dot! But you can't see them under the grit and grime

 

[alex_89]

Thanks for the help guys! nice to know that something can be done about it. I probably wont try repairing anything myself out of fear of ruining it. Only thing I was thinking in regards to Neil's arch is that as the rust has been cut out from the arch, is this at all noticable? and is this as good as a new arch?

Thanks again :thumbs:

 

[Burger Boy]

Had mine rubbed down, filled, and treated 3 months ago, then resprayed, and the rust has come straight back. So I agree that the rusting arches need cutting off and replacing. Shame there isn't anything on market that could stick on the arches to hide the rust, like the old Escort wheel arches.
Cheers
Scott

 

[Cherie]

Only thing I was thinking in regards to Neil's arch is that as the rust has been cut out from the arch, is this at all noticable? and is this as good as a new arch?

If you can see the repair, then it's been badly done. Most places will be good enough that you shouldn't be able to tell that it's been done at all.

 

[Dal]

Have a look at Cherie's thread here:

http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=4047" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good before and after pictures of cut out rust.

 

[alex_89]

Wow that is a really good job, I think I'll go to a few bodyshops in my local area and see if I can find a good one and get some estimates for it

 

[chris413]

Damn looks like it's as common on pumas as all fords, got mine that needs doing in the summer.

 

[alex_89]

I got a quote for the work, £400 - £450. Reading Neil and Cherie's posts I'm not sure if this is a good price or not? :? Maybe prices vary from area to area!? Think I'll get a couple more quotes for it before I make a decision..

 

[Cherie]

Bear in mind too that I didn't pay for ALL the work to be done on mine, the arch had been scraped by the 3rd party to start with, so what I paid was on top of that to get the rust cut out rather than sanded and filled. So I don't know how much it would have cost independantly.

 

[Neil]

I got a quote for the work, £400 - £450. Reading Neil and Cherie's posts I'm not sure if this is a good price or not? :? Maybe prices vary from area to area!? Think I'll get a couple more quotes for it before I make a decision..

What work was that do to? Get a range of quotes, but I'd guesstimate around £200+ per arch to get the job done properly.

 

[alex_89]

That was to cut the rust out of the arch, and have the replacement metal welded in. I'm taking it to another local bodyshop this afternoon so hopefully they might quote a bit cheaper. But then again it's not all about price!

 

[alex_89]

Got another quote for the work - £370 I think this is the one I'll go for as I was really impressed with the service etc, But does anyone know if there is anything I can put on the inside of the arch in the meantime? Like some sort of rust prevention grease? excuse my ignorance!!!

Alex