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Advice On Floor Pans/underside

rust repair

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#1 The Joker

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Posted 03 March 2014 - 09:26 PM

Hi there! This may be an obvious post but I feel due to lack of welding skill and a lack of an area to work in (no garage :( ) I would like some advice on what to do. The first picture is the state of the floor pan in the drivers footwell, water seems to be seeping in (quite a lot of it). In addition to this the other photos have been taken underneath the car on the passenger side. Also there is water coming in at the back from the bottom of the side bins. Just after the first photo has been taken the front foot well has now been sealed with sealant on top of it but I feel this is a temporary fix, how long would it last? And would it be a good idea to seal with sealant the bottom of the side bins at the back as there is a small gap where water is sealing in?

 

I'm sorry this post may be pretty stupid but I'm just wondering if I can avoid the cost of welding for now with sealant or will sealant just simply trap the water and make things worse...

 

Thanks for reading

 

I'm new to minis (or cars in general) so sorry for my lack of the right words :P

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#2 cradley-heathen

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Posted 03 March 2014 - 09:58 PM

i wouldnt use sealant or anything like that on it, because, as you have said yourself, you could end up trapping water in there and making it worse. the other thing is (and as a welder, this is one of my pet hates) the sealant will make any future repairs more difficult as it will all need cleaning off first.

 

i think the best thing to do would be to take carpet out and let them dry off somewhere. then dry the floor thoroughly with a heat gun, remove any loose underseal etc, and then use something like brush on hammerite. inside and out. as long as you have got everything properly dry, the hammerite will preserve whats there now, and help to stop any rust getting worse.



#3 sonikk4

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Posted 03 March 2014 - 10:04 PM

I'm with Cradley here, clean it all back and give it a good coat of paint for the time being. BUT there will be a lot of welding heading your way very soon.

 

You may need to use some sealant though and yes i know its a pain when it comes to welding but i think looking at the rust coming through most of that will be cut out. 



#4 bpirie1000

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Posted 03 March 2014 - 10:11 PM

Look at it this way... Money now may save a full restoration...

Leave it and it may be a scrapper....fit for the spares bin.....

Spend the cash now....

#5 The Joker

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Posted 04 March 2014 - 08:30 PM

Thanks for the advice guys I totally understand that it needs welding but due to the fact that this is my daily runner and I need it to get to work it's difficult for me to book it in for welding. But temporarily I've had sealant placed in the front footwell over the floor and there are gaps underneath where the water was meant to flow out but someone had sealed it before, so these holes have been opened again in the outer sill so the water won't get trapped as much... hopefully...

 

Out of interest what time period would I be looking at in getting the front right hand footwell welded and possibly the rear footwell welded, as the water seems to be coming in from the outside and through the bottom of the side bins :/

 

The picture below shows the rear right hand side floor, as you might be able to notice near the edge there has already been sealant added in the past.

 

Thanks again guys I appreciate the help :)

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#6 Daz1968

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Posted 04 March 2014 - 10:57 PM

The problem I can see is that as soon as you start investigating and cleaning the sealant off you will end up needing some welding done, so I would say be prepared for it an anti rust paint is all you can do for now but don't expect it to last very long. I think it will need at least inner sill to first groove, outer sills and jacking points. Then maybe repairs to heel board and front inner wing once you start prodding. You will be very lucky to clean it all up and find no holes

#7 jcslocum

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 02:05 AM

Rust is like an iceberg. You can only see 10% of what is lurking under there. Once you start digging in, it's a slippery slope of panels, patches and welding.

Just my .002.

#8 The Joker

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Posted 05 March 2014 - 07:28 PM

Thanks for the advice guys, hopefully I can get it welded soon, I know this is also kind of a difficult question but how long would be ok to leave it? I understand that the sealant is temporary 



#9 cradley-heathen

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 12:36 AM

you can leave it as long as you like, but the mot guy will pull you up on any holes, or areas that are seriously corroded.

 

i must admit i cant really see anything in that last thumbnail?

 

as above in the iceberg comparison, there is always more than you think. the job only strats to really take longer when things like the subframe have to come out to do the heelboard etc

 

lets hope it doesnt get this bad

DSC_2923_zps097bd1f8.jpg

full strip down, inner and outer sill, floor pans, heelboard, full rear quarter, full inner arch, and thats just the one side! the other side is being done now, then the front and the full boot floor!



#10 The Joker

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 11:24 PM

Yeah that's true, and It's difficult to see but there is a small amount of filler near the edge I think was placed by the previous owner. That looks great! I don't think I realised how many different panels are on just one side...







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