Only had my MR2 a few weeks and ive come to understand that the Mk2 is getting to the age where rusty sills can become an (expensive) problem.
Read a few threads on various forums, seen pictures of the work required, heard many-a horror story about cars that, from the outside look like you could eat your lunch off, look genuinely cared for being scrapped.
And then theres the price associated with a professional fix. Needless to say, since I stupidly didn't check mine before I bought it, got me a little worried.
So last night, I suckered up the courage, went down to my freaky spider infested garage (I say infested, theres one, this fat b1tch who does nothing but procreate) lay down on the cold hard floor, light on phone, head under and checked.
Im happy to report, there isn't a scrap of rust on the sills. But then again it shouldn't surprise me because checking through my old MOTs the car has only been driven just under 4000 miles in 4 years, and spent the majority of its UK life under a waterproof cover on the previous owners driveway.
However, and I could be being over cautious, but its kind of not making me want to drive the car in anything other than pristine weather. Which would severely hamper the ownership of in my eyes a perfect little sports car.
Are there ways to prevent the sill rust? Undersealing? Prevention is better than a cure surely?
Or am I being too overcautious and making this bigger than it needs to be?
Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
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Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
Remove the foam from inside the sills and coat the inside with rust converting primer, or rust preventative wax.
If you have access to an endoscope, it wouldn't hurt to peer inside.
If you have access to an endoscope, it wouldn't hurt to peer inside.
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Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
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Last edited by AManInDandism on Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
1. Remove the foam blocks behind the sills (you have to go from inside the car- these tend to hold condensation)
2. Clean and underseal the exterior of the bottom of the car
3. Waxoyl spray inside the sills
2. Clean and underseal the exterior of the bottom of the car
3. Waxoyl spray inside the sills
Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
Just make sure any surface rust is taken care of quickly and the drain holes aren't blocked or gummed up. Same goes for bottom of doors and rear arches-Keep muck and silt away from them as it holds moisture and will start the rot.
Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
ashley wrote:1. Remove the foam blocks behind the sills (you have to go from inside the car- these tend to hold condensation)
2. Clean and underseal the exterior of the bottom of the car
3. Waxoyl spray inside the sills
any how-to/ informational threads on this?
Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
I'll be doing mine soon so I'll be happy to make one mate
Re: Am I being over cautious?! - Rusty Sills
To remove the foam is pretty easy, you just have to remove the internal trim behind the seats where the seat belt reels are, then reach down into the hole you can see and pull out the block of foam.
Undersealing is pretty straight forwards- clean the bottom of the car, fix any corrosion first, then spray/ paint underseal on.
Waxoyl again is pretty straight forwards, remove the little plastic drain plugs from the sills, insert the tube that comes with the kit then spray away.
Undersealing is pretty straight forwards- clean the bottom of the car, fix any corrosion first, then spray/ paint underseal on.
Waxoyl again is pretty straight forwards, remove the little plastic drain plugs from the sills, insert the tube that comes with the kit then spray away.
Sills
Assuming inside the car and the foam blocks are removed to reveal an area above the rear sill, anyone ever considered drilling/holesawing a 20mm hole for venting/inspecting the area in between the inner sill skins, this area never sees light of day and come winter is full of damp air!! would a vent be an asset or a structure weakener?
Yes there are 3/4 drain slots in the sill jacking edge (lollipop stick goes through), and yes there are holes beneath the scuff plates, the 4 plastic drain bungs? that sort of unscrew out are fairly hard material and are liable to take paint off on extraction any better ideas? still get these? newer softer?
Sealed body type sections can be damp and moist where vented sections can breathe, thoughts anyone.
Always the rear sill section, water ingress behind air intake panel? rubber seal/grommets?
Yes there are 3/4 drain slots in the sill jacking edge (lollipop stick goes through), and yes there are holes beneath the scuff plates, the 4 plastic drain bungs? that sort of unscrew out are fairly hard material and are liable to take paint off on extraction any better ideas? still get these? newer softer?
Sealed body type sections can be damp and moist where vented sections can breathe, thoughts anyone.
Always the rear sill section, water ingress behind air intake panel? rubber seal/grommets?