Ford Puma and rust

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 04:43PM #1

Hi all,

Query for anyone in the know regarding the above.

God a ford puma from a family member. Car was parked up well over a year. Long story short it is mechanically 110%.

However with most puma's she has rust. The pictures attached are the worst of it. Would these get through???

N.B car is a uk import,it came here after 5 years in the uk.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 04:44PM

More here

Toyotafanboi · 17-07-2016 04:47PM

A lot of that is cosmetic enough. I'd say you're in trouble with those back arches though.

Mycroft H · 17-07-2016 04:48PM

It depends. Question is, what's it like underneath. If that's what we can see on the surface, he'll be poking with a probe underneath. What's the rear arches like underneath?

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 04:55PM

Where the spare wheel carrier is there is some just above it. However the spare wheel itself is blocking it. You need to actually take the wheel out to see it. It appears solid otherwise. I'll jack it up after and take photos. I can get the arches sorted by a friend of mine. Luckily the car isn't metallic.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 04:56PM

Mycroft H wrote: »

It depends. Question is, what's it like underneath. If that's what we can see on the surface, he'll be poking with a probe underneath. What's the rear arches like underneath?

No corrosion on rear arches underneath. Just the same as the surface.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 05:17PM

Mycroft H wrote: »

It depends. Question is, what's it like underneath. If that's what we can see on the surface, he'll be poking with a probe underneath. What's the rear arches like underneath?

Just had a look underneath. The right rear is the only area with rust .

2 photos same spot.

sogood · 17-07-2016 05:21PM

KC161 wrote: »

Hi all,

Query for anyone in the know regarding the above.

God a ford puma from a family member. Car was parked up well over a year. Long story short it is mechanically 110%.

However with most puma's she has rust. The pictures attached are the worst of it. Would these get through???

N.B car is a uk import,it came here after 5 years in the uk.

Most of that seems to be surface rust. Rust that compromises the structural integrity would certainly be a fail but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I imagine it might pass with an advisory. Just my opinion.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 05:25PM

sogood wrote: »

Most of that seems to be surface rust. Rust that compromises the structural integrity would certainly be a fail but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I imagine it might pass with an advisory. Just my opinion.

Put up one of the underbody. Did you see that? Will see if i can find the rust treatment that stops or at least slows it down. Trying to save it at apart from the few photos i've put up the car is sound.

Bigus · 17-07-2016 05:29PM

Just the right hand arch is a problem, get the grinder out and fill sand and a grey primer aerosol, will get it through , once it's sound underside of arch.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 05:45PM

Bigus wrote: »

Just the right hand arch is a problem, get the grinder out and fill sand and a grey primer aerosol, will get it through , once it's sound underside of arch.

Underside is sound on all 4 arches. Only the surface. The mileage is 90k which is small for a 15 year old car. My daily driver is 09 focus and has 110k miles. Another that was a uk import.

mgbgt1978 · 17-07-2016 05:55PM

sogood wrote: »

Most of that seems to be surface rust. Rust that compromises the structural integrity would certainly be a fail but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I imagine it might pass with an advisory. Just my opinion.

Unfortunately there is no 'advisory' pass as far as rust is concerned.
The NCT manual simply states that corrosion in certain places is a fail.
It leaves it to the discretion of the Tester on the day, so really a lot of it is down to one person's opinion.

I would guess that if the Tester can see a lot of obvious rust (even where it would not be a Fail) he will look for more.....

Mycroft H · 17-07-2016 06:15PM

This is it. A hint of rust will have them 'looking' for more. And when I say looking, I mean poking and prodding.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 06:21PM

Mycroft H wrote: »

This is it. A hint of rust will have them 'looking' for more. And when I say looking, I mean poking and prodding.

Prime time springs to mind

Neilw · 17-07-2016 06:51PM

KC161 wrote: »

Just had a look underneath. The right rear is the only area with rust .

2 photos same spot.

That doesn't look great, you can see the rust starting to split where there is a seam in the metal sill.
Looks to have been painted before, maybe repaired too as there's overspray on the handbrake cable.

I would say there is a fair bit of rust there and some holes if you go poking.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 07:34PM

Neilw wrote: »

That doesn't look great, you can see the rust starting to split where there is a seam in the metal sill.
Looks to have been painted before, maybe repaired too as there's overspray on the handbrake cable.

I would say there is a fair bit of rust there and some holes if you go poking.

That is the worst part. Can't find any holes though. Yes that is indeed paint on the cable.

sogood · 17-07-2016 07:39PM

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Unfortunately there is no 'advisory' pass as far as rust is concerned.
The NCT manual simply states that corrosion in certain places is a fail.
It leaves it to the discretion of the Tester on the day, so really a lot of it is down to one person's opinion.

I would guess that if the Tester can see a lot of obvious rust (even where it would not be a Fail) he will look for more.....

My bad. Thought there was the possibility that a tester might pass the likes of that but "advise" that it should be dealt with, sooner rather than later. Thanks for the clarification.

boardsuser1 · 17-07-2016 07:42PM

sogood wrote: »

My bad. Thought there was the possibility that a tester might pass the likes of that but "advise" that it should be dealt with, sooner rather than later. Thanks for the clarification.

I've been looking at some rust stories here on boards.

It seems there are worse cases thsn my own and repairs aren't (hugely) expensive.

Will fire it in for the nct and let them tell me before i do anything to it.

millington · 18-07-2016 12:52PM

That sill is rotten and the arch too. I'd say you'd push your hand through either.

boardsuser1 · 18-07-2016 01:56PM

millington wrote: »

That sill is rotten and the arch too. I'd say you'd push your hand through either.

Put a good bit of force on the arch and it was fine. The sill isn't breaking away when poked (yet) nct next week so i'll let them decide.

Wibbs · 18-07-2016 01:57PM

Neilw wrote: »

That doesn't look great, you can see the rust starting to split where there is a seam in the metal sill.
Looks to have been painted before, maybe repaired too as there's overspray on the handbrake cable.

I would say there is a fair bit of rust there and some holes if you go poking.

Aye the sill looks pretty bad. Bubbling means the corrosion is all the way through the metal. Rust is like an iceberg, most of it is under the surface. If you want to hang onto the car for any length of time I'd be attacking that and properly. The "rustkiller" stuff? Unless it is literally surface rust it is at best a temporary measure. Even the best of it only penetrates the barest gee hair of the rust sealing it in for a time, but it's eating away underneath. Chopping it out and welding in new sound steel is your only man. Can get pricey mind you so if you're only hanging onto the car for maybe another year…

millington · 18-07-2016 02:09PM

To be honest unless the car has sentimental value I wouldn't bother repairing it. It looks pretty bad overall and will only get worse. Pumas aren't worth a whole pile, surely be easier to buy a good one.

boardsuser1 · 18-07-2016 03:07PM

No sentimental value regarding the car. However i do know its history and it was kept well until parked up last year. The next door neighbour is a panel beater and does foxers so depending on what the nct say i'll consider asking him to cut out the rot. The sill while appearing to look bad isn't crumbling away as yet. I bought the car for a nomimal fee as the previous owner is in poor health.

boardsuser1 · 31-07-2016 09:42AM

The joys of an english imported Ford puma.Opinions on photos welcome as my knowledge is limited. However from reading elsewhere the whole corrosion issue tends to be OTT in those reports

boardsuser1 · 31-07-2016 10:06AM

Corrosion right on the chassis number as seen

Neilw · 31-07-2016 10:17AM

I don't think it's ott if you can see the ground through a rust hole.

There's too much work involved in saving that car.

boardsuser1 · 31-07-2016 10:25AM

Neilw wrote: »

I don't think it's ott if you can see the ground through a rust hole.

There's too much work involved in saving that car.

That hole aside it seems to be. The hole was caused by a screwdriver the tester used to ram it as it wasn't there this morning.Just as a guesstimate what would all that work cost? The corrosion that is. The rest i can do myself. Worst case scenario i might use it as spares. The front end rot is actually the wings themselves.

Wibbs · 31-07-2016 04:42PM

Neilw wrote: »

There's too much work involved in saving that car.

Id agree TBH. Unless it was a rare 1950's Alfa or somesuch. That's just the rust you can see. There will be more spreading underneath panels, along seams, edges and inside closed box sections. That's where rust usually starts. Seams and edges have less paint coverage(and welds) and box sections are humid also with less paint, so when you finally see it on the outside it's often too far gone. UK cars with their bloody winter salt really speeds this up. The salt is being used more here now too

, after those hard winters a few years back where they ran out of grit.

boardsuser1 · 31-07-2016 08:09PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Id agree TBH. Unless it was a rare 1950's Alfa or somesuch. That's just the rust you can see. There will be more spreading underneath panels, along seams, edges and inside closed box sections. That's where rust usually starts. Seams and edges have less paint coverage(and welds) and box sections are humid also with less paint, so when you finally see it on the outside it's often too far gone. UK cars with their bloody winter salt really speeds this up. The salt is being used more here now too , after those hard winters a few years back where they ran out of grit.

The tester said that a combination of salt and Ford's problem with rust are possibly the reason. The next door neighbour is aware of the car and said he'll give it a good once over on the inspection ramp as he said it'd be a pity to scrap it. But even if it were repaired we'd be back to square one due to the irish roads being salted in about 5 years.

boardsuser1 · 09-03-2017 10:22AM

Update on this, I've had the car in dry storage ever since the NCT.

Had a friends father look at it last night who worked for Ford in Cork for decades as a panel beater.

He said the chassis of the car is fine, it was the sealant that was bubbling making it look like corrosion.

Is it really possible for the NCT inspector to get something like this so wrong?

Everything else was spot on otherwise, those being mechanical issues, brake shoes and an abs sensor.

09-03-2017 11:12AM

for the cosmetic stuff not on the outside I'd sand & rustprrof with Kurust or some such stuff.

Ford Puma and rust

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