First the good news. It passes its 3rd MOT since I've had it first time yet again. 130k+ miles. The bad news - only an advisory - says hole in floor near sill front off side.

 

Had visions of my feet on the road Flintstones style! The hole is actually a little smaller than a 2p and right beside the sill section of the OS front wing in the underbody where it meets the sill. The tester has found some rust and poked it all away and right through it. It seems solid all around it though. So I guess some welding will be warranted before the next MOT is due. It is just at the place where tyre fitters jack it up and bend over the seams where the drain holes in the sills are. Damn UK salt and damp!

 

Anybody got any pictures of what it looks like behind the sills?

This is what it looks like behind the rear sill.

 

I need my front sills doing too. Its gonna get done in a bout a month or so.

 

Get it done ASAP. Its the size of a 2p now. It will be the size of your fist in a few months. Once it goes though, it spreads really quick

 

 

Stuart

just out of interest are these uk or j spec zeds, mine went for mot last month and sailed thru, i couldnt beleive the conditoin of the under side it was like new, mines a j spec which i thought had less underside protection than uks, mines been in the uk since 90. maybe its had some after treatment but thumbs up to the japs for a top quality car. mot bloke was well impress for a 13 year old car.

It goes like UK car plus high miles = rust.

Japanese car low miles and the less time possible in UK = zero rust.

 

Stuart, thanks for the piccy. Did you patch the inner bit as well?

 

I will look forward to your diary of doing the front sills!!

Must concur that Japanese spec zeds on the whole have less corrossion, in fact most 94/95 UK zeds are worse underneath than a 90 import.

 

This is born out by the amount of MOTs we get involved in, the UK cars are always more trouble corrossion wise, the favorites been the sills, wheel arches and the brake pipes over the diff.

 

Incedently this is often a factor overlooked when opting for a UK zed to get lower insurance, in the long term the grey import might actually cost less in maintenance...body wise at least.

 

Jeff TT

Originally posted by WillieO

It goes like UK car plus high miles = rust.

Japanese car low miles and the less time possible in UK = zero rust.

 

Stuart, thanks for the piccy. Did you patch the inner bit as well?

 

I will look forward to your diary of doing the front sills!!

 

Yeah had to cut away the first layer of chassis to get at the 2nd layer which was just as bad.

 

Stuart

Errr Willie can I make a suggestion? Get on the phone to a body shop NOW!!! I got an advisory on mine just over a year ago, this time round it failed big style - holes everywhere!!! Floor pan and sills on both sides had to be renewed - fortunately the guy replaced all the inner bracing too. The problem seems to be caused by the fact that the drains go down into the sills, onto a metal pipe which then takes the drain out through the floor pan. This metal pipe corrodes - it will do its got water in it ffs - and then dumps the drain water in the sills. Great design lol. I really would get this done now - I was in your exact position and didn't do anything about it - wish I had done....

 

CheerZ,

 

Andy

Stuart

 

Neat cuts, what kind of tin opener do you use?

 

So does anybody do repair sections and sills yet or must you make them up as you go?

 

Andy - did you have to renew the whole floor? That sounds like major surgery.

 

Crikey if it gets that bad I might as well buy an import with a good body but blown engine, box and shabby interior and "convert" it to a UK car with good running gear! Probably cost less!

Willie no not the whole floor pan - just major surgery where it joins the sills - usuall case of trolley jacking on the seam weld... I think you'll be better fabing the parts yourself tbh...

 

HTH

 

CheerZ,

 

Andy

Originally posted by WillieO

Stuart

 

Neat cuts, what kind of tin opener do you use?

 

So does anybody do repair sections and sills yet or must you make them up as you go?

 

I dont know what it was. We have a big compressor so most of the tools like that are air powered. We get a lot of the stuff from Machine Mart.

 

Stuart