Discussion
Just looked at a 944 Turbo. Everything was going great until my mechanic got it up on a ramp and found rust in the NS sill - an MOT fail as it is around the suspension structure. Mechanic says it could be all sorts of trouble in the future, but it is fixeable.
Gutted, because I was going to buy the car......
Is this normal/ unusual. Anyone else experienced similar.
Help please, really want to buy that car!
Gutted, because I was going to buy the car......
Is this normal/ unusual. Anyone else experienced similar.
Help please, really want to buy that car!
northo said:
Just looked at a 944 Turbo. Everything was going great until my mechanic got it up on a ramp and found rust in the NS sill - an MOT fail as it is around the suspension structure. Mechanic says it could be all sorts of trouble in the future, but it is fixeable.
Gutted, because I was going to buy the car......
Is this normal/ unusual. Anyone else experienced similar.
Help please, really want to buy that car!
Gutted, because I was going to buy the car......
Is this normal/ unusual. Anyone else experienced similar.
Help please, really want to buy that car!
It's becoming more common as the cars get older & less valuable yes.
Chances are if one sill is rusting through the other one may be in a similar condition behind the outer panel. If the rest of the car is good it may still be worth repairing though, I had both inner & outer sills repaired on my old lux with the nose resprayed at the same time for £730. Quotes can vary anywhere between £500 & £1k & I found some bodyshops were unwilling to take on the job, I guess because they hadn't done 944 sills before.
If you really want the car but are prepared to walk away I'd suggest haggling £1k off the value but bear in mind that if the PO has allowed the sills to reach the point of MOT failure they may have skimped in other areas too. Get the car inspected if you really are considering buying it, they are great cars if you buy with your eyes open
Rust is a common issue on cars that have been driven in all weather and never been looked after from underneath.
The plastic parts attached to the bottom of the front wings are a "crap trap" : dust, dirt and chips get in there without getting out. I clean them at least once a year and often check for rust.
Here is a visual example :
If the car was refused MOT it must be very bad indeed.
The plastic parts attached to the bottom of the front wings are a "crap trap" : dust, dirt and chips get in there without getting out. I clean them at least once a year and often check for rust.
Here is a visual example :
If the car was refused MOT it must be very bad indeed.
Edited by Thom on Friday 16th March 19:51
The car has an MOt from November 06 - I dare say it shouldn't have passed. Given my line of business, I value the opinion of our mechanic, who is of the old school ie has a lot of knowledge. He has advised me against the car, but I wonder if I will find a cheaper one..... Every thing else with the car adds up, do I just buy it cheap and do it up. My worry is that we open up the sills and open a can of worms at the same time. It has to be said, the owner was genuinely shocked, and I have been in the motor trade for 12 years, so I hope I can spot a dodgy seller!
Could just be the way you describe it but that doesn't seem to be the same 'common' problem Thom & I describe. The usual cause is blocked drain holes in the sill or trapped dirt as Thom's pic showed.
Here's what mine looked like with the outer sill stripped away:
The bodyshop cut out all the corrosion & welded in new (ungalvanised) metal. The sills are obviously structural but none of this work impinged on the suspension mounts.
Could be previous accident damage?
Here's what mine looked like with the outer sill stripped away:
The bodyshop cut out all the corrosion & welded in new (ungalvanised) metal. The sills are obviously structural but none of this work impinged on the suspension mounts.
Could be previous accident damage?
Whhen I removed the rubber sill trims of my S2, the bottoms of the fromt wings were rotten, I could'nt get new wings (well not easily or reasonably) so I cut out and welded them up (which as I was a sheetmetalworker in a former life was a bit like going back in time)
If I was buying another S2 or late car with the sill strips on I'd look VERY carefully at the wing bottoms and sills as it could become a quite expensive job if a garage is doing the work.....
The rest of the underneath on my car looks fine, but as has been said, galvanised or not they can still rust away if neglected.
Andy
If I was buying another S2 or late car with the sill strips on I'd look VERY carefully at the wing bottoms and sills as it could become a quite expensive job if a garage is doing the work.....
The rest of the underneath on my car looks fine, but as has been said, galvanised or not they can still rust away if neglected.
Andy
They can also rust away if they are NOT neglected.
It seems that there were some sills that were not as well galvanised as others and some well looked after cars have suffered.
We don't do bodywork but it is not a difficult job and easy to make up sills for a body shop or sheet metal worker. We had some made some years ago but have run out now and not enough cars to justify making another batch.
If I was a private b uyer - it would not put me off buying an otherwise good car - but you need to know how to judge the rest of it.
Baz
It seems that there were some sills that were not as well galvanised as others and some well looked after cars have suffered.
We don't do bodywork but it is not a difficult job and easy to make up sills for a body shop or sheet metal worker. We had some made some years ago but have run out now and not enough cars to justify making another batch.
If I was a private b uyer - it would not put me off buying an otherwise good car - but you need to know how to judge the rest of it.
Baz
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