Rookie Rust Advice - Ford

[afu470]

I have just bought my first car and being a student I needed a car that was cheap to insure and run. So I settled on the Ford KA despite knowing of their notorious rusting problem! The car is mechanically sound and runs fine however the sills have rust as well as starting to rust around the rear wiper. I was pretty shocked to see rust starting in tiny chips in the paint work as well!!!

Being a first time car owner I have absolutely no clue what to do! Does anyone have any advice how to slow the rust that a rookie would be able to DIY? I've read of Waxoyl and Hammerite but was wondering if anyone had any advice on what else to do or how best to apply these? Its taken a long time to be able to afford a car and want it to last a good few years at least therefore am not afraid to get stuck in so all suggestions are welcome!!

[steveo3002]

a couple of coats of thick paint will slow it down , but it will keep festering away

best advise - dont buy a rusty car , not bening clever there , just no need to be patching up rot these days

[Sa Calobra]

At some point like my old Puma it'll need welding or other expensive intervention

[bungz]

You will never win the battle those things rust like nothing else.

[Wait Here Until Green Light Shows]

The problem is, they rust from the inside out!
Make sure the sill drain holes are clear - they run along the bottom of the sill near the jacking points. Don't be surprised if they're blocked and water pours out!
You can keep the MOT man happy for a few years by covering the sill with a heavy coat of Waxoyl Underseal. But these cars, just like the MK5 Fiesta and MK1 Focus all rust badly along the sills - permanent repair is time consuming and expensive, and just not worth the bother for a few hundred pound car. It's all about bodging until you can bodge no more.