Discussion
Is the area next to the door entry guard (and where the door seal drain hole is) a common weak spot for rust?
Have seen a car which has a raised section of rust about the size of a 1p piece right next to the back corner of the door entry guard and wondered it this is something to be very worried about.
Have seen a car which has a raised section of rust about the size of a 1p piece right next to the back corner of the door entry guard and wondered it this is something to be very worried about.
MrCooke said:
It's very rare to see rust here on a 993. Not unknown but very rare.
What did they do differently in that area on the 993 then? It's almost guaranteed to find rust there on a C3.2 or any earlier car. Obviously 993s are newer, but starting to get on a bit now. When I was first into 911s in the mid 90s, it was only the pre-galvanised cars (up to '76 I think) that had serious rust issues. Then a decade later the ageing SCs and C3.2s started to rot too and today you see plenty of rusty 964s. So it's just a matter of time no?Plastic wheel arch liners are fitted to 964s and onwards to stop road crud getting thrown up by the wheels and sticking in these areas. It's that crud that sits there for years and holds water that means the early cars rot out.
If you think about the usual rust areas on 3.2s - kidney bowls, above rear lights, below front lights, front bumper mounts etc - it's all the little crevices where mud gets stuck and not washed out. Wheel arch liners pretty much cured this.
If you think about the usual rust areas on 3.2s - kidney bowls, above rear lights, below front lights, front bumper mounts etc - it's all the little crevices where mud gets stuck and not washed out. Wheel arch liners pretty much cured this.
BillyB said:
964s are all starting to rust now. It is just a matter of time for 993s (the next few years). You already hear of 993s rusting below the rear windscreen, for example.
Again the rear parcel shelf area and rear screen pillars are common rust traps on earlier 911s due to blocked drain channels and leaky screen seals etc. Probably the same story on 993s as the clock ticks. I think basically you have to be wary of rust on any car that's well over 10 years old, but I would imagine most 993s are still pretty rust free. The same cannot be said of older 964s and certainly not C3.2s or earlier. But give it another 5-10 years and it's inevitable that many 993s will become home to the tin wormThe main reason the 993 doesn't suffer as badly in the kidney bowl area is the construction is quite different than the 964 and older models. The 964 and earlier cars have a welded joint between the sill panel and rear wing which was lead filled. The 993 production had the rear wing and sill panel stamped as one with no joint between them resulting in far less corrosion issues in this area.
Tony.
Tony.
They were all double galvanised.
I was told that rust is often down to second rate bodywork earlier in the life of the car.
But certainly, in time they will all need some attention.
I remember buying a Triumph Dolomite that was rusting through in front of the bonnet when less than two years old ... it had been Zeibarted.
How we have moved on
I was told that rust is often down to second rate bodywork earlier in the life of the car.
But certainly, in time they will all need some attention.
I remember buying a Triumph Dolomite that was rusting through in front of the bonnet when less than two years old ... it had been Zeibarted.
How we have moved on

My last 993 started to get minor rust bubbles on the front scuttle and sides of the scuttle where it meets the rear of front wings at exactly 13 years old, got it treated and full front respray for 800 bucks, pretty good. My current 993 has exactly same rust bubbles started at exactly same time in life, think I'll be spending more for a more professional repair due to model (when I can afford it as it's skinned me for 30K in last 2yrs) but on the whole they last well, I drive mine all year round, think last years Scottish winter advanced mine more than normal. Just need to keep on top of the foibles, there is nothing cheap about owning a Porsche. 

36270k said:
Makes you wonder about build quality.
Considering that something like two thirds of all Porsches ever built are still running I don't think so. Any car over 10 years old could be prone to rust depending on how it has been kept, bodywork repairs etc. Some are absolutely fine and I've owned several rust free early cars. Compared to the Italian exotics Porsche bodywork is pretty solid, but the air cooled cars are getting on a bit now. I'd say your rust free 924 is quite rare to be honest. uktrailmonster said:
36270k said:
Makes you wonder about build quality.
Considering that something like two thirds of all Porsches ever built are still running I don't think so. Any car over 10 years old could be prone to rust depending on how it has been kept, bodywork repairs etc. Some are absolutely fine and I've owned several rust free early cars. Compared to the Italian exotics Porsche bodywork is pretty solid, but the air cooled cars are getting on a bit now. I'd say your rust free 924 is quite rare to be honest. Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


