Classic car treatment for Mazda with body rot
Discussion
Hi, I'm new to the forum, and must admit I've joined mainly to ask this question...
I'm facing scrapping my old (12 years i.e. 52 plate) Mazda 6.
My local garage - who has always given me reasonable advise tells me my car will fail it's next MOT (next few weeks) - to be honest he told me this last year and then I sort of "pressed him" to do some welding and Waxoiling.
The issue is body rot (the chassis) the car still looks very presentable, it drives well and everything works perfectly - apart from which it has never failed me.
My position is I don't want to buy a new or replacement car.
My reasoning is to get something equivalent I'd need to spend a minimum of 3 to £4000, so why can't I invest that sort of money in the car I have got, fixing the body rot and doing preventative maintenance/cosmetic improvements - after all people do this sort of thing on Classic cars all the time.
So does anyone know who I could approach to do this work?
PS Isn't this also more environmentally friendly?
I'm facing scrapping my old (12 years i.e. 52 plate) Mazda 6.
My local garage - who has always given me reasonable advise tells me my car will fail it's next MOT (next few weeks) - to be honest he told me this last year and then I sort of "pressed him" to do some welding and Waxoiling.
The issue is body rot (the chassis) the car still looks very presentable, it drives well and everything works perfectly - apart from which it has never failed me.
My position is I don't want to buy a new or replacement car.
My reasoning is to get something equivalent I'd need to spend a minimum of 3 to £4000, so why can't I invest that sort of money in the car I have got, fixing the body rot and doing preventative maintenance/cosmetic improvements - after all people do this sort of thing on Classic cars all the time.
So does anyone know who I could approach to do this work?
PS Isn't this also more environmentally friendly?
best get a wire brush and scraper and crack on yourself ..get a pro to cut out and weld in new steel when you find a hole (not plate over it
the reason i say diy , it will take hours and hours of messy back breaking work to clean off all the trouble spots , specialists just wont want to put all the hours in to do it well , theyd rather cake it in underseal so its just hidden for 12 months and still festering
scrape floor pans back to clean metal , wire wheel until no brown bits , epoxy primer it then underseal of your choice , cavity wax the inside bits but if its rusting from inside out theres not much you will do
the reason i say diy , it will take hours and hours of messy back breaking work to clean off all the trouble spots , specialists just wont want to put all the hours in to do it well , theyd rather cake it in underseal so its just hidden for 12 months and still festering
scrape floor pans back to clean metal , wire wheel until no brown bits , epoxy primer it then underseal of your choice , cavity wax the inside bits but if its rusting from inside out theres not much you will do
You would have to really love that Car to want to spend what was required on it.
One fact that is inescapable with most classic cars is that they are worth much less than the amount people spend restoring them (assuming they don't do the work themselves) I expect you will find the same here.
A far more economic thing to do would be sell it on for what ever you can get for it and replace it with something else, but hopefully in better condition. Mazda seem to have acquired a terrible reputation for rusting, just ask most MX5 owners.
One fact that is inescapable with most classic cars is that they are worth much less than the amount people spend restoring them (assuming they don't do the work themselves) I expect you will find the same here.
A far more economic thing to do would be sell it on for what ever you can get for it and replace it with something else, but hopefully in better condition. Mazda seem to have acquired a terrible reputation for rusting, just ask most MX5 owners.
Thanks for the replies.
I guess I knew this would be the response.
If the car is worth it to me, why wouldn't a garage just do the work and present the bill?
It just seems such a waste - I hate the idea of joining in on this disposable society whith such a large item.
My thinking is also on the lines of not wanting to buy an ICE vehicle ever again, and hoped my trusty steed would carry me through to the time when a decent, reasonably priced electric vehicle was available.
I guess I knew this would be the response.
If the car is worth it to me, why wouldn't a garage just do the work and present the bill?
It just seems such a waste - I hate the idea of joining in on this disposable society whith such a large item.
My thinking is also on the lines of not wanting to buy an ICE vehicle ever again, and hoped my trusty steed would carry me through to the time when a decent, reasonably priced electric vehicle was available.
Edited by mccgregor on Tuesday 15th July 13:15
a pukka resto place might gut the car and do a bare metal restoration underneath it for ££££
a general garage will be a quick poke round and cover it up and on with the next clean n easy job
just be sure if you are paying out alot that they really are doing it right and understand you plan to keep the car. theres a big differance between mot patch ups and restoration
a general garage will be a quick poke round and cover it up and on with the next clean n easy job
just be sure if you are paying out alot that they really are doing it right and understand you plan to keep the car. theres a big differance between mot patch ups and restoration
mccgregor said:
If the car is worth it to me, why wouldn't a garage just do the work and present the bill?
I'm not a mechanic but at a guess. You would be asking them to undertake work that in the very best case scenario would cost more than twice the value of the car. Rust isn't linear, they could start the work and uncover another £1-2k of welding that needs to be done. It isn't a full resto and won't be hugely profitable for them and there is always the chance that once the bill escalates you will disappear into the sunset leaving them with x man hours in and a car worth nothing to try and recoup the money fromEdited by mccgregor on Tuesday 15th July 13:15
Cut your losses and move on chap
BritishRacinGrin said:
Is rust a known problem in such young Mazdas? If not, have you sought a second opinion on the extent of the rust?
they do have a known issue with the rear wheel arches. I understand the OPs predicament. I have an '07 Mazda 6 that has a hint of rust in the arch lips, which is annoying as I'd rather not have to replace it very soon (it makes a very adequate daily) but a see problems in a few years.Most people would see this as a poor investment of your money and/or time.
Of course, you can choose to do what you like with your car and your money and a decent company will do a decent job for you. A really responsible company would probably even advise you that it isn't worth doing the work! (But would stil do it if you insisted!)
By the sound of things, the work you would need to get done on the car would far exceed its residual value. It's often the case that classics car restorations don't make financial sense but people do these for other, sentimental reasons - and there's a chance that a classic will appreciate in value as time passes.
Will a 52 plate Mazda 6 ever really be a classic??
Logic says move on
Of course, you can choose to do what you like with your car and your money and a decent company will do a decent job for you. A really responsible company would probably even advise you that it isn't worth doing the work! (But would stil do it if you insisted!)
By the sound of things, the work you would need to get done on the car would far exceed its residual value. It's often the case that classics car restorations don't make financial sense but people do these for other, sentimental reasons - and there's a chance that a classic will appreciate in value as time passes.
Will a 52 plate Mazda 6 ever really be a classic??
Logic says move on
Thanks Keyser, your right I hadn't considered the dishonesty side of the argument.
As regards the rusting - yes that has been my single disappointment with the Mazda.
I have replaced all 4 wings because of rust.
Anyway, thanks again, you(the forum) have confirmed the feelings of my normal mechanic - he said to get rid of it last year, and again earlier on this year but now I'll just have to scrap it.
As regards the rusting - yes that has been my single disappointment with the Mazda.
I have replaced all 4 wings because of rust.
Anyway, thanks again, you(the forum) have confirmed the feelings of my normal mechanic - he said to get rid of it last year, and again earlier on this year but now I'll just have to scrap it.
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