Car Underbody - See anything worth worrying about?

[Hunts887]

It's a Toyota Celica 2004, and what looks wrong to me may not be wrong by mechanical standards. Can you see anything that is cause for concern, or something that may need to be address in these photos? If so, what steps would you take and what will be a good applicator to spray on to prevent further rust?

Thank you

[Hunts887]

[Hunts887]

[steveo3002]

id say its pretty ropey , needs a proper clean up and treating now , possibly some disappointment in areas

needs more than a spray down imo....side skirts off , scabby underseal removed and metal cleaned up , then some treatment

[Hunts887]

steveo3002 said:

id say its pretty ropey , needs a proper clean up and treating now , possibly some disappointment in areas

Some disappointment?

You thinking wire brush cleaning would be good enough? What is a good and say preventative spray?

[steveo3002]

Hunts887 said:

Some disappointment?

id expect to find rust holes after a good cleaning

needs cleaning where possible with a mech wire wheel , then your choice of primer , i like epoxy primer , could go with a waxoyl type spray , honestly its pretty scruffy all you can do now is slow it down a bit

things to investigate-
lanogaurd
hydrate 80
vactan
waxoyl
epoxy primer
electrox

pick a system you believe in and go with it

Edited by steveo3002 on Tuesday 7th December 13:20

[Wacky Racer]

Was there any advisories on the last couple of MOT's?

[Hunts887]

None on last MOT, but did have some on previous. The lad I bought it from said it had had some work done on the corrosion.

How about that subframe, does it look so bad to the eye?

[steveo3002]

rear frame doesnt look like an mot fail but its pretty scabby

ideally needs them side sills off and a closer look....if its not a problem now it soon will be

is this a keeper or just a banger?

[Hunts887]

steveo3002 said:

rear frame doesnt look like an mot fail but its pretty scabby

ideally needs them side sills off and a closer look....if its not a problem now it soon will be

is this a keeper or just a banger?

Well I had hoped to keep it for a few years at least. Are the sills easy enough to get to on these? I will have to check

[steveo3002]

probably a few clips and screws ,best ask on a owners club

[Smint]

Unless you can take it off the road its too late this winter to do anything other than rinse the salt off the undersides regularly.

Those sill covers have got to come off, you will either be happily surprised or devastated at what you find in there.
As already said lots of cleaning up of the rust from everywhere you can reach, sand paper wire brushes electric equipment if you have any, a horrible job as all rustproofing is.
get any welding needed done, then treat the rust, then paint.

It is was mine once the paint is hardened off i'd use Bilt Hambers cavity waxes in all cavities, inside subrames hollow suspension parts sills doors and body strengthening also inside the doors bonnet and tailgate and inner wings and round the wheelarches from inside the boot and passneger compt, then i'd spray the entire underside and in all the nooks and crannies you couldn't get to with chain lube or one of the many oil based grease or oil based similar products, you could actually cover the sills in waterproof grease before refitting the plastic covers.

Waxoyl and similar products will be no good with the already rusting parts you can get to, it'll look great for a year (or if you wish to sell) then it will start to flake off the rust and then trap salty water which will seep underneath the film, fatal, thats where the oils come into play, they soak in and if you respray this oil treatment every year (20 minutes will do this once you've broken the back of the work) it will hold further corrosion at bay.
I'm currently using ACF50 instead of chain lube, but because i have a large quantity of ACF already, yes like chain lube it will eventually wash off hence the annual recoat requirement.
There is no rustproof ity once and forget treatment when a car gets to this condition, but unless its already perforating badly you can slow time down considerably for a good number of years with a bit of elbow grease and a reasonable investment in time and products.

[anonymous-user]

As I said to you in the other thread, the majority of these Celicas are going to look like they have been parked in the sea underneath. Japanese cars of this era have poor rust prevention, hence the rust you are seeing underneath.

Personally I would not touch it with a bargepole, trying to fight rust once it has started is a never ending game and one that you will eventually lose. I suspect if you took those sill covers off you would find all sorts of holes and nasties.

Also bear in mind that any bolts you need to undo underneath will be rusted on and any job will become an utter nightmare.

Someone else suggested on another thread a Peugeot 406, I would say that would be a much better bet as French cars in my experience don't seem to rust. Have you looked at the Laguna Coupe, again a car that I suspect would not have a spec of rust on it.

[Hunts887]

Joey Deacon said:

As I said to you in the other thread, the majority of these Celicas are going to look like they have been parked in the sea underneath. Japanese cars of this era have poor rust prevention, hence the rust you are seeing underneath.

Personally I would not touch it with a bargepole, trying to fight rust once it has started is a never ending game and one that you will eventually lose. I suspect if you took those sill covers off you would find all sorts of holes and nasties.

Also bear in mind that any bolts you need to undo underneath will be rusted on and any job will become an utter nightmare.

Someone else suggested on another thread a Peugeot 406, I would say that would be a much better bet as French cars in my experience don't seem to rust. Have you looked at the Laguna Coupe, again a car that I suspect would not have a spec of rust on it.

Sorry for this late reply, but I think you are right in regards to fighting the rust. It is a shame as this car looks very nice (on top, anyway). The car recently failed on sill rust. I was going to post on here again. I do want to keep the car, but I also just can't be arsed with chasing the rust every MOT. What a shame and what a waste.

Any advice on where is best to sell a car these days (eBay or WeBuyAnyCar etc).

[Hunts887]

Smint said:

Unless you can take it off the road its too late this winter to do anything other than rinse the salt off the undersides regularly.

Those sill covers have got to come off, you will either be happily surprised or devastated at what you find in there.
As already said lots of cleaning up of the rust from everywhere you can reach, sand paper wire brushes electric equipment if you have any, a horrible job as all rustproofing is.
get any welding needed done, then treat the rust, then paint.

It is was mine once the paint is hardened off i'd use Bilt Hambers cavity waxes in all cavities, inside subrames hollow suspension parts sills doors and body strengthening also inside the doors bonnet and tailgate and inner wings and round the wheelarches from inside the boot and passneger compt, then i'd spray the entire underside and in all the nooks and crannies you couldn't get to with chain lube or one of the many oil based grease or oil based similar products, you could actually cover the sills in waterproof grease before refitting the plastic covers.

Waxoyl and similar products will be no good with the already rusting parts you can get to, it'll look great for a year (or if you wish to sell) then it will start to flake off the rust and then trap salty water which will seep underneath the film, fatal, thats where the oils come into play, they soak in and if you respray this oil treatment every year (20 minutes will do this once you've broken the back of the work) it will hold further corrosion at bay.
I'm currently using ACF50 instead of chain lube, but because i have a large quantity of ACF already, yes like chain lube it will eventually wash off hence the annual recoat requirement.
There is no rustproof ity once and forget treatment when a car gets to this condition, but unless its already perforating badly you can slow time down considerably for a good number of years with a bit of elbow grease and a reasonable investment in time and products.

Sorry that I did not reply to this. I thought I had added notifications to the post when I made it, thank you all for your messages. I do have an update and, after reading everything you have all said, I probable already know the answer but;

Recently failed its MOT. Was wondering if you all had some insight or advice (in addition to what you have already said).

Here is its fail list, though I am mostly concerned about the corrosion on the sills. I have been quoted in the region of £250-350 for this, as it seems the corrosion/rust seems to go through the underside. The left of the underside seems to be the strongest part, but tbh, most of the underneath looks a little sorry looking.

My main concern is, is it worth it me chasing the welding for this? For example, maybe I get the welding done on this, then next MOT, I have to do more and more and more, and considering I only paid under £1000 for this, would it even be worth it? I am balancing owning a motorbike at the moment as well, and I don't really want to get stuck throwing money at it. I did post back in December when I bought this, and I have some great advice then that maybe it's going to be a case of constantly having to chase the rust, which I just can't be bothered with - so maybe I have answered my own question there.

Anyone with experience of these Celicas or welders? any tips on getting the best quotes for this, or do you think I should maybe sell it to someone who doesn't mind throwing money at it? If I do sell it, where is typically my best bet? (eBay or WeBuyAnyCar etc). Any advice or insight I would appreciate.

Here is the main fail; (The rear service brake and sill corrosion are the only concerns at this point):


. FAIL
Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits

. FAIL
Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements spacing

. FAIL
Offside Front Lower Integral body structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting inner sill area
. ADVISORY
Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened

. ADVISORY
Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened

. FAIL
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction

. FAIL
Offside Stop lamp(s) not working

. FAIL
Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements spacing
. ADVISORY
Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened

. ADVISORY
Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened

. FAIL
Nearside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating

Edited by Hunts887 on Tuesday 11th October 06:50

[QJumper]

If it only cost you a grand then personally I wouldn't be throwing any more money at it. On my previous car I had rust issues with the sills and wheel arches and with each MOT it needed patching up/welding, so there's a good chance you'll just be chasing rust year after year. Probably best to sell/trade in and get something else.

I've recently rust proofed my current car, and what I did was spray Dynax S50 into any cavities and then 2 coats of Dynax UB on the underside and wheel arches. Once dried I gave everything a spray of ACF-50. The spraying only takes 20 minutes or so, although you'll need to let the Dynax UB dry for 24 hours before recoating. If you get something in reasonable condition it's not too big a job to keep on top of once a year before winter.

It's also worth getting a cheap lawn sprinkler hose attachment, to give the underside a rinse every now and then over winter, once they start salting the roads.

[steveo3002]

does sound like an on going expense , you would better off in a cleaner car , its possible to find cars with almost zero rust to worry about

old japanese cars are bad for rusting ...its too late for a bit of waxoyl

[Smint]

Only you know how good the mechanical side of the car is, how well its been looked after (obviously no attention paid to the underside but that goes for most car owners who never look underneath) and how much effort you are prepared to put in both in preventative maintenance and rust prevention.

Apart from the emission failure the rest of the items are neglect and easily and cheaply remedied, with some elbow grease from you and some expense getting all weak points welded now as well as going through the rest of the car which sounds like it needs some TLC, you could have a good car that could last years, yes its Japanese andlike most from that era needs some underbody treatment to make it last the UK fetish for road salt overuse, but mechanically you'll struggle to find more reliable cars than this era of Toyota.

So, you spend up to £1000 putting everything right and some hours of filthy work rubbing down treating painting and then spraying with the oil based product of your choice (i suggesct ACF50 or chain lube) all over the undersides and in all the cavities...you do this mammoth job only once then an annual recoat with the oil based spray will slow the rusting up really well.

Alternatively you buy a european car which needs a badge to tell anyone which brand it is which may well be more rust resistant but anyone's guess the mechanical and electrical problems you'll get instead.

My money, if you can find a good welder, would be after standing back and taking an honest appraisal of the car to spend one what's needed and enjoy it, an increasingly unusual pretty car compared with the gopping cloned blobs on sale these days, for a good few years yet.

[Hunts887]

Smint said:

Only you know how good the mechanical side of the car is, how well its been looked after (obviously no attention paid to the underside but that goes for most car owners who never look underneath) and how much effort you are prepared to put in both in preventative maintenance and rust prevention.

Apart from the emission failure the rest of the items are neglect and easily and cheaply remedied, with some elbow grease from you and some expense getting all weak points welded now as well as going through the rest of the car which sounds like it needs some TLC, you could have a good car that could last years, yes its Japanese andlike most from that era needs some underbody treatment to make it last the UK fetish for road salt overuse, but mechanically you'll struggle to find more reliable cars than this era of Toyota.

So, you spend up to £1000 putting everything right and some hours of filthy work rubbing down treating painting and then spraying with the oil based product of your choice (i suggesct ACF50 or chain lube) all over the undersides and in all the cavities...you do this mammoth job only once then an annual recoat with the oil based spray will slow the rusting up really well.

Alternatively you buy a european car which needs a badge to tell anyone which brand it is which may well be more rust resistant but anyone's guess the mechanical and electrical problems you'll get instead.

My money, if you can find a good welder, would be after standing back and taking an honest appraisal of the car to spend one what's needed and enjoy it, an increasingly unusual pretty car compared with the gopping cloned blobs on sale these days, for a good few years yet.

I must admit, I do agree with you and you're right, it would be hard to find a vehicle more reliable than this. I think I would be scratching my head for eternity trying to find something as equally fun and yet reliable to replace it with.

On to finding a decent welder....outside chance but, do you know of any good welders in the North East region?

[ChocolateFrog]

Start stabbing suspect bits with a screwdriver.

On the face of it it doesn't seem worth it for a Celica.