Rust Advice Ford KA
Discussion
Hello,
My fiance uses this forum all the time and I though it was the best place to ask for advice.
Basicly ive had this car for a year now, the body work isnt great (was like it when I got it!) and I want to know if it is fixable and if so how much it would cost and also is it worth it?
have attached some photos:
Thanks
Kay
My fiance uses this forum all the time and I though it was the best place to ask for advice.
Basicly ive had this car for a year now, the body work isnt great (was like it when I got it!) and I want to know if it is fixable and if so how much it would cost and also is it worth it?
have attached some photos:
Thanks
Kay
Blimey that is one battered little Ka there. What I would suggest is that you don't spend any vast amount on it as it can't be worth it surely? Just get some spray paint from Helfrauds, sand the worst parts and spray over. It won't eliminate the problem entirely, but it will tidy it up a bit.
That's fairly cosmetic stuff, not nice but not yet MOT failure. Really all you can do with that is rub it down, treat (rust convertor, patch, filler etc), prime and repaint.
If you plan to keep the car then you want to get a good look behind the wheel arch liners, the sills and underneath. Any rust should removed/treated with one of the commercially available rust convertors and the get a real good coat of underseal.
The big problem with rust though is that it's a bugger to get rid of on a permanent basis.
If you plan to keep the car then you want to get a good look behind the wheel arch liners, the sills and underneath. Any rust should removed/treated with one of the commercially available rust convertors and the get a real good coat of underseal.
The big problem with rust though is that it's a bugger to get rid of on a permanent basis.
Unfortunately any Ka older than about 6 or 7 years old, depending on how many miles its done/where its been kept/etc, will be a rust bucket. (unless it was protected with waxoyl or dinitrol from new).
From the factory, the state of paint/primer underneath is basically non-existant on these cars. Ford just put a very very thin uneven underseal coating on which doesn't last long, maybe 3 years protection maximum before you get surface rust everywhere, and eventually serious rot.
I've even read about 3/4 year old Kas failing their MOT tests on corrosion.
You have two options:
- Take it to a place that does professional body repairs. They will cut out the bad metal, and weld in new metal. Either that, or they'll replace the entire affected panel. You are probably looking at £300-400 for that.
- But much cheaper, since it's probably not worth spending so much on an old Ka, is to sand down the affected areas, coat with a rust-preventing paint, and then use some touchup paint, shouldn't look too shabby.
Are the sills rusty? Another common area to rot on the Ka.
As for the bumper, it's only plastic so it thankfully won't rust. (though, the metal behind it obviously can,
) But you can get replacement bumpers cheap off eBay - but finding one in the same colour will be hard. So get an unpainted one, and either paint it yourself, or get a bodyshop to it for you, shouldn't cost too much. They are really easy to fit yourself.
From the factory, the state of paint/primer underneath is basically non-existant on these cars. Ford just put a very very thin uneven underseal coating on which doesn't last long, maybe 3 years protection maximum before you get surface rust everywhere, and eventually serious rot.
I've even read about 3/4 year old Kas failing their MOT tests on corrosion.
You have two options:
- Take it to a place that does professional body repairs. They will cut out the bad metal, and weld in new metal. Either that, or they'll replace the entire affected panel. You are probably looking at £300-400 for that.
- But much cheaper, since it's probably not worth spending so much on an old Ka, is to sand down the affected areas, coat with a rust-preventing paint, and then use some touchup paint, shouldn't look too shabby.
Are the sills rusty? Another common area to rot on the Ka.
As for the bumper, it's only plastic so it thankfully won't rust. (though, the metal behind it obviously can,
) But you can get replacement bumpers cheap off eBay - but finding one in the same colour will be hard. So get an unpainted one, and either paint it yourself, or get a bodyshop to it for you, shouldn't cost too much. They are really easy to fit yourself.Thansk for all t he fast replys, I think the best bet is to do it myself (meaning my fiance) the car is an 02 reg and some 74k+ miles.
With regards to the bumpers, they are black bumpers which have been resprayed at some point (again not by myself) and I dont think the KA came in this colour with body colourd bumpers so it may be heard to find a replacement!
I have been to Halfords and asked them what colour my car is so I can get the paint, but the lad that came out just shruged and said he didnt know! ive looked inside the bonet and there is no paint code.
With regards to the bumpers, they are black bumpers which have been resprayed at some point (again not by myself) and I dont think the KA came in this colour with body colourd bumpers so it may be heard to find a replacement!
I have been to Halfords and asked them what colour my car is so I can get the paint, but the lad that came out just shruged and said he didnt know! ive looked inside the bonet and there is no paint code.
If you are doing a DIY repair, and if you are intending on keeping it a few more years, you may also want to take the extra time to get the car up on axle stands and have a go at sanding back all the bare metal underneath, it's most likely covered in surface rust on an 02 reg. Then you can prime it and paint it, plenty of undersealing products out there. Ford never properly coated them underneath, really poor factory finish. 
I can personally vouch for Dinitrol underseal, my Ka is covered in it underneath, pics in this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I can personally vouch for Dinitrol underseal, my Ka is covered in it underneath, pics in this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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