Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire

A 4 year old clean looking top of the range Honda with a very rotten sill Shocked

presumably repaired under the manufacturers warranty, very odd:

https://youtu.be/rW4Ql4DNgwc

MrWhite · Joined: 09 May 2017 Posts: 105

'Old habits die hard' and this is one of the car makers oldest but still serves them well when it comes to killing cars off, so you have to buy a new one Rolling Eyes

alastairq · Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1950 Location: East Yorkshire

By 'moderns', I would include anything made this century [for me, the years pass, but I hardly notice them these days].....the prevalence of plastic panels, sill covers, wheel arch covers, etc says to me that makers aren't bothered if the underneath steel rots out, as owners won't see it until it's far too late, and the vehicle ends up scrapped as a result.

[A case of, perhaps, ''what the eye cannot see, the heart doesn't worry about?'']

The Honda's rot was in plain view. Or so it appeared.

How many moderns are hiding stuff like that underneath the sill covers, eh?
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans

Try looking at any Jaguar made this century. F-types are known to have rusty rear suspension after one year, and the S-types and X-types are disappearing at a great rate of knots. It seems that the inner sills on an X-type have no protection whatsoever.

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:16 am Post subject:

badhuis · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1390 Location: Netherlands

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire

I know of a couple of X Type owners who have found the sills to be rotten both around the 14 year mark, one car was scrapped and the other repaired, the latter then developed a gearbox fault at 180,00 miles that resigned it to the scrap yard .

I suppose for some perspective "classic" mini owners would have bitten you hand off for sills that lasted 14 years!

One reason I posted the original post, is the peculiarity of the corrosion; when the outer sill is removed the inner looks as if its just come out of the factory? There didn't appear to be any sign of a previous repair, the sill isn't covered with plastic, yet it was so corroded that holes could be easily poked through it Shocked

if it had corroded from the inside there surely would have damage to the inner sill, corrosion from the outside would had bubbling flaky paint long before the steel was perforated, something that would have been noticed by the owner of a new top end Honda?

Any thoughts?

dave

alastairq · Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1950 Location: East Yorkshire

Is it anything to do with the grade of steel used?
In other words, what has been mixed into the steel itself?

I know FIAT had an issue with the steel sheet they got from Russia as part of the Lada deal....Seemed to rot from its own insides?
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

MrWhite · Joined: 09 May 2017 Posts: 105

I think you just have to treat modern cars like they do the classics on TV. When you get them home, strip them down, labeling and cataloging all the parts and send the body to the sandblasters.
Re-building obviously being a reversal of the above procedure, according to Haynes, then you will have the car you actually thought you had bought Cool

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:40 am Post subject:

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6304 Location: Derby

We (my wife and I) have had Lexus cars in recent years. They are not just about the most reliable and superbly built vehicles available but sufficient care has been taken to ensure they will be with us for many years to come.

That kind of protection and attention to detail doesn't come cheap. It is unfortunate that less expensive cars are not built to last because it falls to younger drivers to pick up the pieces - and they deserve better.

jddevel · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Cornwall

Although slightly off subject thought I`d mention that in the last few days I`ve been stripping back to bare metal, panels on my `48 MGTC using electrolysis in a barrel of caustic soda. Pleased with the ease and result.

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6304 Location: Derby

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

A while ago I had a quite new Fiat Punto ( yes, I know!) as my drive to work.
It was 4 years old when it developed an oil leak.
I was poking about with a screwdriver under it one day. I prodded the sump and the screwdriver went straight through the side.
This did not improve the oil leak at all.
It was also, possibly the least likely part of a car I would expect to corrode through.
It turned out that Fiat plastic coated the sumps on these cars, moisture got behind the coating and soon eat through the steel.
Later a new guy started at work with a similar car and asked me "have you had a new sump yet". So, a common problem.
The replacement sumps were painted steel only.

badhuis · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1390 Location: Netherlands