Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 13:51
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - Floyd

The Mrs has a 58 reg Ka with the usual rust around the fuel filler cap.

I've been told that a kit is available so that a qualified person can effectively cut out the rusty bit and replace it with new.

Has anyone had this done, on a Ka or any other make of motor?

It's a case of fix it or get rid - Mrs really likes the Ka so I'm prepared to spend a little on it to keep it going.

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 14:45
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - badbusdriver

Depends how fussy you are about the end result. What I'd be inclined to do is rub down the affected area down to bare metal with wire brush attachment for grinder, treat with Ku-rust, prime and paint it using an aerosol can (Halfords or your nearest body repair shop will be able to sell you one). Unless the car really is loved, there isn't much point in spending a small fortune having it repaired professionally (though it will look better!).

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 21:40
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - SLO76
The origional Ka was an excellent little city car and will soon become a cult classic thanks to its distinctive styling, outstanding handling and ease of maintenance but sadly they share one other thing in common with many classic cars... they rot like it's the 1970's over again.

They have little real value now but good examples will only increase in value from here so even if you do spend a few quid repairing it to a decent standard it's likely to be worthwhile but this does depend on whether the car is fundamentally sound and worthy of the effort. Tatty cars will never be worth anything but low mileage solid examples will rapidly jump in value as survivors become thin on the ground.

I loved driving and selling these and have seen many pass through my hands over the years without any serious issues. It's probably the closest thing to the classic Mini to drive and in spirit in recent years than anything else.

If it's a good one then repair it and keep it nice. It'll be depreciation free, great fun to drive, cheap for bits and will soon be a true modern classic.
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Sat 8 Jul 2017 11:05
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - Floyd

Thanks for the replies.

I think I'll get a couple of quotes for a repair job. My car skills are limitied, especially with bodywork and painting.

The Mrs was looking at getting another Ka but a lot of them have this problem. For similar money we could get this one fixed, and at least we know its recent history. Better than buying another one that we know nothing about.

When we bought it my thinking was to get a late one as it would be less likely to have problems. The fault in that logic is that Ford hadn't done anything to address the problem of rust round the fuel filler cap. Frustrating, because I've seen much older examples with no rust at all!

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Sat 8 Jul 2017 13:34
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - galileo

Thanks for the replies.

I think I'll get a couple of quotes for a repair job. My car skills are limitied, especially with bodywork and painting.

The Mrs was looking at getting another Ka but a lot of them have this problem. For similar money we could get this one fixed, and at least we know its recent history. Better than buying another one that we know nothing about.

When we bought it my thinking was to get a late one as it would be less likely to have problems. The fault in that logic is that Ford hadn't done anything to address the problem of rust round the fuel filler cap. Frustrating, because I've seen much older examples with no rust at all!

The older ones may not have rust round the filler, did you look underneath them though? Rust free Ka's are somewhat rare.

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Sat 8 Jul 2017 21:24
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - Terry W

Great little city cars but smitten by the rust bug.

Originally they were built down to a price and it shows. They sold on low price only and regarded by Ford (I imagine) as second car shopping trolleys with a useful life of 8-10 years before becoming uneconomic to repair

I agree with other posters that in years to come rust free, well maintained examples will be sought after. At the moment 2008 seem to go from around £400 (probably sheds with the same problems you have) to about £1000 for lowinsh mileage and (some) service history.

Spend money if you like it enough - but the financial choice would either be a change or run it till it drops/fails MOT

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Sun 9 Jul 2017 00:21
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - Avant

You must have one of the last of the original Kas. Anything later than 58-registered will be a completely different car based on the Fiat 500.

SWMBO had two original Kas in a row, and they were a hoot to drive. I've never tried a 2009-onwards model but they were reputed to be a lot less fun to drive.

I think your best bet, Floyd, is to check whether the underside of your Ka is sound. If it is, and it's only the area round the petrol filler needing attention, then it makes sense to get that bit refurbished.

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Fri 14 Jul 2017 23:20
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - kijhub

dont know much about the kit but either last year or 2015, Car Mechanics magazine did a feature on this specific issue, buying a kit and showing how such a repair could be done (due to it being a known regular problem)- might be useful looking to order a back copy from them?

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Fri 14 Jul 2017 23:41
Ford Ka 2008 MY - Repairing rust around the petrol filler cap - SLO76

dont know much about the kit but either last year or 2015, Car Mechanics magazine did a feature on this specific issue, buying a kit and showing how such a repair could be done (due to it being a known regular problem)- might be useful looking to order a back copy from them?

Forgot about that, I believe I've got it among the many piles of Car Mechanics mags that litter my office. A great read for the trader and amateur tinkerer alike.
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