After lifting the bonnet I discovered the front cross member had rust through and it is now none existent as its snapped in half. The rest of the bonnet is orange colored instead of silver but appears solid.
I then lifted the carpet to get an idea of what the chassis is like, again the same story orange instead of silver. The car is a 2000 W with 70,000 miles on the clock.
Surely no car made in 2000 should be so rusty it looks like it has been in the irish sea for the past 5 years?
Either way she has decided against getting an MOT done and is going to sell the car instead.
Edit on the other hand I have just seen this
cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-KA-96--FRONT-LOWER-CROSS-MEMBE...m
But then its the rest of the rust too :(
Edited by Rattle on 01/03/2008 at 16:38
|
No suprise at all, the Ka esp is known to be a rust bucket with the Mondeos following closely behind.
Shocking that Ford get away with it though. My 13 year old Rover I just sold only had a few spots on the arches - not a spot underneath.
|
|
And let the suspension collapse under someone else??
|
No, the car will be sold without an MOT, and will be sold for spares and repairs. I am actually nervous about her driving it.
What I find so strange is my 10+ year old Fiesta doesn't even have rust on the wheel arches. yet this 3 year newer Ka is a complete rust bucket. I am wondering if the department of transport would be interested in these rust issues? It seems that one year they can be fine, the next they have eaten away making the MOT useless.
|
DfT won't be interested, they've seen plenty of rust-buckets far worse than the Ka over the years.
It all depends on climate (near the sea, sunny Scotland) and storage (garage/drive). You'll find newer that's worse and older that's better.
Why say it's scrap? If you clean up the rust you may find the underlying problem is mainly pin-prick rust spots which have stained surrounding paintwork. Don't sell it as spares or repair, it's worth more than that.
|
|
|
>>one year they can be fine, the next they have eaten away making the MOT useless.
The MOT can never guarantee that a car will be OK for a full year. All it shows is that the vehicle passes a number of defined inspection/test items on that day. The MOT can't find all the possible ways for a car to be dangerous - the testers cannot remove any covers. So, even on the day of the MOT, with a clean new certificate, you can have a dangerous car.
Rather than regard the MOT as the means by which vehicle condition is determined, it should be seen as an independent (backup) check to make sure that your servicing and inspection regime is up to scratch. It is routine servicing and maintenance which ensures safety, and the MOT just provides a backup (albeit mandatory) check.
|
|
|
|
|
No suprise at all the Ka esp is known to be a rust bucket with the Mondeos following closely behind.>>
Are Mondeos that bad? Mine's in its 11th year now - and while it has some rust starting on the sill and round the inner edge of the wheel-arches, it should last a few years yet - at least, I hope it does! I see plenty of elderly Mondeos about - though usually with their bumpers cracked to a greater or lesser extent.
|
|
Mondeos can be bad yes - ive seen quite a few of the last model with rusty arches, sills and doors - you may think oh but its a fairly old car now, but looking at cars of similar age, they have no such problems. It is actually quite rare now for cars even up to ten years old to have anything other than the odd bit of light corrosion, unless its been poorly repaired by a bodyshop, such as my van which rusted within a year ( a whole other story ).
|
Stu, Do ever get a customer wanting the salt washed off from underneath? I wash underneath our cars, but have never seen anyone else bother.
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 01/03/2008 at 21:38
|
Without jacking a car up its pretty difficult to get the angles right to pressure wash under a car and nobody is really that bothered although I do have a customer with an XKR ( new one ) who likes the car rinsed off even on snowy day in order to remove road salt.
That said, if a car is properly undersealed, underneath shouldnt rust - my van doesnt appear to have any protection underneath so this summer im treating it to waxoyl which thanks to its decent ground clearance is very easy, plus its white so can see where ive done :) but then I want my van to last as long as poss.
|
|
|
Stu Do ever get a customer wanting the salt washed off from underneath? I wash underneath our cars but have never seen anyone else bother.
I'm in your team Oilrag.
After a wet spell this time of year i take the car through a long ford as well on the way home to splash some nice clean water into the nooks, then i've been known to get the hose out with the nossle on and wash underneath in the pouring rain sometimes in the pitch dark with the outside lights on.
Yes i often think i'm crackers but SWMBO (in whose eyes i can do no wrong) always reminds me that our cars last very well, i still reckon i'm barmy though.
Stu, i'm going to try and recruit you to do your thing with our jalopies, there must be some way i can find you (i'm only 12 miles North of N'pton).
Regarding the OP, i've noticed this with mass produced cars in recent years, one year no rust, following year blimey the whole vehicles riddled.
Waxoyle and elbow grease.
|
|
GB - I can indeed be found although I cant directly advertise on here obviously. What jalopies ya got? I love jalopies, my fave type of cars :-)
|
What jalopies ya got? I love jalopies my fave type of cars :-)
A newish hilux and a 12 years old merc coupe, the coupe may become a legacy this year.
I may need some hints in my search.
|
If you can get a copy of the Brixworth directory, there's only one valeter from Chapel Brampton so I hear lol, blinking good he is too ( distant trumpet being blown :-) A fan of old Mercs he is, not so much the Hilux as they always seem to be filthy!
Stuart only put that in as you'd tripped the swear filter !
Edited by Pugugly on 02/03/2008 at 16:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
