[Fleetw00d]

Check for chipped paint, bubbling paint, or rust there already. Also look for signs that the windshield has been replaced; if not sealed well it can lead to rust underneath the sealant.

 

[wannahonda]

Admin should we make this a sticky post in the shoppin' forum and maybe even the trading post forum?

 

[gjr]

'03 Element. I found a surprising rusty spot yesterday, worst one on the whole car. It is on top of the left front fender liner.

The other side is rusty but not as bad.

 

[te1966]

'03 Element. I found a surprising rusty spot yesterday, worst one on the whole car. It is on top of the left front fender liner.
View attachment 224758
The other side is rusty but not as bad.

Ouch! That looks serious!

Better check out your rear trailing arm mounts. If it is similarly rusted there you have big problems.

 

[gjr]

I knew the TRA mounts were a problem area so I did look at them. The driver's side is a little rusty but not even close to fatal.

I think this will be an easy repair. The spot doesn't show (it's covered by the fender liner) and it is fairly localized. A little cutting and grinding should clean it up. Bend a little sheet metal and weld it right over the top. There are a couple holes right there, it will be easy to get in with some spray schmutz to seal up the backside. Rustoleum on the front. Done.

 

[te1966]

I knew the TRA mounts were a problem area so I did look at them. The driver's side is a little rusty but not even close to fatal.

I think this will be an easy repair. The spot doesn't show (it's covered by the fender liner) and it is fairly localized. A little cutting and grinding should clean it up. Bend a little sheet metal and weld it right over the top. There are a couple holes right there, it will be easy to get in with some spray schmutz to seal up the backside. Rustoleum on the front. Done.

Glad to hear that!

It's really odd that it is so bad; but only in just that one spot! The surrounding area looks really clean.

 

[gjr]

Glad to hear that!

It's really odd that it is so bad; but only in just that one spot! The surrounding area looks really clean.

The only thing that I can think of is that the fender liner touches the body at the top and is flat up there. That let water (salty water here) sit and do its dirty work.

 

[SunnyK]

Great info. I ski a lot and they salt our roads. I will use this as a guide when I do my undercarriage wash down in the spring. Thank you Fleetwood.

 

[Southpaw she/her]

Always living out west, I get to just laugh at these pics. Realistically, You all would do better buying a west coast car and having it shipped east for circa $1000. Out west. Any rust, even surface rust makes a vehicle fall into the unsellable category! There is no such thing as "acceptable level of rust" here. I bet I could take any of my older vehicles back east and get an immediate 20% plus premium on them just for being rust free

 

[FranklinWrighttp]

Great info. I ski a lot and they salt our roads.

jiofi.local.html tplinklogin​

 

[2003]

Rocker Box and Frame Boxes

Anybody ever repair a rusted out pinch weld under the floor where you attach your wheel jack? Not asking if it's smart. Asking how much trouble it was.

For instance, found this on reddit:

Cut off everything rusty and fabricate/weld in new pieces of steel. Very time consuming to recreate the original structures, there's usually two or three layers in this seam where the inner and outer rocker panel are joined. There's usually some intermediate reinforcing panels inside the rocker area...it can get quite complex.

I do kinda wonder if the [biggest] local welding shop would be game for something like that, but wanted to check in to set some expectations first if anyone's tried successfully.

(I mean, before the floodgates open, I agree. I think this is conventionally the best advice: "it's probably not worth fixing. Just try to get your money's worth out of this car, then sell it and buy a different one. might be a good parts car. If you are super attached to it, you can have it restored, but it won't be worth it financially" -- drive it until you're ready for something else or something goes wrong, then give it up. Man, salt is evil. 🤨)

 

[bigred05]

How advanced or problematic is this amount of rust on a 2005? Obviously not ideal but it hasn't caused any issues and it seems like with some rust prevention treatment and/or a move to a drier/salt free environment it wouldn't progress further or cause problems.

 

[Fleetw00d]

What I see looks good. The rear suspension may be difficult to service because of rusty bolts. The most important area we need to see is the rear lower control arm forward mount area.

 

[Old Faithful]

How advanced or problematic is this amount of rust on a 2005? Obviously not ideal but it hasn't caused any issues and it seems like with some rust prevention treatment and/or a move to a drier/salt free environment it wouldn't progress further or cause problems.

When I see pictures like this I really get envious - we NEVER see undercarriages in such a clean condition on any cars older than 5 years here in the rust belt, unless they've been undercoated. Just check the rear suspension trailing arm attachment like Fleetwood said and tap on the area to sound it out to make sure it's still solid. When rust proofing, make sure to inject the cavities generously before you shoot the exterior. On a slightly rusted vehicle like this one it should take less than 3 quarts of Fluid Film or similar product. Rust has a rougher surface so it needs a thicker layer to do its job.

 

[bigred05]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Great to hear as I didn't really have much of a reference

 

[bigred05]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Great to hear as I didn't really have much of a reference

 

[bigred05]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Great to hear as I didn't really have much of a reference