RUST! Need help deciding what to do...

Thread in 'Technical Questions' started by Niki, Sep 5, 2011.

?

What shall i do now...

  1. Weld, repair and pray it passes MOT

    58.3%
  2. Strip and rebuild from the ground up for racing

    25.0%
  3. Break and sell the lot

    16.7%
  1. Niki

    Niki Member

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    So, as stated my S13 (yea no surprise there that an s13 has rust?! :O ) has been sat for almost 2 years now while i've been off at uni and has collected some rust.

    A few of the obvious stuff, like arches and sills but the subframes aren't looking too great either.

    I'm worried that if i start repairing one patch of rust i'll find another, and another and so on...


    SO. My options.

    1. Sand down and repair each patch one at a time. Ignore the shabby subframe and hope it passes it's MOT?

    2. Strip the lot, piss my dad off, and build up the car for track racing?

    3. Break and sell the lot?
     
  2. sx-si

    sx-si anti-copy parts

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    i would go with
    4. get a screwdriver and poke about the sills, inner archs, pull carpet up inside the footwells and see how bad it is before i begun to think about repairing it

    then you get 50% of an idea how much tinworm is there
     
  3. Niki

    Niki Member

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    Inside isn't too bad... replaced the carpet a few months ago and there wasn't any inside to worry about.
    Just the sills (usual jacking points were fisted and near the front and rear arches where they usually go.
     
  4. friswell

    friswell Member

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    i agree

    get out and have a poke at it see how bad it all is before you make a decision on what to do . it might make your mind up for you
     
  5. Niki

    Niki Member

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    As stated, already done the poking! It's just the decision on where to go now!
    I have access to a mig welder. It's just time and effort really as i don't have a garage to work in
     
  6. friswell

    friswell Member

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    yea just me being too slow.
    id say all depends on if you planon keeping it or if you think you will get bored after welding it . or if you can afford to loose aload of money on it, i prosume your a student and wouldnt be keen on the idea of selling it for next to nothing and leaving you without a car,

    i rekon if you can weld then crack on and do it yourself at least that way it ill be sorted and shouldnt need doing for some time
     
  7. Niki

    Niki Member

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    I can TIG weld like a boss, but not sure about MIG - would prob get my mate to do that... :thumbs:

    I WAS a student, just finished. So no money, paying off loans etc! So got to do everything on the cheap!

    I do have another car, so not having a car isn't too much of an issue for a while. And i would miss this car as i do love it (about as much as i'm hating it right now!) Just been ages since i even drove it!!

    I'm thinking weld the obvious bits... and see how the MOT goes!
     
  8. NORFY

    NORFY Active Member

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    Why don't you just take it down for an mot and see how much it fails on. That way you'll have an idea of the cost and parts needed to make it roadworthy, if it needs too much then break it
     
  9. Stavros

    Stavros Active Member

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    Surely if you can TIG, MIG would be easy as fuck?
     
  10. karbonology

    karbonology New Member

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    Just replaced the entire inner rear arches and the outer arches on my ma70 turbo. I also needed to fabricate panels that are behind the bumper and wheel spsts that sit in front of the arch. It was a shed load of welding, but its done now and the car is rock solid. My point I guess is that its sometimes worth doing because at least you know what you have. Sell it on and buy something else, you are really starting from scratch with a new car and a potential new set of issues that might arise.

    I say get the mig out and crack on.
     
  11. Niki

    Niki Member

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    Dunno... like i said. Never done it! I know it's point and shoot etc but never had the need to use it!
    I'll give it a go if his welding looks too much like Pigeon s**t
     
  12. Niki

    Niki Member

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    If this was facebook, i would like that shit! ^^ :thumbs:
     
  13. scouse

    scouse Active Member

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    Have you got any pics to see what your dealing with?
    It might not be as bad as you say or then again:D,
     
  14. Niki

    Niki Member

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    No. I'll get out there and take a few snaps soon so you guys can get a better idea of what i'm dealing with!
     
  15. scouse

    scouse Active Member

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  16. Niki

    Niki Member

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    Cheers for the link dude. Looking at that, it is SUPER impressive. But scary to boot! Yea i can weld... but fuck! I couldn't do that! He's got a lot of available resources as well. Not sure if that's spurred me on or just made me want to buy a new rust free car! :confused:
     
  17. steveess13

    steveess13 Member

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    if youve got the gear crack on with it. surely you could get another subframe from someone on sxoc too many s13s beeing scraped/broken for parts :(
     
  18. Niki

    Niki Member

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    Yea... i think i'm just going to see what the MOT peeps say. And then IF by some miracle it passes, i'll slowly replace or refurb all the parts one at a time til i have a solid car
     
  19. weenface

    weenface Member

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    Repair it!
    Way too many s13's getting sent to the scrapyard in the sky!
     

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