[am1157]

Hi everyone, sorry my first post is to ask for help! Hopefully i'll be able to help out too one day!
A friend of mine has been doing t4's for a while now and couldnt resist joining in and got myself a 1998 1.9td.

Im excited about the whole process really, other than sorting out rust! theres a few sections:

the sliding door sill

passenger side step sill

outer sill drivers side (opposite sliding door)

B pillar section

Ive some experience welding, and quite confident with a mig welder but always pieces on a bench, never on a vehicle or remedial work like this. Would you all suggest I have a go? Or is this something for the pros? Any ideas on what itd cost to have someone else take care of this?

cheers!

 

[scruffytoo]

Hi everyone, sorry my first post is to ask for help! Hopefully i'll be able to help out too one day!
A friend of mine has been doing t4's for a while now and couldnt resist joining in and got myself a 1998 1.9td.

Im excited about the whole process really, other than sorting out rust! theres a few sections:

the sliding door sill

passenger side step sill

outer sill drivers side (opposite sliding door)

B pillar section

Ive some experience welding, and quite confident with a mig welder but always pieces on a bench, never on a vehicle or remedial work like this. Would you all suggest I have a go? Or is this something for the pros? Any ideas on what itd cost to have someone else take care of this?

cheers!

Images would help to a degree, sadly the only way you really find out is when you start doing the job (and what quality you want to achieve) ............ 1998 was a long time ago especially in the life of many T4's

 

[am1157]

oops images set to private... working now?

 

[scruffytoo]

oops images set to private... working now?

I'm not seeing pictures before my eyes

 

[hybrid800]

photos are visableT:

might be worth digging around the whole van searching for the rot - it WILL be there!I:

rust is like an iceberg - you only see the tip................

can be pointless starting to repair if theres nothing to weld to:*


AND.....

if anyonw tells you that t4's do not RUST they are lying

Rich.

 

[scruffytoo]

I'm with Rich (nothing personal) on this one. When you look at the way things have rusted, you know there has been huge neglect, so yes I would say there is bound to be more. So do as he says and hunt for it now.

The problem is not just that there is going to be rust (Rolls Royces rust), it's just the way some have been or not been looked after.

The reason the wheel arches rust for example is because the inner lip was not cleaned, and compacted road debris then holds water and the process starts. The scuttle drqin system (there really is none) does not help either, so front inner arches suffer! The sills get stone chipped or marked through use, once the paint is broken off you go. There are certain drain holes and rubber bungs, the holes get blocked and the bungs displaced .......... water enters or cannot escape ............... rust starts to form.

It's not the story of every T4 but you have to keep on top of them, or as I was yesterday underneath them. I found a small area of sealant had gone hard and was starting to peel..................... no damage, but Bilt Hamber to the rescue, and I will brush on some seam sealer later; then finish the job. That could and probably would be rust in a few more years time (mine is 21 at the end of this year) so you have to keep looking almost all the time I:

Don't be put off T4's though, great to own (had them over 27 years), it's just that like us, they are not getting any younger LOLLOL:

 

[defever]

Just out of curiosity...

Are these rust areas guarenteed to fail MOT?

I've been clearing the inner arches from time to time to remove the crud, but being a white van, the brown stain is slowly appearing on reailing edges of the wheel arches.

Whichever you go with repairing, good luck am1157!