Structural rust

[CharlieZ]

Just passing this on to benefit potential and newbie Festiva owners. I cut away a portion of the body skin behind the right rear door to replace the rusted area. Disappointed to find the *frame* rusted thru at a point just forward of the suspension attach point. I'm sure the other side is the same. Why wouldn't it be? My point is, when looking for a car you might want drive aggressively, or drive at interstate speeds with your wife and kids on board, a good inspection before you buy, would be prudent. When I bought my 90, I knew it had rust - but not to what extent. This is a hard place to get to and the compound curve in the structure makes a doubler a bit hard to fabricate. Besides, having to cut a hole in the side of the car. Arggg.

[NovaSS]

very common area to find rust, My 88 has it there, on the drivers frame rail and a small amount on the radiator support. All will be corrected but they are just a couple places to watch for

[hawkdoc60]

My 88 parts car is ate up with rust from front to rear, especially in the areas you mentioned, as well as the frame rails rusted through. If you look closely, the car is actually bowing a little bit in the area of the frame rails rusted through. Alas, this is why this is a parts car.

[hoggius]

oh the rusty blues

Living in michigan and driving for oh 24 years now, rust is my favorite friend. I wish I could get a nickle for all the rust i've removed and replaced with new metal. Well let me see, I would have about 75 cents. lol

Thats why my dream is to get a rust free festy, I would almost trade my yj for one..........well maybe not to that extreme, maybe my first born child,, yeah that's it, I would give my first child for a rust free festy. lol

[Omgloltokyodrift]

What is this "rust" thing you guys speak of?







=P
Just kidding.

[getnpsi]

i wonder if my cali festiva is worth a b6-e and ecu/harness yet.

i know people trade rolling fox mustangs for 5000 dollar race engines because of rust.

[neanderpaul]

Man I love living in VA for this very reason. I've had 3 out of 15 festivas with rust. Most here are 99 percent rust free.

[FestivaWilliam08]

Rust? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo :-)

[deathegg]

I can relate. After driving the DeathEgg for about 17 of it's 20 years in Pittsburgh, It is probably in it's last useful year as a daily driver because of rust. Frame rails, rad support, etc. Living here in SoCal for the past two years, the rust has stopped advancing, but after I move back to Pittsburgh next spring, the rust will start again, and I'd give it a year after that.

I will probably repair the rust myself, make it a convertible, and only drive it on nice summer days.

[wrestler3025]

Hey charlie, this is one of the areas that mine is rusted badly. I've cut out all fresh sheet metal from a donor car and I'm going to fix it this week. I mentioned it in this thread: http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16131 I guess this will be a lesson for the guys that are looking at cars in the rust belt. LOOK at the rear axle mouting point!!! hehehe Anyway good luck with it. I am going to try to remember to take pictures of my repair for all to enjoy hehehehe.

[CharlieZ]

Hey charlie, this is one of the areas that mine is rusted badly. I've cut out all fresh sheet metal from a donor car and I'm going to fix it this week. I mentioned it in this thread: http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16131 I guess this will be a lesson for the guys that are looking at cars in the rust belt. LOOK at the rear axle mouting point!!! hehehe Anyway good luck with it. I am going to try to remember to take pictures of my repair for all to enjoy hehehehe.

Man, you have a lot planned for a weeks *vacation* with the missus. <grin>
Looking forward to the pictures of the structural repair. Especially the shape of the repair pieces before welding them in. Iron oxide rules.

For me, my camera has become a part of my tool box.

Good luck
cz

[JPT]

Hey charlie, this is one of the areas that mine is rusted badly. I've cut out all fresh sheet metal from a donor car and I'm going to fix it this week. I mentioned it in this thread: http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16131 I guess this will be a lesson for the guys that are looking at cars in the rust belt. LOOK at the rear axle mouting point!!! hehehe Anyway good luck with it. I am going to try to remember to take pictures of my repair for all to enjoy hehehehe.

I've got the same problem



It's worse than it looks. All behind that bubble is rot. Pieces fall out all the time.

Luckily for me, the rot hasn't yet affected the frame.

I too am cutting a panel out of a donor car. Haven't done it yet. What did you use for cutting the panels? Good luck with your repairs and please, post pics!

[wrestler3025]

I used a Dewalt battery powered reciprocation saw. It was a pain in the butt due to the heat here in Atlanta, but I got it done:-)

It's a good thing my wife loves working on them with me. She is excited to get her car in tip top shape cosmetically. We already built the rest of the car, so that is out of the way.

[benms79]

Man I love living in VA for this very reason. I've had 3 out of 15 festivas with rust. Most here are 99 percent rust free.

yea same here im in nc every thing is pretty much rust free!

[solatare]

living in dry southern cali, i see all kinds of well preserved cars that rusted to nothing back east long before i was even born, like my 77 corona custom im currently trying to sell, the festivas i find in junkyards here have all been in better shape structurally than any of the ones i drove back east, kinda sad, arent very many of the little buggers left