Don't panic Mr Mannering!!:lol:

I had a small rust patch appear a few months after I bought my ZR. Here's the thread with a couple of suggestions: http://www.forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=89821

I never got round to sorting it. It hasn't increased in size though, so I'm not too worried.

Rich.

 

Cheers bud, looks like I will try that Jenolite.

Can you get primer touch up paints? As if i take this tiny bit back to the bare metal I would obviously need primer before I use the touch up pen and lacquer ya?

 

I don't know actually. Yeas it would need priming, and I would guess that there would be a small can of primer available, and just put it on with a small artists brush.

Rich.

 

My two brand new (then it was) Ford Focus ST170s had rust all over them after about 9 months. The dealer explained the problem. When the cars are made, they are transported by train to storage compounds. With the paint being soft, the iron filings off of the railway stick in the paintwork, and after time, they show as rusty. All it needed was a flat and polish, and all was well again.

Could the small patch of rust in the door, not be fallout? A bit of T cut and polish, and it could be cured?

 

Sounds like a nice little project actually. I love projects like this. Of course if they go wrong they can be expensive to fix but if it goes right I would be able to bask in my own ability to right a wrong for a few days

It looks like proper rust in the corner, well corroded, it is very small though but i don't want it to spead. So i will try the primer with brush I guess.

 

I must admit I was a bit shocked to see rust on a 2003 ZS180 I looked at over the weekend. It was on the boot hinges and also on the front and rear towing eyes. Plenty of the bolts in the engine bay were also rusted, together with some of the seams.

Most of the rust can be treated quite simply. For those spots that are slightly too big for a touch up pen to treat, do the following:

First, remove all traces of corrosion with an abrasive paper. (Take care to isolate the surrounding area so as not to damage the finish)

Once down to the bare metal, apply a rust treatment (e.g. Hammerite Kurust) in order to stabilise the surface.

Once the rust treatment is dry, apply a suitable zinc (rust resistant) primer to the area. Depending on the nature of the affected area, either use an aerosol can or brush.

After having applied a few light coats of primer (and allowing it to fully dry) lightly sand the area using varying grits of wet and dry. Try and leave a key for the base coat to adhere to. (This is only really necessary for slightly larger (e.g. 1-2 sq inches
+) areas.

Allow the primer to fully dry before applying the base coat.

Next, apply a few light coats of base (colour coat) to the area. Use a fine wet and dry paper to smoothen the finish in between coats.

Allow the base coat to dry before applying a suitable lacquer.

Any overspray can be dealt with using an abrasive compound (e.g T-Cut) once the paint has cured after a few weeks.

On a boot hinge where it may not be possible to use aerosol, use a touch up kit or a selection of artisits brushes to apply the treatment, and once dry, apply a thin smear of vaseline in order to repel moisture.

The above is just a very rough guide based on my own eperience, so if there are any pros out there then please jump in!

Steve

 

Sounds good, I will have to have a think about the door one and maybes start on the bolts as if I mess it up no one will notice!

When I am expert in the field I will do the door! ha!

 

Rust on a 2 year old car? Must have been chipped at some point?

If not just goes to show the Rover build quality dipped badly in the latter years. I have a 95 wedge sei and the only rust on it is on the nearside rear wheel arch which is understandable given its age.

If its not too big an area just rust treat and use the touch up pen.

 

I also have a 2005 ZR and I've had 2 rust spots (front wing bolts and one hatch hinge, the thing with rust is that you have to grind it all away for it to stay away. Which is what I did with a dremel and touch up pen. It's not really noticable and it's not come back and that was 8 months ago.

PS I'm not sure vaseline is a good idea, I read somewhere that it attracts moisture. I use waxoyl

 

I know the feeling!

I bought a 2 year old MG ZR (02 reg) and after 6 months I notice rust on the Bootlid, right by the window seal above the light. I left it n obviously got worse. Also now got it on the right rear wheel arch and its quite bad.

Just got a quote from the breakers for a Bootlid for £75 so gonna go for it.....cost at least £270 to get it repaired!!

......Not to mention the gearbox I now need replacing (after having a new clutch fitted last week!£300)

Am I jinxed??

 

The rusty boot hinges on the 200/25/zrMK1 and 2 is a well known problem. Rover knew about this for ages - did nothing. I had my 25 done under warranty. Removed the hatch replaced the hinges and respray areas affected. It is easy to rectify though. My 56 plate i got in November has a slight touch of rust near the hinge. I have cleaned it off and covered the area on both hinges with spray grease. However I got the car band new with 4K off the original price so I cant grumble about a touch of rust.

 

I think rust on a car as young as any ZR is disgusting. When I changed my 3rd brake light I had to take the spoiler off and I found tiny traces of rust under there on the boot lid. I put some hammerite No 1 on it then some touch up paint to stop it spreading.

I've just checked my boot hinges after reading this thread and found the first signs of rust so I will follow the same procedure with those. It reallty is shocking on a car thats barely over 3 years old.

 

I think rust on a car as young as any ZR is disgusting. When I changed my 3rd brake light I had to take the spoiler off and I found tiny traces of rust under there on the boot lid. I put some hammerite No 1 on it then some touch up paint to stop it spreading.

You haven't stopped your rust, you have just covered it up, it is still spreading under that hammerite. You must remove all traces of rust before treating it.

As for the boot hinges, it no surprise they rust, they use a square paper/cardboard washer between the hinge and the body, paper absorbs water.

 

i soak the hinges on my zr mk2 and streetwise in waxoly keeps the hinge lubricated and flows into the cracks in hot weather ,had a v reg 400 with the same problem .

 

So the old tale that rovers are "rust buckets" still stands then? I remember when I was kid people saying that. I'm 25 and bought one! yay! I am prepared to look past the rust because I think people tend to look at how amazing the car looks rather than the nasty little bits of rust.

All I can think is that there has been some damage to that corner of my door window frame to cause it to rust. I don't know if I should leave it and replace the door in a good few years if it gets worse or if I should take it to the metal and build it back up, I am worried I will make a mess of it as it is so close to the rubber seal.

I will have to take some pics and see what people have to say.

I'm not too worried about the boot hinge bolts as they are only bolts. My dad mentioned that he saw some spots of rust under the bonnet too. I think I will take some pics and then see what people reckon. Would be nice to zap all the rust now so that it doesn't come back and bite me on the bum later!

 

Rust is like a cancer if you dont catch it and treat it early enough it will spread. I have to say in general they are not rusty cars it sounds like it has been damaged.

 

I've no rust problems on mine, even the boot hinges have stood up well. I actually think they've changed the design at the back of the roof, just before the tailgate to stop water collecting (it looks different to how I remember it previously).

 

I think the rust on the door is from damage to the paintwork somehow. It is the only bit on the body anywhere, and even then it is in the corner. I noticed a few bolts under the bonner look a bit rusty too. Perhaps my car is a xmas/new year one! ha!

 

How are you people finding rust? It can only be damage as all cars of that age that went through Longbridge go through the same dipping ecoat process that bmws go through!?

 

I hope it did, but I have heard stories about cars made over the xmas period and workers being drunk and stuff, maybes it is just a rumour but my car does have rust on the right window door top left corner and on all the bolts keeping the boot on and a few bolts under the bonnet. Also there is a tad rust on the underside of the bonnet itself.

Maybes the previous owner used the car as a boat?

 

Workers drunk or not. The only way through paint is through the ecoat dips. So all panels should be perfect.

Bolts under the bonnet fair enough as tools can damage the protective coating and as supplied parts if the supplier rushes their protective coating processes then it will cause rusty bolts.