Rust and a Tire Rotation

"uofime" (uofime) 08/11/2014 at 21:27 • Filed to: None

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I just got done rotating the tires on my car (a 01 Ford Esort). While doing the rotation I was forced to further admit what I had already known, my car is dying a rusty death.

I had already know that it wasn't in great shape, the side skirts are almost completely rusted out along the bottom, there are small rust spots above the rear wheel arches, but up until now I've been telling myself that it was all just superficial. Well that's not entirely true either, I did discover and just 2 weekends ago repair a part of the floor that had rusted through. Still that's all just superficial, it's got good bones damnit!

Well... no, no it doesn't.

The first sign of trouble came when I was just trying to jack the rear of the car up, I'd stuck my head under there to look for a good solid spot to stick my jack. Looking a the suspension mounting point for I guess I'd call it the semi-trailing arm, I see that it is rusting, the paint is falling off and frankly the steel underneath doesn't look great. I look around a little more for something that looks better, but there's nothing else so I just go ahead and use that point since I have no other option (fortunately it didn't collapse).

So now I've got both wheels off the passenger side and I'm sitting looking at the front corner, It's not good. everything's rusting, the ARB has the paint all chipping off and once again the metal underneath doesn't look good either, the rubber bushings and boots are all cracking, even the ones on the tie-rod ends that I replaced a scant 40,000 miles ago.

Yep, my car is dying.

It really sucks, because there is not much I can do about it. it's a unibody car and it's not like anyone makes patch panels for the thing either. Although in truth even if they did it really wouldn't be worth it if I'm honest. Such is life for an econobox I suppose, driven hard until the wheels quite literally fall off and then unceremoniously crushed ( I really don't think I can sell this car in good conscious, so it may even have to be me how pulls this trigger at the scrapyard)

I've had this car since I was 16 years old, I may not have loved it when I got it, but I have to admit that it has served me well over the last seven years. We have had a lot of good times together and it will be sad to see it go.

crowmolly > uofime 08/11/2014 at 21:31

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Post some pics. Some us have some history with rust repair and might be able to help you ;)

A wire brush, POR15, and a topcoat is sometimes all you need.

uofime > crowmolly 08/11/2014 at 22:57

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It started raining right after I finished so I can't take pictures. The side skirts are totally rusted through, they rusted from the inside out, some how water must have gotten inside them, by the end of last winter there was nothing to them but the paint. For the floor, I already fixed that with some paint, sheet metal and a bunch of rivets. You really could probably fix the wheel arches and more or less save the main structure as you suggested, but in the end the car has 120k miles and the 2L SOHC that at this point could drop a valve seat and grenade itself any day