Ever have a day, Oppo, where everything is great and then...

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike) 09/13/2020 at 15:51 • Filed to: ARGH

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....BAM, things start to suck? :(

My day was going awesome...had some computer appointments this morning, calling to book an appointment to get my e xhaust leak and my feel overflow issue fixed tomorrow...saw a gorgeous first-gen Toyota Celica and a 1920s Chevrolet on the way home which both put a huge smile on my face!

Then noticed that my taillight was rubbing against the body and wore the paint away in a small spot to the point it was rusting.

That sucked....BUT....I’m not surprised as this was the corner I’d hit in my small accident the other year and the first shop that had put everything back together had not done the greatest job, SO...I pulled out my file, sanded back the lip on the taillight very carefully so it would no longer rub, pulled out some sandpaper, gently sanded away as much rust as I could where the paint had rubbed off, cleaned it up with grease and dirt remover, then used my touch-up pen to dab the whole spot repeatedly until it was covered. Then I let it dry and dabbed the whole thing again. It’s not pretty, but it’s in a spot nobody sees and it will protect it....I’d done it on a spot on my head where something had flown up into it and made an indent that had started rusting over a year ago and that has yet to rust again.

Before.

After.

So, here I was happy I’d fixed a little issue that could’ve been worse, proud of myself for doing so, cleaning up my things about to head inside, WHEN I noticed...

...ON THE SAME BLOODY WHEEL ARCH LIP I’VE NOW HAD FIXED TWICE IN THE LAST 2 YEARS. It wasn’t even there one or two days ago!!! I’m so accustomed to that spot rusting that I check it pretty much every time I walk up to my car, and I didn’t see it yesterday that I can recall, and it hasn’t rained for two or three days!

I’m pretty bummed Oppo, it deflated my whole day....I know they say once something’s been touched, it’s impossible to keep the rust monster away, but is it too much to ask that my poor car can go more than a year without rusting out in that same spot? The driver’s side that has NEVER been touched is still PERFECT :(

.....I can afford to fix it, but bodywork is really expensive here and I didn’t need this on top of my upcoming exhaust and fuel overflow issue bills. I’ll need to get it done before the really rainy season starts here and before the doom-salty winter sets in...

Nick Has an Exocet > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 15:57

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If it tries t o bubble, toss some rust c onverter before painting.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:02

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I can’t really say much more than a resounding “that sucks.” It does seem like you have just had abysmal luck with getting that one spot locked down. What causes the bubbling like that? Besides rust I mean. Li ke, what specific sort of thing causes it to return again and again? Contamination when painting? In adequate sanding and rust removal?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/13/2020 at 16:19

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I honestly have no idea...somebody said it’s water coming in somehow from behind, but when I took my camera and looked from the wheel well out towards where the spot is, all I see is the undercoating I get done every year and road dirt :S

The only thing I see that could be it is that SLIGHTLY darker spot just above that small shadow on the left-center of that photo...

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:22

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Unfortunately, cars rust from the inside out. By the time you see it, it’s been feasting on your tin for quite some time. There was a focus parked next to me in a parking lot last week. It was so rusty that it was s agging and the doors didn’t close properly It was a 20 12 or newer. If I had had my phone it would have been posted here. R ight around the time I was wondering how it was even on the road (cars don’t get that rusty here, yes I realize that it’s mister rust saying this) Then the engine knocked to life and it drove away, with Nova Scotia plates. Oh, that makes sense I said to myself.  

MM54 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:24

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There’s multiple layers of metal there and most likely moisture gets between them and the outer layer is rusting from the inside. Cut & weld is the only way to get rid of that sort of corrosion for good since there’s no way to access the back of the outer skin.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nick Has an Exocet 09/13/2020 at 16:30

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I didn’t have any to hand when I fix ed the little spot near the taillight. I’d done the same ‘patch’ job on a spot on my hood last year and that hasn’t come back yet, so I think that spot will be fine. Going to see if there any spots that can fix this rust bubbling area again before it gets worse and before the rainy fall and salty winter weather arrive o make it a LOT worse...

My bird IS the word > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:34

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Also if its bare metal you should be using self etching primer so the paint doesnt lift.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > MM54 09/13/2020 at 16:34

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Yup, going to call around the local shops to get an estimate.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 09/13/2020 at 16:35

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Yup....I love it here, but I regret living here because of how hellish it is on cars. :(

Maybe I should just, like....buy a Peel P50 or something with a fiberglass body so it will never rust...lol

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:35

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I just made my first payment on my new to me Mazda 2 and it already needs a knock sensor and the neighbor backed his lifter trucks pintle hitch into my trunk, went right over my bumper. 

Wacko > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:37

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I gave up on the war against rust on my DDs here in north western Quebec. All the time and effort ain’t really worth it on a car that is no longer under warranty. Hell they rust over here even when under warranty.

It took me over 20 years of driving here to get to this point. I’m not planning to keep my cars long enough to fix some small surface rust, since the rest we don’t see is rusting anyways. I just try to by cars that have better rust track records. So no fords and no more Mazda’s for me. I stopped buying civics in the 90s because of rust(went to Mazda, not knowing that new protege5 came to Canada pre- rusted.....)

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 16:42

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Keep in mine, some insurance companies will warranty body shop repairs for the life of the vehicle , if the work was under a claim.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 09/13/2020 at 16:56

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Sadly, with my fender bender, it was not under a claim as the cost was less than $1500 for the repair estimate....it only involved me; I was going around a corner at 50kph on a side road in the winter and hit some black ice, back stepped out and that rear corner connected with a guardrail. I drove to work and then home and had the damage repaired the following week.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Wacko 09/13/2020 at 17:02

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Yeah, I got my Accent because it was basic, but came with a good track record for reliability and durability. I’ve had a few spots touched up....behind the front wheels on the rockers, the rear hatch and that fender/wheel arch lip, primarily. The rockers behind the front wheels were only surface rust because the dirt kicked up by the tires would sandblast them as I drove, and some of the roads around here are gravel, so I can forgive the car that.

The rear hatch and that rear-right quarter were both repainted from the accident back in 2015 and both have either not been repaired right or have started rusting out ‘normally’ since. The first time I had this wheel arch fixed, it started rusting back out within 2.5 months in the exact same place because the shop did such a shoddy job! :/

THIS spot, this time, however, I think is just ‘genuine, normal’ rust as the exact spot where the rust bubble was WAS repainted before (this whole side was behind the door), but that spot in particular was never REPAIRED for rust before....I’m guessing it’s coming through from behind.

Thing is, I really like this car, as basic and crappy as it is, so I feel really bad when anything happens to it. I sortof think of it as the last of an era, in a way, because everything nowadays is all about tech and fancy gizmos and comfort features...this was one of the last true cars you could get here that YOU actually have to DRIVE, heh....no nannys and sensors and automatic this and that.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali 09/13/2020 at 17:03

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Damn, that sucks man! I quite like the little 2! I’d considered one when I got my Accent, but there aren’t anywhere near as many around here. They do seem to be durable though and I have seen very few that have rust...? Maybe it’s just me....they seem like they were solidly built!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > My bird IS the word 09/13/2020 at 17:05

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Yeah....probably should’ve done that...the spot I touched up by the taillight is only, maybe...2.5cm long...? So I didn’t think there was a need to bother...I’ll keep an eye on it though.

As for the rust spot to get repaired, I would hope whatever shop does it for me knows that, haha!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 17:32

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That’s not a bad guess but I don’t see how water is getting trapped there. It’s a really odd place for a persistent rust spot. Not odd for rusting but odd for returning rust.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Khalbali 09/13/2020 at 17:40

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Aw, that really sucks. Getting that trunk repaired soon? The knock sensor is a real bummer though.

I like the Mazda 2. How are they to drive?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/13/2020 at 17:47

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There is a pinch seem on the lip where two pieces of meal come together, I guess water gets in there and rusts from the inside out...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 18:07

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I forgot about that. Yeah, that would do it. 

Khalbali > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/13/2020 at 18:16

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It’s fantastic, I love it, it’s actually my second one, first one was destroyed by hail shortly after moving to Denver. The guy left a note, hilariously I had just been through this process a month ago when my wife hit his daughter’s civic. It’s an apartment lot though so if he didn’t leave a note I would have been S.O.L. It was nice and cheap, there’s some aftermar ket but not so much that I can blow a bunch of cash on it, it’s old enough that there’s no direct injection so it has a decent growl, it's been a great little runabout so far, I've owned tons of Mazdas but I love the 2 most, and I've still been averaging 30-35 mpg even beating on it. 

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 18:19

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They are, this is my second, first one I bought brand new and got destroyed by hail a couple months after I moved to Denver. This one is a 2012 with almost 80k, one a noting rattle from a clip in the headliner but that's it, doors are tinny but it's super lightweight so I won't complain too much. Haven't really seen rust issues post 2010 or so on Mazdas, obviously older ones were bad but I'm a huge Mazda guy, I've owned a 3, two 2s, two miatas and a festiva that had a Mazda engine so I count it even though it was built by Kia (wife has a Rio). 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Khalbali 09/13/2020 at 18:23

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I don’t think I’ve heard anything bad about the 2 from people that owned one. Those 2000s to 2010s Mazdas in particular tended to have great handling characteristics even if their interiors were a bit crap. It’s fine on a cheap and simple runabout like the 2.

Glad he left a note. Perhaps it’ll be a lesson about leaving the tow ball on. 

My brother’s first car was a 2008 V6 Mazda6 and that thing was amazing. Way more fun to drive than it had any right to be. Too bad it developed a timing issue and the engine blew up in it.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Khalbali 09/13/2020 at 18:28

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I’d love a current 3 hatchback if...
A. I could afford one.
B. That rear pillar wasn’t so bloody massive!!!

Khalbali > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/13/2020 at 22:18

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My wife really wants one, she’s wanted a 3 for years it’s her dream car. Mine was a 2015 so the previous ge n, it was a good daily but always meant to be short term until the ND hit lots, although I ended up not even waiting that long and getting a loaded NC instead.

Khalbali > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/13/2020 at 22:24

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Maybe a lesson but doesn’t have anything to do with the hitch, if anything that saved my rear window. He was pulled forward in the space but the hitch was still hanging across the line in the space behind, I backed in behind so that I was just at the very front of my space, which in a small car meant there was like 3+ feet between my rear and his hitch. So he must have not seen my car at all and just tried to back straight up thinking the space behind him was empty. The old Mazda 6s were great too, the v6 was a Ford motor though so that’s your problem. All recent Mazda v6s were duratecs, and much less reliable than the 4 bangers (cx7 aside). Somebody did trade a manual v6 wagon in while I worked at a Mazda dealer, I almost bought it but it was completely golf balled from Denver' s yearly hail extravaganza.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Khalbali 09/13/2020 at 23:49

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Yet another reason why high up does not equal visibility. Could have been worse though.

That first gen was way more fun to drive than it had any right to be. Small, nimble, and great handling even with that heavy old V6 up front. Never got to drive it much and it was an auto, but still lots of fun. I see even less of the wagons than I do hatchbacks so that was a rare bird indeed. 

And yeah, Ford. Found on the road dead is being kind to the reliability of some of their stuff.

He bought a Fusion after that which has been mechanically solid but the interior my God! After only 6 years the steering wheel was literally disintegrating in your hands. It looks like the surface of the moon. The rest of the interior is almost as UV damaged. And it has the water-stain-o-matic seats.