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rocker panel rust

S

SVTJON87

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
3,682
Location
Glen Ellyn, IL
My worst fear came true. I pulled off the side skirt and found all of this. Yes the other side would be like this as well. I am guessing this is not repairable is it? I mean what can i do to slow the progression or fix this permanently? I need to show some pics to a body shop and see what they say, but i wanted to get all of your input.

:blackeye:

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I have seen one person that had the whole rocker replaced. so it can be done, but I'm not sure of the cost. and that isn't that bad yet. my car is worse and I have seen worse. its not a good feeling to know that I will not be able to change a flat on the rear of the car unless at home. I tried jacking the passanger side rear of the car from the pinch seam and it started to give ....
 
This is a common replacement in the U.K. If replacement rockers are not available (try J.C. Whitney in Chicago), a decent metal shop can fabricate replacements and get them welded in. If it will keep another SVT on the road, the repair will seem cheap.
 
Thats not horrible like already stated. a quality shop can fix it, I have seen worse. Make sure it's a good shop or in about 6months or so it will look like that again.
 
No not the center. The rear subframe comes forward to about where the wheel is. You gotta reach inwards a bit, but you can slip the jack right next to where the e-brake cable runs. I can show you next time I see you. I've had to do it a few times.
 
We don't have that problem in Florida :) Just fading paint.

My advice, SVTs are generally pretty cheap down here because people are mostly into Honda's. So bring $1,500 with you and drive back an Csvt home. I got mine for $900 (but it wasn't running, simple fix), my brother got his for $1200, my cousin bought one for $1600 and one I was looking at went for $1500 (going to buy his 3L tomorrow that he had for the car).

Don't mean to sound like an ass guys, I used to live in Detroit so I know all about rust. Just letting you know I have found plenty of cheap Contours down here.
 
Dougs SVT said:
Don't mean to sound like an ass guys, I used to live in Detroit so I know all about rust. Just letting you know I have found plenty of cheap Contours down here.
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I grew up in the Detroit area too. My favorite saying back then was:

"On a clear night, you can hear a Ford rust."

Of course, this really applied to all cars but it has always been good for a few laughs.
 
That isn't so bad. Doesn't even look like it has rusted through at all. Like it has been said before, a body shop can clean that up real quick, or if you want, you could just sand all that off and fix it yourself.

mrspindlelegs said:
I grew up in the Detroit area too. My favorite saying back then was:

"On a clear night, you can hear a Ford rust."

Of course, this really applied to all cars but it has always been good for a few laughs.
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That is because you can hear chebbies rust even on stormy nights :D
 
My paint is starting to bubble around that same place too. Is there anything that can be done to stop further rusting...or once the area is fixed, to stop rust from attacking the newly fixed area?
 
the sad thing is that most of this can be avoided but taking the side skirts off every spring and cleaning them out. a lot of dirt gets stuck inside the front and rear of the side skirt. exactly where my rust it. on the other side of the car i could stick a screwdriver through the rear wheel well area if i wanted to. but that is the worst spot. the car still jacks fine.

Thank you guys, i feel better now. I got all depressed and was dreading selling the SVT. i cant just watch a car rust out. i would have to sell it. I love these cars soo much. looks like i will be talking to some body shops.
 
mrspindlelegs said:
I grew up in the Detroit area too. My favorite saying back then was:

"On a clear night, you can hear a Ford rust."

Of course, this really applied to all cars but it has always been good for a few laughs.
Click to expand...

Yeah good old pot holes too. How I don't miss those either. Atleast in Michigan I wouldn't be sweating standing still doing nothing in the summer. Florida has two seasons.... Hot and Hotter.
 
No it can't be prevented. My car has never had sideskirts, and it rusted just the same. Dirt gets BEHIND the rocker,which is almost completely non-accessible to us.
 
SVTJON87 said:
the sad thing is that most of this can be avoided but taking the side skirts off every spring and cleaning them out. a lot of dirt gets stuck inside the front and rear of the side skirt....
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zorrex said:
No it can't be prevented. My car has never had sideskirts, and it rusted just the same. Dirt gets BEHIND the rocker,which is almost completely non-accessible to us.
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I just wanted to add that the sunroof drain tubes run down the pillar of contours and exits/drains into the inside of the rockers towards the rear on these cars. So any salty splash left overs or when you wash your car, if any of that salt water makes its way into the sun roof area it will run down tubes and drip into your rocker and get caught between the pinch welds. ;)
 
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