Topic

aidanodr
By: aidanodr
Posts: 68
Joined: 13/03/09

2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

Posted: Jul 26 2012 Views: 81
Content is edited

Hi Guys,

I am having no luck with my 5's. First one I had in 2009, bad winter, skidded on ice - a frozen spring coming up through the road. Ploughed into a ditch. Write off.

Purchased another 03 with insurance. Have had this since. Went recently to mechanic to sort siezed back passenger caliper and get new pads all round. Mechanic said he had bad news. The chassis was showing rust "from the inside" and alot more than a year ago when last serviced.

I am in Ireland, this MX is a UK import. Salt maybe? Anyway we have an MOT here called the NCT ( http://www.nct.ie/ ) & recently they have been failing big time with rust on the chassis.

My MOT/NCT is up next March 2013, my mechanic advices to trade it in fast before then becuase if it fails it could cost a hell of a lot to sort.

Is this good advice? Any one else here have similar experience?

Replies

  1. /My-Page/?userId=2819

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Chassis Rust & MOT

    Aidanodr..

    It's the one thing that will render the car scrap!.....

    And once set in is pretty hard to eradicate. It probably can be repaired but at a cost.....Maybe you could take it to a bodyshop & get a second opinion?

    They will give you a good idea what it will cost & you can take it from there.

    Garffey.


     Tha' can alus tell a Yorkshireman, but tha' can't tell him much.

    Also: never ask someone if they're from Yorkshire. If they're not, they'll be embarrassed. If they are, they'll already have told you.

     

    Metropolitan Grey 1.8 Ac SE Rc with compulsory 'Oakers' sticker.....Thats it!!!!.....Not even DSC to annoy me!



    Content is edited
    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: Garffey   Posts: 3117
  2. /My-Page/?userId=6939

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Chassis Rust & MOT

    Rust, especially around the sills and rear arches, is the one weak point of the mk2/2.5.  I would go to a couple of trusted bodyshops and see what their opinion is.  The only potential problem, if it really is rusting from the inside out, is that they won't know the full extent of the rust until they start cutting metal away.

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: roadster 2.5   Posts: 1314
  3. /My-Page/?userId=215

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Chassis Rust & MOT

    Hi Guys,

    Thank you for the replies.

    Here are a few photos of my 5s chassis -

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: aidanodr   Posts: 68
  4. /My-Page/?userId=10161

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Chassis Rust & MOT

    I think there is some confusion here, your photographs are of the suspension arms and bracing struts.  Have a good look at the body just forward of the rear wheel arches and inside the outer lip of the arches.

        Regards  Geoff Peace.

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: Geoff Peace   Posts: 96
  5. /My-Page/?userId=215

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Chassis Rust & MOT

    27/07/2012 06:50:47, Geoff Peace said:
    "

    I think there is some confusion here, your photographs are of the suspension arms and bracing struts.  Have a good look at the body just forward of the rear wheel arches and inside the outer lip of the arches.

        Regards  Geoff Peace.

    "

    No rust to the body in any of the areas you specify. If you mean inside the wheel arches & all the body work, thats fine. The rust is on the "under carriage" / Chassis where I took these photo's.

    Its this rust that our MOT bods here in Ireland are apparently failing. They call it rust on the structural areas.

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: aidanodr   Posts: 68
  6. /My-Page/?userId=6939

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

    The suspension arms and the bracing bars look like they would probably clean up with a wire wheel on a drill, then repaint.  From your original post I thought you were talkng about the inner wings and the sills - these are load bearing parts of the monocoque.

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: roadster 2.5   Posts: 1314
  7. /My-Page/?userId=215

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

    Sorry for the confusion guys.

    I am reading that our 5's "Rust from the inside out" - pardon my ignorance but what does this mean? mechanic said this about the rust under my 5!

    Whats cheesing me off about this is the car is driving perfectly and the body is solid with no rust whatsoever. The only place with rust is under her when up on a pit as per pictures above.

    Here is my motor:

    Content is edited
    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: aidanodr   Posts: 68
  8. /My-Page/?userId=6939

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

    27/07/2012 09:16:24, aidanodr said:
    "

    Sorry for the confusion guys.

    I am reading that our 5's "Rust from the inside out" - pardon my ignorance but what does this mean? mechanic said this about the rust under my 5!"

    Two things can happen.  First, if the drain holes get blocked the sills can fill with water and start to rust from the inside of the sill.  By the time you see surface rust from the outside there is much worse damage lying underneath.  Second, if you look at the bottom of the rear arch where it meets the sill you will see two sheets of metal together.  They are not sealed very well and so there is a danger that muck/salt can get trapped and the inner wing can rust away out of sight.

    From your pictures it looks like the suspension arms and bracing bars have surface corrosion.  Like I said earlier, it will probably just be surface rust that can be removed with a good wire wool session.  Alternatively you could remove the parts, have them sand blasted and then powder coated.  If the worse comes to the worse and those components are rusted beyond repair you should be able to just remove them and replace them.

    If I were you I would get a second opinion from an MOT tester (or whatever the equivalent is where you are).

    Nice car by the way!

    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: roadster 2.5   Posts: 1314
  9. /My-Page/?userId=215

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

    Thanks for the info Roadster. Yes she is nice :D - thats why I am cheesed off with this MOT / NCT fascination over here with surface rust. Car is in very good nick generally. Will look into 2nd opinion as you suggest.

    Problem over here in Ireland with the NCT crowd is during the "Celtic Tiger" period new cars were being bought up left right and centre. This has resulted in fewer cars going for MOT. They now are NOT getting the failure rate they require to justify their existence so they are looking for new things to fail.

    Content is edited
    Posted: Jul 27 2012 By: aidanodr   Posts: 68
  10. /My-Page/?userId=2819

    RE: 2003 MX5 - Suspension / Struts / Chassis Rust & MOT

    27/07/2012 09:43:08, roadster 2.5 said:
    "

    27/07/2012 09:16:24, aidanodr said:
    "

    Sorry for the confusion guys.

    I am reading that our 5's "Rust from the inside out" - pardon my ignorance but what does this mean? mechanic said this about the rust under my 5!"

    From your pictures it looks like the suspension arms and bracing bars have surface corrosion.  Like I said earlier, it will probably just be surface rust that can be removed with a good wire wool session.  Alternatively you could remove the parts, have them sand blasted and then powder coated.  If the worse comes to the worse and those components are rusted beyond repair you should be able to just remove them and replace them.

    If I were you I would get a second opinion from an MOT tester (or whatever the equivalent is where you are).

    Nice car by the way!

    "

     Agreeed.....Thats not ' inside-out rusting'.....Nor is it terminal!

    Garffey.


     Tha' can alus tell a Yorkshireman, but tha' can't tell him much.

    Also: never ask someone if they're from Yorkshire. If they're not, they'll be embarrassed. If they are, they'll already have told you.

     

    Metropolitan Grey 1.8 Ac SE Rc with compulsory 'Oakers' sticker.....Thats it!!!!.....Not even DSC to annoy me!
    Posted: Jul 28 2012 By: Garffey   Posts: 3117