Any DC2 experts out there? Needing rust opinions!
Discussion
Hi there - after a bit of wisdom & experience of DC2 Integras, if anyone has any to offer!
I'm currently looking at a UK spec car, with full history and reasonable mileage. Called the owner earlier today, mainly to get an idea of how the car fares with regard to the dreaded rust issues. I've got a few pictures here.
I'm well aware it's very hard to assess anything from just looking at these, especially as the real nasty surprise is likely to be hiding out of sight, but I just wondered how this compares to others folk might have seen previously?
My other question would be regarding having work done, to try and clear it up and prevent any more bits from being eaten away! If I was to buy the car for a price I'm happy with, I'd be quite willing to spend a good few hundred quid to get them sorted - IF this would do any good.
Does anybody have experience of this, or know of this being done in the past? Wouldn't be best pleased forking out for work if it will not have any real benefit.
Don't you just love bodywork...
Many thanks for your help, it's much appreciated!
I'm currently looking at a UK spec car, with full history and reasonable mileage. Called the owner earlier today, mainly to get an idea of how the car fares with regard to the dreaded rust issues. I've got a few pictures here.
I'm well aware it's very hard to assess anything from just looking at these, especially as the real nasty surprise is likely to be hiding out of sight, but I just wondered how this compares to others folk might have seen previously?
My other question would be regarding having work done, to try and clear it up and prevent any more bits from being eaten away! If I was to buy the car for a price I'm happy with, I'd be quite willing to spend a good few hundred quid to get them sorted - IF this would do any good.
Does anybody have experience of this, or know of this being done in the past? Wouldn't be best pleased forking out for work if it will not have any real benefit.
Don't you just love bodywork...
Many thanks for your help, it's much appreciated!
Unfortunately rusty rear arches are a burden that every Honda owner must have at some point during ownership 
I have the same issue on my S2000. Once my back is better I'll be wearing most of the surface rust off and treating the bare metal. This will keep it from going too crazy between now and Spring.
When Spring comes I'd get it booked into a good bodyshop with a professional old-school panel beater and have all infected metal cut out and replaced with new.
From previous experience I'd budget £200-£300 per side
I have the same issue on my S2000. Once my back is better I'll be wearing most of the surface rust off and treating the bare metal. This will keep it from going too crazy between now and Spring.
When Spring comes I'd get it booked into a good bodyshop with a professional old-school panel beater and have all infected metal cut out and replaced with new.
From previous experience I'd budget £200-£300 per side
will-w said:
Unfortunately rusty rear arches are a burden that every Honda owner must have at some point during ownership
I have the same issue on my S2000. Once my back is better I'll be wearing most of the surface rust off and treating the bare metal. This will keep it from going too crazy between now and Spring.
When Spring comes I'd get it booked into a good bodyshop with a professional old-school panel beater and have all infected metal cut out and replaced with new.
From previous experience I'd budget £200-£300 per side
Yeah, such a shame too. Seemingly bomb-proof reliability if they're cared for; just let down by the rust quietly, out of sight, eating away the back end of the car...I have the same issue on my S2000. Once my back is better I'll be wearing most of the surface rust off and treating the bare metal. This will keep it from going too crazy between now and Spring.
When Spring comes I'd get it booked into a good bodyshop with a professional old-school panel beater and have all infected metal cut out and replaced with new.
From previous experience I'd budget £200-£300 per side
£200-300 sounds pretty reasonable to be fair. You say 'from previous experience' - have you found that it's kept the onset of it at bay well enough? Just worried that once it's there, it aint leaving.
That looks pretty typical. Which sadly means that the inner sills will be 5x as bad...
Cost - depends on if you just want to tidy up the exterior - £200-300 a side sounds about right for that - or if you want to do a proper job and have a go at the inner sills too...in which case you'll need to do some cutting and welding*, so will struggle to get change out of £500 a side. But YOU will know the job has been done properly and it'll therefore last for some years, not for 1-2 years before it starts eating through again if you just go down the cosmetic route...
The only way to check the inner sills is to either:-
- Jack the car up and remove the plastic sill protector...but you'll probably break some of the clips in the process
- Remove the rear speaker and shine a torch downwards (or shove a smart-phone or compact camera in the hole pointing down, and take a few pics).
I did the second with mine, and it showed a LOT of surface corrosion, which left a question mark as to what it was like underneath. Hence why I got a few quotes to assess fix-up costs before I sold her.
* I'm told you could apply some liquid-metal-type substance to the surfaces of the inner sills which will prevent any further corrosion, but that only came from 1 bodyshop, so no idea if viable or not...
Cost - depends on if you just want to tidy up the exterior - £200-300 a side sounds about right for that - or if you want to do a proper job and have a go at the inner sills too...in which case you'll need to do some cutting and welding*, so will struggle to get change out of £500 a side. But YOU will know the job has been done properly and it'll therefore last for some years, not for 1-2 years before it starts eating through again if you just go down the cosmetic route...
The only way to check the inner sills is to either:-
- Jack the car up and remove the plastic sill protector...but you'll probably break some of the clips in the process
- Remove the rear speaker and shine a torch downwards (or shove a smart-phone or compact camera in the hole pointing down, and take a few pics).
I did the second with mine, and it showed a LOT of surface corrosion, which left a question mark as to what it was like underneath. Hence why I got a few quotes to assess fix-up costs before I sold her.
* I'm told you could apply some liquid-metal-type substance to the surfaces of the inner sills which will prevent any further corrosion, but that only came from 1 bodyshop, so no idea if viable or not...
I'd think a little longer:-
- A car that has good rear arches "which have been done" may only have had the cheap job done and if you plan to keep the car you may be buying-into redoing the work properly in a few years. Unless they can document welding of the inner sills, or show photos to prove they've done it properly. Not that I'm cynical, of course...
- A car which hasn't been done at all yet WILL need doing quickly, but you can get the job done right first time.
In the first example, you've a weak negotiating position and the vendor will want good money.
In the second, you've a much stronger position.
The risk, of course, is that the inside is an utter state. But taking the rear speaker out is a 5-min job for someone halfway competent, and re-fitting it, while somewhat more tricky (it's tighter than...), isn't impossible. That said, a car with the arches done is more likely to have been owned by a sympathetic owner...so arguments both ways.
- A car that has good rear arches "which have been done" may only have had the cheap job done and if you plan to keep the car you may be buying-into redoing the work properly in a few years. Unless they can document welding of the inner sills, or show photos to prove they've done it properly. Not that I'm cynical, of course...
- A car which hasn't been done at all yet WILL need doing quickly, but you can get the job done right first time.
In the first example, you've a weak negotiating position and the vendor will want good money.
In the second, you've a much stronger position.
The risk, of course, is that the inside is an utter state. But taking the rear speaker out is a 5-min job for someone halfway competent, and re-fitting it, while somewhat more tricky (it's tighter than...), isn't impossible. That said, a car with the arches done is more likely to have been owned by a sympathetic owner...so arguments both ways.
havoc said:
- A car that has good rear arches "which have been done" may only have had the cheap job done and if you plan to keep the car you may be buying-into redoing the work properly in a few years. Unless they can document welding of the inner sills, or show photos to prove they've done it properly. Not that I'm cynical, of course...
- A car which hasn't been done at all yet WILL need doing quickly, but you can get the job done right first time.
This was my thinking initially. I was happy enough to pay a reasonable amount for a proper and full job to be done and, as you say, give myself and the next owner peace of mind. However, the price wasn't as negotiable as I was hoping, and was needing a few other bits spending money on.- A car which hasn't been done at all yet WILL need doing quickly, but you can get the job done right first time.
I'd agree with you, it is one of those cases where you would rather go for something needing a bit of TLC, and satisfy yourself that you've brought it up to a standard you are happy with.
aka_kerrly said:
Only way to find out the true extent is to be able to remove the rear doorcards and boot carpet.
What can look very innocent on the outside can look a "hole" lot worse on the inside.
+1 and good points from havoc.What can look very innocent on the outside can look a "hole" lot worse on the inside.
When I bought mine I asked the seller to remove the rear door cards etc for inspection. The car had a bit of rust but I bought it anyway as the rest of the car was great (strong engine, tight gearbox, fine handling etc). The price was right and my intention wasn’t to buy/have a show car, rather my car was to be parked outside and would get a lot of ‘track use’.
There are good cars out there but you will have to be patience. Look at JDM ones, more likely to be less rusty.
Having restored my DC2, I can tell you that will require welding on the inner arches.
It's not cheap work to do properly, but it's needed now. Seal up the slit just in front of the rear wheels which lets water into the quarter panel.
Save yourself some aggro and buy my car which has cost me 18K to get right.
It's very aggressive in terms of suspension etc but perfect to track with all the mods I've got on should you wish to. It's also got fHsh from new, 1 previous owner and the most ridiculous history file you will ever see guaranteed. BUT 156K from new so high mileage. It's been on Mobil 1 0W40 from new and doesn't consume even 1mm of oil during my 2000 mile service schedule. On such a thin cold rating oil, that's quite remarkable.
I only run my cars on Mobil 1 due to the incredible work it's done in maintaining the brand new look and feel of my DC2.
PM if interested. If not, get a good one and buy on condition not mileage.
It's not cheap work to do properly, but it's needed now. Seal up the slit just in front of the rear wheels which lets water into the quarter panel.
Save yourself some aggro and buy my car which has cost me 18K to get right.
It's very aggressive in terms of suspension etc but perfect to track with all the mods I've got on should you wish to. It's also got fHsh from new, 1 previous owner and the most ridiculous history file you will ever see guaranteed. BUT 156K from new so high mileage. It's been on Mobil 1 0W40 from new and doesn't consume even 1mm of oil during my 2000 mile service schedule. On such a thin cold rating oil, that's quite remarkable.
I only run my cars on Mobil 1 due to the incredible work it's done in maintaining the brand new look and feel of my DC2.
PM if interested. If not, get a good one and buy on condition not mileage.
rezaq said:
Having restored my DC2, I can tell you that will require welding on the inner arches.
It's not cheap work to do properly, but it's needed now. Seal up the slit just in front of the rear wheels which lets water into the quarter panel.
Save yourself some aggro and buy my car which has cost me 18K to get right.
It's very aggressive in terms of suspension etc but perfect to track with all the mods I've got on should you wish to. It's also got fHsh from new, 1 previous owner and the most ridiculous history file you will ever see guaranteed. BUT 156K from new so high mileage. It's been on Mobil 1 0W40 from new and doesn't consume even 1mm of oil during my 2000 mile service schedule. On such a thin cold rating oil, that's quite remarkable.
I only run my cars on Mobil 1 due to the incredible work it's done in maintaining the brand new look and feel of my DC2.
PM if interested. If not, get a good one and buy on condition not mileage.
As much as I would love to, there's no way I could do justice to something of that spec, which has had so much expense and effort spent. Not at the moment anyway, but that could change in a year or two's time.It's not cheap work to do properly, but it's needed now. Seal up the slit just in front of the rear wheels which lets water into the quarter panel.
Save yourself some aggro and buy my car which has cost me 18K to get right.
It's very aggressive in terms of suspension etc but perfect to track with all the mods I've got on should you wish to. It's also got fHsh from new, 1 previous owner and the most ridiculous history file you will ever see guaranteed. BUT 156K from new so high mileage. It's been on Mobil 1 0W40 from new and doesn't consume even 1mm of oil during my 2000 mile service schedule. On such a thin cold rating oil, that's quite remarkable.
I only run my cars on Mobil 1 due to the incredible work it's done in maintaining the brand new look and feel of my DC2.
PM if interested. If not, get a good one and buy on condition not mileage.
Gassing Station | Honda | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff