Rusty wheelarches on second-hand "banger"

[cbmaxyz]

I'm considering making an offer on a cheap 53-plate car but it's got rust on the wheelarches. Does anyone have an opinion on how bad this is / how long the car is likely to last / whether there are any easy (cheap) repairs?

+ + +

[texaxile]

Slap some pudding in there if it's a shed, if you're keeping it for a couple of years that's not an MOT failure unless the edges are sharp, which is remedied by duct tape.

It might well be rotted as heck underneath on seatbelt anchoring points etc, so check the prev MOT history which might be a totally different can of worms.

If it's cheap enough and you can handle the social stigma of being a sensible motorist for running a shed in todays economic climate, then those arches will last as long as your supply of isopon or duct tape runs out. Might be worth welding a patch on the sill though,as i think it might be classed as structural (I'm no expert BTW).

[finlo]

cbmaxyz said:

I'm considering making an offer on a cheap 53-plate car but it's got rust on the wheelarches. Does anyone have an opinion on how bad this is / how long the car is likely to last / whether there are any easy (cheap) repairs?

+ + +

If that's what you can see image what you can't!

[cbmaxyz]

It's got 6 months MOT and the advisories haven't mentioned corrosion since 2020. I know some testers are harsher than others, so the 2020 ones are probably still relevant.

For reasons I won't bore you with, I'm after the cheapest car I can find which has 18 months life in it!!

[The spinner of plates]

It'll do you 18 months.

But share your budget - I love a sheddy daily driver, but I never had to buy a rusty one.

[BadOrangePete]

VAG's of this era always seem to rot around the arches, they're usually solid where it counts though. My Caddy's the same had lightly scabby arches for years but solid elsewhere!

[cbmaxyz]

The spinner of plates said:

But share your budget - I love a sheddy daily driver, but I never had to buy a rusty one.

£1,000 tops (used to be so easy...), and I'm also hoping for cheap insurance and road tax. The car in the pictures is a Lupo.

[Caddyshack]

Easy to pick up a silver wing from a rear ended golf, they are simple bolt on.

Just check the rest of the car for rust.

[texaxile]

cbmaxyz said:

£1,000 tops (used to be so easy...), and I'm also hoping for cheap insurance and road tax. The car in the pictures is a Lupo.

Shederrific. Whack up a topic in "readers cars". Always like to see a shed being used, it's the most environmentally friendly method of motoring.

[LordHaveMurci]

Caddyshack said:

Easy to pick up a silver wing from a rear ended golf, they are simple bolt on.

Are you sure about that …

[Condi]

I saw this a few years ago, still with an MOT, so reckon you've got a good few years yet...

[Caddyshack]

LordHaveMurci said:

Caddyshack said:

Easy to pick up a silver wing from a rear ended golf, they are simple bolt on.

Are you sure about that …

The front wings are simple bolt on.

[Rough101]

That’s already been bodged, I’d leave it alone or you’ll have a lot more work than you anticipate

[bimsb6]

I would move on , plenty of rot free cars out there .

[kambites]

Depends on how much cheaper it is than one without rust I guess.

[anonymous-user]

I'd sand it back, brush some Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 on it and spray some silver over the top.

[Caddyshack]

It is t actually that hard to cut out parts of the wing and let in new metal cut from a decent wing…it’s getting the paint right after that is hard and expensive.

[Jonny_]

If you can weld and have the gear, buy it. If not, run for the hills!

[The spinner of plates]

cbmaxyz said:

The spinner of plates said:

But share your budget - I love a sheddy daily driver, but I never had to buy a rusty one.

£1,000 tops (used to be so easy...), and I'm also hoping for cheap insurance and road tax. The car in the pictures is a Lupo.

Still tidy stuff out there for a grand.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14524649

[samj2014]

Condi said:

I saw this a few years ago, still with an MOT, so reckon you've got a good few years yet...

You should come to Canada, that's nothing. There are some properly dangerous cars on the roads here - there's absolutely zero requirement for any sort of inspection unless you're registering a car from another province. Will try to snap a photo of the next bad one I see (shouldn't take long)