Luegonigel Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 On the passenger side side panel i.e. the the side without the exhaust, the paint is starting to bubble quite badly where the panel changes from straight to narrowing towards the nose.What are the best tips for getting this fixed?Do you have to take the inside footwell panel off to get at corrosion from the inside?has anyone got any photos from the inside with this panel off?The car is 7 years old and other than this place, looks pretty smart.Anyone had this done and got some idea of cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domus Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hi NigelSounds like bad news, I expect the grot traps are open and full of wet leaves etc. By all accounts on here it may be a re skin is the only proper fix. I hope I'm wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim 123 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 If you can post a photo of the damage it would help to understand what the cause might be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luegonigel Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 Will do at the weekend when back home. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luegonigel Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 A few photos from the other day:-http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/nigel_simpson/Caterham%20pain%20bubbles/IMG_2247_zpsu5olewvy.jpghttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/nigel_simpson/Caterham%20pain%20bubbles/IMG_2249_zpsfwwgxnkm.jpghttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/nigel_simpson/Caterham%20pain%20bubbles/IMG_2251_zpshu7igvtv.jpghttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm141/nigel_simpson/Caterham%20pain%20bubbles/IMG_2252_zps2cvojwfq.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted April 21, 2016 Area Representative Share Posted April 21, 2016 Looks very familiar.I had my car tidied up at a good paint shop a couple of years ago... they treated my corrosion in exactly the same place as yours (I know they did this as I popped in to take a look). Got the car back - only drove it in the dry and within 2 months it was bubbling again!A re-skin is the only way forward as a 'permanent' fix I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luegonigel Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 ....ohhh dear.....no magic solution then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyn Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 I've always wondered if its possible to drill out the rivets along the bottom of the sideskin, ease out the aluminum to clean behind, then rivet back up again. Has anyone considered or tried this? Probably only worth risking as a last resort on a chassis that is going in for a reskin anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted April 21, 2016 Member Share Posted April 21, 2016 It would be interesting to see both sides of that without the paint...Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim 123 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Sadly, from the photos it looks like a partial reskin is the only way out. I would guess that the surface of chassis rail is probably not in great shape as well, which would undermine any repair attempt from the inside.It's not 100% clear in the pictures, but it looks like the corrosion blisters are roughly equally spaced like pop rivets. You mentioned the problem is on one side. Are you getting water pooling in the seating/footwell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David aka Blue7 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I don't recall seeing that on your 7 last year so must be fairly recent. From what I have read, it is oxidization probably caused either by stones damaging the paintwork and allowing water to come into contact with the unprotected aluminium surface or as suggested above, a reaction with the steel element of a rivet. Some of the exposed blisters look to be quite clean underneath so I would be tempted to rub down, treat and repaint but everything I have read (including above) suggests that the oxydization returns after a year or so.I consulted my neighbour, works with Elmar and is a welding consultant, she says:Aluminium corrodes and creates aluminium oxide if you chip the paint off there will be a white powder under it age causes this to happen. Nothing you can do to stop it if it is bolted to steel it is called electrolytic corrosionA temporary fix, while you consider your options, might be to sand down the blisters and fit a Caterham decal along the side or some go faster racing stripes :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Brown Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Hi Nigel, Dave. On yachts you can fit sacrificial blocks that corrode before the important bits by creating a cell. Always wondered if they couldn't be fitted to cars. Had the grot areas been treated before the spots appeared? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim 123 Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Re Blue 7's suggestion: I'd suggest that you get a good magnifying glass and look at the blisters to see if they are all punctured through the paint film by stone chips. I didn't see consistent evidence of this on your photos. Usually with stone pecking you will see two things. Firstly, a very small puncture in the paint film (naturally), plus a tendency for the corrosion to "spider" in strands under the paint film as the corrosion spreads. The photos you took look largely like this is corrosion from inside out. (I'd nevertheless be delighted if it turns out to stone chips) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted April 23, 2016 Member Share Posted April 23, 2016 On yachts you can fit sacrificial blocks that corrode before the important bits by creating a cell. Always wondered if they couldn't be fitted to cars. And active systems that drive the metal the good way.Carbon fibre parts (with something different to play with) are also vulnerable... what's the state of the art with those?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luegonigel Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 Have sent photos to Arch and will give them a ring on Monday. I'll revert back with the answers they give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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