Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 09:06:26

Title: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 09:06:26
I'm going to pop the side skirts off the 2.2 this morning, what do we think I'll find?  :D

If I'm serek fitting to fit new clutch, possible new suspension & air-con rad to my trusty steed, I think I need to double check it's not rotten there.

Never had an advisory to rust before, but it's always been fairly rusty underneath and the bottom of the doors and arches are starting to go.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: steve6367 on 03 September 2016, 09:27:10
I'm going to pop the side skirts off the 2.2 this morning, what do we think I'll find?  :D

If I'm serek fitting to fit new clutch, possible new suspension & air-con rad to my trusty steed, I think I need to double check it's not rotten there.

Never had an advisory to rust before, but it's always been fairly rusty underneath and the bottom of the doors and arches are starting to go.

Rust...  :D
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 09:50:19
Yup, think that will be there. But I'm wondering how bad, ie wholes and gaps big enough to wiggle a screw driver in there.

Or surface rust that can be treated  :)
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 11:44:13
Well.... the word I'm looking for starts with F, ends with K.  :'( :'( :'(

Started well-ish, took it off and at a distance not so bad...

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/tunnie_84/IMG_4426.jpg)

But then start to poke it and....

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/tunnie_84/IMG_4432.jpg)

Looking closer...

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/tunnie_84/IMG_4437.jpg)

Then this:

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/tunnie_84/IMG_4438.jpg)

(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/tunnie_84/IMG_4436.jpg)

So guessing it needs a shed load of welding now  :'(
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 11:45:19
Funny that it passed a MOT 2 weeks ago  :o  ;D
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Nick W on 03 September 2016, 11:57:28
Funny that it passed a MOT 2 weeks ago  :o  ;D


MOT testers aren't allowed to remove the covers. That's why many of them will put sill covers fitted in the advisories. Especially if the car is crusty in the other common places like wheel arches or front subframe mounts.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 03 September 2016, 12:04:09
I must resist my irrational urge to do this!!  ::)  ;D
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 12:07:30
Funny that it passed a MOT 2 weeks ago  :o  ;D


MOT testers aren't allowed to remove the covers. That's why many of them will put sill covers fitted in the advisories. Especially if the car is crusty in the other common places like wheel arches or front subframe mounts.

I guest it only becomes an issue when it goes beyond them, as Entwood had an MOT fail on them.

Given the clutch needs doing, suspension front/rear as I checked front was changed 2010 at around 110-120k ish. Needs new tyres, aircon not worked in years. I also need to indentify an unknown knock from the rear. Which I'll do now, as MOT bod thought it was driveshaft related.  :-\
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 12:07:50
I must resist my irrational urge to do this!!  ::)  ;D

Yes, given the age these cars are now. Mine was a 2000 plate too!
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Lazydocker on 03 September 2016, 12:14:18
Not actually too bad though  ;)

Go pop the covers off of the Rusty Bullet for TB... That'll make you feel better :-X :D
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: VXL V6 on 03 September 2016, 12:30:50
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: steve6367 on 03 September 2016, 13:22:23
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.

Don't do that, I did - mistake!
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: VXL V6 on 03 September 2016, 13:39:03
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.

Don't do that, I did - mistake!
Which bit? Or both?!!!
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 14:05:43
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.

Don't do that, I did - mistake!

Do tell?
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Nick W on 03 September 2016, 14:14:16
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.

Don't do that, I did - mistake!

Do tell?


How did it feel when you made the first hole your sill with the pokey tool? It means you have a smaller repair than a sill, but one that is harder to do.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: steve6367 on 03 September 2016, 18:59:08
Order replacements from Carz2 and get someone to cut off the old ones weld the new ones on for you.

If you want to thoroughly depress yourself take the front wheels off and start scrapping away at the lack of underseal around the chassis rail / engine tray mount reinforcement.

Don't do that, I did - mistake!

Do tell?

Front chassis rails on the gold one, posted pics a while ago - still not sorted - must learn to weld.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 September 2016, 21:02:27
Easily dealt with Tunnie :y
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 03 September 2016, 22:27:54
I can't weld  :(

Insurance is due and some big trips coming up, sorry to think it,
but maybe time to say bye to it, as I love my 2.2. But times change.  :(

Looked at 3.0d XF today, super nice loved everything about it, bar the boot. Not big enough for my needs.

Going to look at a VW CC tomorrow, boot looks surpsingly practical, taking the pram so will see what's what.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 03 September 2016, 22:33:19
I can't weld  :(

Insurance is due and some big trips coming up, sorry to think it,
but maybe time to say bye to it, as I love my 2.2. But times change.  :(

Looked at 3.0d XF today, super nice loved everything about it, bar the boot. Not big enough for my needs.

Going to look at a VW CC tomorrow, boot looks surpsingly practical, taking the pram so will see what's what.

Pm incoming...
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 05 September 2016, 09:25:39
Just to discuss, what is the legal view on this? As discussed an MOT tester cannot remove the skirts to view this corrosion. So it must get to the point where grows into view?

It has a MOT for 12 months, now looking at this corrosion it's been like this for some time, so it's passed other MOT's.

Is there anything stopping me from sanding back all the rust, with a wire brush on a drill, slap on some underbody seal, eg this: (as I have a tin in the garage, from LPG fitting)

(http://www.pextons.co.uk/images/_lib/hammerite-underbody-seal-with-waxoyl-500ml-3000452-470-1420209544000.jpg)

Then re-fit the skirts? I understand it won't actually remove the rust, just slow it's progress. But the above would give me another couple of years?

Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: tunnie on 05 September 2016, 09:26:39
As part of me wants to splash some cash and get a nice new car, but driving it to work today makes me think I should save my trusty steed.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 05 September 2016, 09:32:37
Getting someone to weld in a couple of new sills won't that expensive surely?  :-\
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Nick W on 05 September 2016, 09:56:08
It's currently at the stage where fitting replacement sills is straightforward. If you leave it, that rot will quickly eat into the adjoining panels adding to complexity and cost of the job. The ONLY way of preventing that is to cut out the rusty metal. The chemical cures rarely do anything useful, and underseal is just a messy way of trying to hide the damage.

Arrange some welding, or scrap the car.
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 05 September 2016, 10:16:35
The bodge might get you another years ticket, but if the structure of the car is rotting away behind the plastic, say a little prayer each time you take your family out in it that you don't have an accident of some sort.  ;)
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 05 September 2016, 10:17:05
where Waxoyl gets is bad reputation is people painting over rust with it, thinking it's some kind of rust-curer, rather than preventer ((event hough there are much better products about these days) You can find on many a classic car a lovely layer of old, dry waxoyl, which flakes off, to reveal a floorpan of rot, because the car's started to rust, someone has then 'helpfully' covered it with the waxoyl. All you're doing is covering up the bad bits, painting over the cracks.

It's all on a cost v miles thing. Do you want the car for another few years? If so, then worth spending the money. Even 'bodge' repairs will buy you a bit of time. But just painting over it won't do much/anything, and won't guarantee an MoT pass, either.  :)


They're not rusty cars, and the rear sills and back arches seem the only real areas that 'go', keep on top of them and you're sitting pretty in bodywork terms.  :y
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: steve6367 on 05 September 2016, 16:41:48
where Waxoyl gets is bad reputation is people painting over rust with it, thinking it's some kind of rust-curer, rather than preventer ((event hough there are much better products about these days) You can find on many a classic car a lovely layer of old, dry waxoyl, which flakes off, to reveal a floorpan of rot, because the car's started to rust, someone has then 'helpfully' covered it with the waxoyl. All you're doing is covering up the bad bits, painting over the cracks.

It's all on a cost v miles thing. Do you want the car for another few years? If so, then worth spending the money. Even 'bodge' repairs will buy you a bit of time. But just painting over it won't do much/anything, and won't guarantee an MoT pass, either.  :)


They're not rusty cars, and the rear sills and back arches seem the only real areas that 'go', keep on top of them and you're sitting pretty in bodywork terms.  :y

Front chassis rails to inner wing joint, front cross member......
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 05 September 2016, 16:56:29
Them too...  :D
Title: Re: Side Skirt Removal
Post by: Nick W on 05 September 2016, 17:22:10
Them too...  :D


They're worse to fix. And every Omega I've looked under recently has been crusty in that area. Sills are easy and cheap. The expensive part of fixing wheelarches is the preparation for paint.