STEP-BY-STEP PICS: Rust repair on NCP13 rockers/sills, and on almost everything else

[praivo]

Here's the story:

In June, I noticed a Yaris TS being offered rather close to me for a decent price. Everything looked good at first, so I bought it. Unfortunately, upon a close inspection the car turned to be, well, not quite a lemon, more like a drum of pure citric acid: One of the rims had been welded because of a crack, the radiator was damaged, there was a little oil leak from the rear main seal… None of those would be too bad, had that been all.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem was rust. A LOT of it - after taking the skirts off, both rockers crumbled and quite literally fell off, about 50 cm/20 inches on each side. The driver's floor pan did the same thing. And the rear wheel wells initially looked OK, but stabbing them with a screwdriver revealed that they were actually rusted out as well.

I initially considered scrapping it, but then did the math and figured out that repairing all the damage would take a ton of time but not a whole lot of money (certainly less than trying to sue the b*tch that sold it to me), so I decided to go for it.

The following series of photos is mean as an inspiration for anyone who wants to attempt these repairs on their own car. Most of it is not really Yaris-specific, so it's applicable to most other cars. In fact, after this is done, I may end up doing something similar to friend's K11 Nissan Micra - if that happens I'll probably post it, too.

WARNING: This is my first time EVER doing bodywork at this scale, and the car is going to become my next daily driver/do-it-all vehicle, not a show car. As such, my priority is for the repairs to be strong enough for such use but not necessarily pretty (although I do try to make them look somewhat decent).

NOTE: For some spots, I don't have pictures of all the individual steps. I'll do my best to describe them in text, though.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

Tools:

- a small (115/125mm) angle grinder + a cutting disc, a grinding disc, and a wire wheel
- a drill with a step bit
- a die grinder with a cutting wheel, a little air reciprocating saw ("sawzall"), or anything else that can cut in tight spaces where the angle grinder won't fit
- a MIG welder (MMA should work too, but will be a lot harder to work with)
- a set of basic hand tools - different-sized hammers, combination pliers, tongue-and-groove pliers ("channellocks"), locking pliers ("vice grips"), tin snips, punches

Materials:

- 40-, 80-, 120-, 240-, 400-, 800-, 1500-, and 2000-grit sandpaper
- rust converter
- primer, color-matched paint, clear coat
- anti-corrosion undercoating
- body fillers
- zinc or zinc-alumin(i)um weld-through primer
- seam sealer
- fiberglass mat & resin
- new sheet metal (1 and 1.5 mm thick, preferably even some 2mm)


In the next post, we'll look at the right rocker panel and start the repairs.

[06YarisRS]

*subscribed*

[praivo]

Here's what I found after taking the side skirt off.

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I made that hole with my index finger, but somehow it's still holding together just enough not to fall apart by itself.

I then started to break away as much of the former metal as I could my hands, then hit it with a hammer (not too hard!) to break away even more.

https://hitbcq.db.files.1drv.com/y4mbaAFysRgWIGhor0Vp9KCtA4PFSDOaAEoggJpvpZvPZCGi0-iH8NjsOfOCEWaThK9F8DiWKh7GhFEnt0k1gvthBGLwvYNIHX3H K5wA9GPr-Pt1LqFfnvoq90yuWHqRbYVsSnT2bOBzZ5HAYSnIOMDcypX246r rji7BGfcmkmUc6ALGnbuDz6tUgHSwWDocZEi86tmbxPrs4KSMK g84Thd6Q?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

After that, I cut each of the layers far enough to reach metal that's not rusted at all, or that only has surface rust on it and can be welded to without too much trouble. The black stuff on the first inner layer is my rust-prevention undercoating. I wanted to get as much of the loose crap off as I could before doing anything else, and then started on the floor rails, so I did this to prevent the metal from rusting even more in the meantime. Combined with working elsewhere for 8 to 10 hours a day for most of July and August, I only got to this a little over a week ago.

The nut for the axle bolt was removed while the axle beam was off for other repairs (we'll get to those later) and I decided to replace it while I was there, hence why it's gone here.

After it was mostly cleaned, I welded an L-shaped piece of 1.5mm steel between the axle bracket and the first usable part of the inside layer of the rocker. This is what the the first two layers will be attached to.

https://k3xjsg.db.files.1drv.com/y4mx39jZfYIFIsOwR_Y_ppROY7JPCOs8NA7xphHYdQOd4Tnw3X 89kT8fq88xRNNn1F1GFwHLfQXXKesnONRvWCr6o7EYjvcpGGK7 Vj3iGdJCB-US0WRcOxLIQ8Klsf3SycNtwFRAaybjCZHguDkvZEYVNE_HkiaV qFkaL30rAaCje3OQWpphpcJDoxChvYvpX9LGI6SLKIBwUZ4KOF __aSWRw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

[tmontague]

Kudos to you for giving this a go, body work is darn hard and one of the things I have somewhat always hoped I'd never have to do

[praivo]

I cut out a 1mm plate to fit the backside of the inside layer and attach the rest of it to the bottom piece, then welded them together. By then, I also had bought a new nut (M12×1.25 mm, some 8 Kč/0.37 USD a piece), so I welded that on as well. There used to be a square nut held in a small metal "pocket" to prevent in from moving and allow the bolt to be removed, since it looks like there's no access to it normally. Said pocket was gone and the condition of the threads in the original nut wasn't all that great, so I decided to do this instead.

After welding, I cleaned the welds and hit everything with a Zn-Al
galvanizing spray (zinc-only would be better for further welding, but I had just run out of that). Don't mind the holes on the sides, I'll take care of those later.

https://bpysag.db.files.1drv.com/y4moJw_bsD-m6LHDIOhhR9RGcWWMzUtZW6dKwZLxor7zBbKUF8LF9TVG7mGP1 x-oBgFzuddPYq2_1SbvhGyFoj_Gxs9xmD9vhs_uaH0l-AGLsWpsO_GalVoVEqJdvy19n2G8BBPKB7tIG1cOPjAezK_ExEx ibKmss1pe6IOIYf7WbdUWGSAa8dPKPGg6bwelkyujC1dy60PIR-H0tEsxT3LjQ?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

I then wanted to weld the top of the backing plate to the floor rail, so I cleaned it and... Well, there was a hole right next to the bracket. Not good. I welded a 2mm plate over that, and the last step of the whole project will be spraying oil inside all the cavities to stop the rust that's there and protect the rest against it.

https://lvhv7a.db.files.1drv.com/y4m_1S1bqGfXPawFH6C3W3eWbJpb35GX4x4s1RClJx_ymwLGR9 3fEhB4ZHpK1Q2eBbbc1t_b_3Y801reECpHb0SI1eeAi7RkFxmk 5SxUgu5p37A8gGNpWocHLnbgY2ovDTNCkblNv2hASLliZ0fEWd xiAv8I3R1Q9EaVaqugdRn_7ofSZb-7GtwJfSDH73li0LOQPwNYN6ue-dOrBHG5Jt-qQ?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

After that, it was finally time to recreate the first inner layer. I didn't bother getting them perfect, just wanted to have something in there for strength. From the other few posts I've seen, most other people don't even try to save this layer and just leave the rest hanging in there.

Each of the pieces had the backside coated with the Zn-Al paint, then it was welded in place, cleaned, and painted from the front.

https://907cda.db.files.1drv.com/y4mPwYkQmVwlu28z2SZgdI866sow1oskd0927O34bEbBTEAQK0 99Px1ZlBt2GrMuuG99cUaZ_V7FyV28wC-NmWbcerTM3n2BcfVZmH4F2JdBt2lTmO7xaeSEqA7NmTlAwthE9 9kyIVxs2WQjC9OgmjPKUJXGGBvFXjszc8wxM9qdzgp-OX2IyuHV1NcpWtI6Ba8Nq5EwgIjQGsWnWOcLvSqyQ?width=10 24&height=578&cropmode=none

When those were done, I started working on the second layer. The top was done in exactly the same way, but bottom of this was made as an actual sandwich layer, being bent to fit the line of the original pinch seam. There will then be the outside layer done like this, and then all three layers will be plug-welded together, cut flush, and seam-welded at the bottom for some added strength.

And that's it for today, it's midnight here and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we'll get to the newest photo I have, almost all the way to where I'm stuck now because of rain and school (I study 100+ km away from home, so I can't do anything until I get back on Thursday afternoon).

@tmontague: I don't like doing it, either. But paying someone to do it with cost a fortune, with no guarantee that the work was done properly (e.g. all the layers have been recreated and not just the outer two). I already got ripped off once by what was supposed to be the best body guy around, so I prefer to do everything myself if I can and get a result that looks like crap but won't let the car break in two mid-trip!

[praivo]

Oops, forgot about this thread yesterday… Anyway, let's continue. Unfortunately, I'm missing a few photos here, but I think that the ones that I do have show what I did well enough: I made the bottom of the last inner piece a bit longer and to that I attached one end of a strip, the other end of which was welded slightly above where the original "wall" of the rocker (or what was left of it) ended. Cuts were made in one side of this strip and the resulting "tabs" bent 90 degrees up, then welded together to recreate the "channel" at the end of the rocker.

https://8ad83w.db.files.1drv.com/y4mqI2Tz8KT2zT6ULnIlQExE7XemYkXjH2cddSFvuZMemmyHjH dfo_6WAM1ZYXOLAoubdXAeMRTUzWGsZIOo4z6blGyTmQwip8Ky r8wioTIl7vZpwWl88rfyTZQNNuB4PNCch2XO8bmoGIembVhgfk DoVqKqFUnB4Lxg9qqfcY3bGZpLSN7NuEqNo6lOoTelMQohkTQX-6Gtbu6WZWgNS59HA?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

The strip also has two other purposes:

1. With the outer layer or the rocker welded to it, it doubles the thickness of the metal on this parts of the rocker, making it stronger without the use of thicker metal (which would be harder to work with), just like the original.

2. It also serves as a kind of a template for the outside layer of the rocker, which was tacked at the bottom, then slowly bent around this piece, tacked again, and so on until the last tack secured it at the top.

Next, I started working on the other side of the outer layer. The two sides will meet in the middle, right where the rocker starts to curve outwards. The second front piece was hard to get right, and I screwed it up a bit by trying to get the curvature right using multiple bends along a straight edge, while I should have bent them by hand to produce a smooth curve. Well, fiberglass filler will hopefully deal with that well enough.

https://ksnorw.db.files.1drv.com/y4miGkTRMGuBWigKaF-39ouZDpvO6MWBy6LQbgntQUed17XFBK0psYM3iVqIiqx_UI1GO s-iN1jEga2DyIEGcghwhNCaVgnO96QQPjdnwDuBLJyU9qbd4YqxF Hd55PaSzBQdqZ1XDk35faMpJv9WQOg8J9MQRMLPuDAniF6s5ON xLx9BFSM9eZWcVXrKrtbooQU0l3NYjhSmOF0KPtOiQao4Q?wid th=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

It took two more pieces to joint both ends. The left (thinnest) one was done last and joined the two curves. This was done like this: First, a tack was placed in the bottom left corner, then the other sice was aligned and tacked too. After that, the strip was bent upwards to align a spot on the left side, tacked there, and pressed/lightly hit a hammer to align the other side. This was then repeated all the way to the top. Due to the curvature, in some spots I had to also hit the left (end) piece to bend in inwards a bit. It may sounds complicated, but you'll figure it out quickly when you're doing it.

In the process I also found out that the metal in the top left corner wasn't in as great a shape as I thought and couldn't be welded to very well - I just burned right through. After seeing the size of the area I decided to cut it to a rectangular shape with the air saw and also use the fiberglass filler on it, in order to keep all the welds under the side skirt and therefore (almost) invisible. The difference in strength shouldn't be too bad.

https://wmvwxw.db.files.1drv.com/y4mCoxjEla7aAcS3Ngy8bZU_Hi3ZyUzKfW27rPLMIO_AE2mce3 jhHmblhmjtsO5nr7ewVdLF3ar7qYXAJtuuEoZLrRQuOXkbFLWb-4F8OysBHvNZW9HJLjkO_tjVXDSOlmKrjwtJyTlXuoPjwuJil0b S6ZJQSbF1HjzerjDis2-MV-79dtaz5GqOxz5OE6OE9tv8JcaZz3wzi3SsrxapP5zEA?width= 1024&height=578&cropmode=none

[praivo]

I filled the hole in the end using several small pieces tack-welded together and to the inner layer of the "channel" from the previous post. It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough that the remaining holes can be later filled with seam sealer to prevent water from getting inside.

At this point, doing this on a SCP10 would be easier because the inside layer on that is just flat (I'll post a photo of that later). Here, the shape of the bracket means that a little piece has to be bent and welded from the other side to fill the gap between the bracket and the rocker.

https://jqhija.db.files.1drv.com/y4mq_P8jovL4t-a0LIzmzYNVYgHsKLOs01Qzfbf8no6DIwgt4lw7mNqdFwHkg2eE utq4KesVOrWYjdHJYMMw6Bdb5cv8qzfIUIfYyFfgIPZLJK5M5z YNfZfxrzI42KTYhcbvHqLVklooj0lyPoZzqkafOrEio83OQxcY 0slaGMjlG798aWVDh2RS6PYfMTz-1BR5dESctaspGs0YgsdTeUUaw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

There's a fork-like extension of the bracket that's supposed to be a part of the pinch seam, you can see it in the first post. This is going to be the jacking point for this corner. I cut a little rectangular piece and welded it to the extension on the inside, then used a hammer to bent it out and up, right along the seam, and welded it on the outside. Also ran a bead along the bottom of the seam to seal it up. I'd already done this to the rest of the seam after cutting off the excess of the 1.5mm piece.

https://q5ufog.db.files.1drv.com/y4m2D2IF_VIR2JUvqdlelxqAOG5wbhyNwQOT_Gd-E87PDhZZ2JfMI8gjIp75dpCIx_x9Su49bEtIsKSIswteu2-Zwv_2tNmdyfVJQheZFF0XsX9Wwl7RkVDxRe4WQ8JOCthPXfl60 DEGkhG0SwjHZUJdllbUgvb7uC6hWGi0cmVxqTY6yW95HVWrQe0 mYmp0Y8hGHzY02q8GQw5eUEVbSkkiQ?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

The last step of the welding process was to grind the welds smooth and then use a wire wheel to remove any oxidation and contamination from the metal so that the fiberglass filler can adhere well.

https://8qd63w.db.files.1drv.com/y4mKRr--xRpo7KJ0PWwsiHN896IuPO2daIs39OQ2XAZZy_QR3IGs6i2bwn ntwvHMYPCqIQ7OsYWDLuQhct24Ew6_FRb-JFgMvGSK6ybRC6_n7fxn2Y1lx76c3ECETN5K4AGI6N7R8x4kMA HoSZMXoC9888GTH1bcaUggKiRrHNZYS_MludiJz8FteTGDGMIM T1of0gxozlzUNv6PniSccrLRw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

Unfortunately, this is where weather decided to screw me over, and after I'd done most of the filling but still had some to do, a rainstorm started and I had to stop. Even worse, I had to leave for 5 days (that was on Sunday morning) and there was more rain to come, so with nothing to really cover it well I had to spray some rustproofing stuff (very thin oil) on the area to prevent it from rusting while I'm away (couldn't use any paint because it was already wet), which pretty much ruined my chances of ever being able to do a decent paint job on it, as I doubt I'll be able to ever get it degreased completely without sanding everything off and starting from scratch, with would set me back even further (I'm already running about a week late).

Fortunately, I still have my undercoating that shouldn't mind a bit of oil and has very good corrosion inhibitors in it. As mentioned above, the repaired area will eventually be covered by the side skirt, so getting the color right shouldn't be a big problem-

[06YarisRS]

Keep 'em comin'! Love watching the progression. Do you have access to Fluid Film? Nice stuff to blast those rocker interiors with when you're done all your great work. Or, used ATF. I do that a few times a year. Access from above via 1/2 drilled holes. I dump it in and it runs out all along the pinch weld seam.

[praivo]

No Fluid Film here, but I do have ATF and old gear oil and have already sprayed the inside of the subframe (through a hole that I've yet to fix) and most of the floor rails. The rockers will be sprayed through the drain hole in the original section for the inner layers and from the inside for the outer layer (by removing the plastic interior panels).

[06YarisRS]

No Fluid Film here, but I do have ATF and old gear oil and have already sprayed the inside of the subframe (through a hole that I've yet to fix) and most of the floor rails. The rockers will be sprayed through the drain hole in the original section for the inner layers and from the inside for the outer layer (by removing the plastic interior panels).

Yes, I think I recall seeing the holes when I removed the trim to refinish my sills some time ago. I did notice minimally two layers of steel when I drilled, one about 1/4" under the outer skin of the sill. One reason I'm interested in your thread is the inner construction of the rocker panels for the purpose of rustproofing. I was never quite sure where all the atf was getting to but I deduced that water would go to and sit in the lowest parts - aka the folded spot welded seam. Once I noticed that it came out all along the length of the rockers, and as oil has a tendency to wick upwards, I felt confident the the rustproofing was at least adequate. A couple times a year I also blast the rocker interiors, sub frames, control arms, all panels, wheel houses, doors, hood, liftgate, engine bay, strut towers etc with Proform oil-based or Fluid film with a 90 degree nozzle attached to the spray gun/compressor. I even do my winter wheels inside and out.

Thanks for posting your work. I love threads like this!

[praivo]

Sooner or later you'll see everything, because at least the outer layer will eventually need to be redone completely, all the way to the front fenders...

With long enough a hose you actually don't need to drill anything at all. The outer layer can be sprayed from the inside, and the rest can be accessed via a hole (about 20 mm in diameter) that's already there but hidden under a sticker and the factory undercoating. If you tap the inside of the wheel well with a small hammer or something like that you should be able to find it. I'll take a photo tomorrow if you need, it's dark outside now.

I have now filled all the holes with fiberglass filler in 2 or 3 layers, sanded with 80-grit sandpaper between each. After that, I filled most of the smaller imperfections with lightweight filler and sanded that with 120-grit. It didn't come out quite as good as I hoped and more sanding and filling would have achieved a better result. However, as I've already mentioned, I'm way behind my repair schedule, this is an area that will eventually be covered up with the side skirt, and I don't care about how it looks too much as long as it's strong.

https://7web1w.db.files.1drv.com/y4mYkN2Q4vOfJhq89Qv5xvYwecj559L4PPFFSr-s-BcVh8OpUImXGuEC1VA8YG2yiuXA_UhFKZSVeXE34Mh-0YKpHNPgonipMeSmd1Xn7ynDHhcsaK2SKmDz2H8AOH2DOUjkvn Du4fVQfs7jVGH_vlNffwFcPqtBw6QjfKbu_UcWHdUTqdFhLwrm hj1iiVE4b_SU6wdkOqgRhf3vcbru6bdEg?width=1024&height=354&cropmode=none

I then decided to give the rubberized undercoating a try anyway, because it would cover any pinholes I missed and add some mechanical protection (which shouldn't be really needed, but definitely won't harm anything). The overspray will then be removed by sanding it off carefully and then wetsanding and buffing the paint, which it's going to need anyway.

https://inwoeg.db.files.1drv.com/y4m8Yv4fmy8P7YntJEaW0E4AC-OO-MW46dRAMhFMaFMAEX4ZelG4Kzx4Mmh7gOm6VKCITEgNCyz9ssR IHqY7ePVH_l0yot8dnXIMx_cHRCeLi2JirJzMqtRgpQl1_TCkZ xffB-eOaCrf2tDF_HlyYZoo86RPvzjzEIqyfrB4oYMwvvNhHMr0Yus5 u9jk7XCm4GRS25Piq0czkudRZItXwY2GQ?width=1024&height=325&cropmode=none

For now, though, I consider this done well enough, and tomorrow I'm finally moving on to the other side.

[praivo]

The left rocker was done in about the same way, with the only difference being that the first inner layer was gone to the point of being impossible to save, so I left that the way it was.

https://maq11a.db.files.1drv.com/y4mwED_Nm_dnOv7a7b02-mMGBDQ5BkuywQgM8LWJ4akZdNGnQ_VqXL4ueNxD0-iTGdgACVx1b5_29-xtjnFdUw1wygG9aAFAFjdk_zqP23cPf3lJKfIYT5wkzd-WE10h8JquW5Loqhw68j9lCHJLADUldGFzTG5qIgGdRTFxyGyNo 7BvfrD-QBhHlpgkfkJk_gqMYVehrL_nbHF_uJKcNf3_g?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

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After that, I started slowly getting the ready to drive - not completely done, but capable of driving on its own and replacing my other Yaris as my daily driver because that one is not really working quite right anymore (rear brakes coming out of adjustment and probably a wheel bearing going bad).

The first step was mounting the fuel tank. And I found a problem right away: the mounting plates, or whatever Toyota calls then, on the old tank were very rusty (even had little holes in them), but the replacement tank didn't come with new ones. And they apparently aren't even available here.

So I had to make the new ones myself. I unfolded the old ones, traced the outlines on my 1mm sheel steet, and used tin snips, a bench grinder, and a rotary tool to cut them out. Then I used a step bit to cut the holes. To prevent rust, I sanded them from both sides, painted them with the Zn-Al spray, and then sprayed a bit of rubberized undercoating on the top in order to protect them from the asphalt-based undercoating on the car (asphalt + non-ferrous metals = not good).

https://pu7jqa.db.files.1drv.com/y4mK5sSWd4LUlXc62oX0cxAfSAub_I8jHVxdTrswsC8INcvDDz qeSJJKT_E0aSUUQJq9y9Ehsq7EMpfI28ysE9D_WNssg44IfArr F8T6Efg9F17Lqfjd88p2jdZVfu8dGR95ZEEplnJlEcfWvpIXoB qm-vFvTaED9Yj1jKKYkoSI3TezDhMo_94djgd34YRfr7Wz-fVxXrTCDC-QsJxFlLkow?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

The fuel tank could then be bolted in place using new stainless bolts. There's a bit of rust on it, it had been used for about a year when I got it and then it sat outside for 4 months. Shouldn't be a big problem once I spray the underbody with oil.

https://mwq2za.db.files.1drv.com/y4m3a8gIauoui_MkdvTn11CeLcP0gNpDFyAp_iP-V7iD-g5HE_nU3JjVf2-hUd8-SPP54GXdPiGzYCVpZdNRm8mZLQIfjf00cVxHLfEDMcF7X2R1H_ Q6dzM8YHqOWchiHcXx0ubx7gcZkIsgE4kK_Tqzj42m5jgxu69e-wzrdDsv3NvIFEkFuz6ZvzNwS1Dr_m2tCBrLTsj5I1B3JQcwFYj _w?width=683&height=1024&cropmode=none

Sorry, OneDrive refuses to rotate the photo horizontally :-/

[06YarisRS]

Great progress! Looking forward to the end result with your body mouldings reinstalled. I've really enjoyed your thread.

[praivo]

The side skirts may or may not eventualy end up back on the car. If I can fit them around the repaired area (which I screwed up a bit so it's not quite the shape it's supposed to be) and do so using double-sided tape (no holes), I will put them back, otherwise not, as I'd prefer not having the thing rust again (notice that most of the rust was hidden under the skirts and even following the ouline of the top).


Also, "enjoyed" is a bit too soon. The repairs are nowhere near being finished, even though I've done a lot more that I've posted here so far. I still need to do the front part of the rockers and, the right rear wheel well, the subframe, and the surroundings of one of the drain plugs under the spare wheel (I've done the other one yesterday, but I didn't come out very well, although it does seem to be strong enough, so I haven't even taken photos of it). I also just had an order delivered that contains, among else, a bottle of rust converter that will be used on the floor and any exposed steel I can access in the interior before it all gets a fresh coat of paint (and maybe some soundproofing as well).


And after that's done, I'll need to touch-up a few bubbles in the paint, replace the radiator and all fluids, fix the ABS module that's currently not working, and *maybe* change the rear main seal which is leaking oil a little bit.


On a more positive more, today I put tape over the remaining rust holes (to prevent dirt from getting in) and finally took the car on its first trip in 4 months, about 110 km (from home to school, exactly what I bought it for). The suspension is working fine, there are no longer any sounds that shouldn't be there (the rear axle used to creak, I guess that the missing bottom of the rail above it, which now exists again, had something to do with that), and the engine is working like new. Started on the first try and gets around 6 L/100 km, which isn't much more than the SCP10 did, and which I think is very good for a 17-year-old engine that's already done almost 284,000 km with apparently not the best maintenance.

[praivo]

UPDATE: The side skirts actually do flex enough to fit reasonably well, so they will eventually be put back on. "Eventually" being after the winter when there's no longer salt on the roads.

Tomorrow I'm doing the rear right corner, then the front part of the sills, and then the subframe. After that, I'll scrape off the rest of the factory undercoating and apply the asphalt stuff that's worked really well on the SCP10.

[justanotherdrunk]

wow fun project and great job!

i used to mig tig arc and gas weld in the early 80s

great memories

[praivo]

Thanks. I've only welded for a while, and I'm still figuring out the correct settings and technique. Actually, the reason I had to learn to MIG weld were, believe it or not, rusted rockers on my other Yaris.

I hope to get my own welder at some point, as the one I've borrowed for this from my dad isn't quite what I wish it were, mainly the current regulation (0 to 160 A in 6 steps isn't really great for body panels), and I'd also just like to have my own complete set of tools that I can use whenever and wherever I want (right now I'm also missing an angle grinder and a compressor that could run my air tools). When it comes to tools, though, I'm a "go big or go home" kind of person, i.e. if I'm going to buy a welder, it's not going to be a crappy $100 transformer, it's going to be a $1000+ all-in-one (MMA/MIG/TIG) inverter that'll do everything I could possibly need, so it's going to take me a while to save enough money for that.

As for my progress, I didn't finish what I wanted today, because while cleaning I found yet another hole in the floor rail (I'll post a photo tomorrow) and had to fix that first...

[praivo]

I don't know what this part of the body is called, but I did know that it was rusted. After a bit of cutting, it looked like this:

Since it was clear that it started to rust in the seams where the individual panels overlap, I decided to try to redesign it slightly so that there's not more than one layer on the bottom.

Making the basic shape:

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The front side was a bit more complicated, and my I'm still not very good at making patches, hence the result:

https://7wetxw.db.files.1drv.com/y4mRkn---vq3PUJl3h2RRjMML1ZOflhG-H-EpRcb3-njc9scuGfYm_Y2BHY8vZrK37d5PeVDfhvFVa7fG2sErywmj7o4 lQu4IyInm_JzaIGK9GlPSItOXJzxVemi6hljON7pKZQNKAcJ2R xCjNrh0p-DvweuKQ_eq0GAEbSl2SaT4aVz21DC5HVpi_GQA9pPghhd4sYHH XgCcRexzzPBTrstw?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

As you can see, I had the wire speed set a bit on the high side - while it's not as pretty (especially in a place like this where I can't grind it flat because I don't have a die grinder and the angle grinder won't fit), I found it easier not to burn through the old metal like this.

The seam sealer I use turned out not to be quite as anti-corrosive as it was supposed to be, that's why I decided to now undercoat the parts both before and after sealing them. Here's the first coat:

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While this was drying, I filled the small hole on the top with fiberglass filler. I had already applied rust converter to it the day before to neutralize the rust and prevent it from spreading. The inside of the cavity will be sprayed with oil once I find another way to get the nozzle of my cavity gun in there - couldn't to it from here because the oil would prevent the filler from sticking properly.

After the filler cured I sanded it flush using 80-grit sandpaper. The undercoating had also dried a bit and I could finally apply the seam sealer:

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And here it is with the second layer of undercoating applied:

https://8aemxw.db.files.1drv.com/y4mEk9Sqecl33AJAjV6-fvc1xt5cVcM6kHTSnK6Za8gNXRsSZlIegj40OvXX8gCyq80wn7 krZpd-PTlKGvMEof71p-MxfXMqETItn0rA9icuijnMKn5nRS_9regB0NXadeC0MGHJHMUc dm4HKubZL00-3YrB9jFbdaUd5wis77tDbkBnrJbfGyEZrNJJvaPi0AtK-jIvGyvNNNQdAx34qQBVw?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

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With this done all I needed to do was spray ATF in the cavities accessible from the rear of the car and I could finally put the rear bumper cover back on permanently.

https://jvhzda.db.files.1drv.com/y4mn-dIpIEbsaP6BWUKndYUQjZeIq7ryEuI8lg_CFn49uXeJKXj4RQB jvv5v3S25h3PM3xEa6859fEyl0IJuxGqgMHc6EUv06eDCT1hbz cPrhLg8zMctMSIc9jFxFyLsyURm2nGID9jLtKRCYspeYoYkdqN sYIPmrXMbc8vVMFKKGv9kkjA8ahYsG9WmMoEuh1wNcTHfXxLnd JJBKErImhb6Q?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

By the way, here's the floor rail mentioned in my previous post. No more pics of this, unfortunately, but there's still at least one more hole in the other rail that I'll need to fix eventually and should even be easier to take photos of.

https://qpuwig.db.files.1drv.com/y4mvfZ9b2aOaMPz9Ul7oXDMyW7jDKm61H5nLZeh0dKEFNiyDQP GPrVbrile39UBp2QMLwN7tbOrK1QvQVjJZ6BSkC4IvisWts2Ub d6tmKdfb2d11Y5E90DUdVT5Vr50eUpjyZjVz_8lfYe4zO-y90wYmHJhOiuI-wYRsPnPMx0mV1KYQH7HepB_pYkOU-ciEIF9m_knC8pd11sVcKeTZ7jK3g?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

[praivo]

The floor pan on the driver's side was practically gone:

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https://vek2wq.db.files.1drv.com/y4meOgKJl_qmZOWcrpEhBM4CvVkOXeOACGNO-HhVdb35gRWVGh73lKCaUG1ZdKzyDQs689xME_40kJDbVtefaxM tbYY4lNY_k7DvZmw9eTMsMii4EVXG9kGxD-UieTwUClPAUaEUauL-LSQ6TXQT2c9_Ce_iuFVmq9n-FgHNjQOQgqOkovAo-UQDnkdGeNETvLWTsVVkziEFEtgQeKQTUmvPw?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

Yes, that's the carpet showing through after I removed the drain plug and pulled a bunch of rust off with it…

Surprisingly, the other side was fine with very little rust (compared to this, at least). That's good. I've talked to a guy who's had to replace BOTH sides…

I'm missing a few pics here. Basically, what I did was cut the whole floor pan out (while being careful not to damage anything else that doesn't need replacing), wire-brush the rest, and make a new pan out of 1mm steel (initially wanted to try 1.5mm, but it would have been too hard to bend at this size). The new pan was welded in place, the welds and all the cleaned metal were treated with rust converter and painted with zinc paint, and then rust converter again, just to be sure.

https://kmokdw.db.files.1drv.com/y4mEcur2CGHYF-o8GZrZjKhkSp4ORINnOMGHZHb-mc_9xnPu816tSU2QUENdpjbP_ynB29l9FO9p-hVcwffWxDVe8haDrwBG-C1zveOyJopA6AeUOarLP_1ugCZMr6MehUXiOGwWkxHsHnEikxd oxqYUnZsXplsmF90mHlN8Jkd92k6hGTehncLGCM0WzxEkvBHK4 8OwwjuXyosuAZlB2wLXg?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

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This was then sealed and sprayed with rubberized undercoating for some mechanical protection.

https://znoqmg.db.files.1drv.com/y4mBZmoskLbgnCjFILdh86fFThYnghyim29B_cIaSml8-dP6WHY6FvIC0S2-XUubVJCe-2sio0LYAjbcV3VD639vKd8ixnQn-HOHkoIRBIIss4wnHDOrYRwHVKrNWDrFU3jsa105iiJpd_XJEno Yy-_pJrrWE1fJyM--XsgPyOY8ti1DaxFgAgl4wuzrp5wqlByeFW8-rQkrjkUDT11mrJraw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

If you're wondering what the hell are those raised spots, they're plug weld that I made before I noticed that the new pan didn't fit as well as intended and ended up too high above the rail. I don't have a spot weld drill bit and they were too thick to drill out with a regular bit, so I decided to cut a small square around each weld to free the pan, get the pan to fit right, and weld those little squares back to the rest of the pan. They're barely noticeable even now what I'm driving the car without the carpet, so with the carpet in place they shouldn't be noticeable at all.

[justanotherdrunk]

an A for effort!

[praivo]

...and F for form! :-D

[06YarisRS]

Wow! A lot of work. Looks great! I use floor liners in all my cars to avoid rotten floor pans. Once that carpet gets wet, it's a long time drying out. Driver's side rotting out and passenger side not makes sense as likely less water being soaked into the carpets.

[praivo]

I'm now actually thinking about just not using the carpet at all, at least for the winter. I'd just paint the floor black (which I'm going to do anyway) and then I'd put truck bed liner on it so to prevent damage from shoes, luggage, etc.

[praivo]

Today, I wanted to repair a hole in the subframe that I found earlier. However, cleaning it with a wire brush revealed multiple other holes which, while smaller, would still be a real pain to fix and the result still probably wouldn't be that great.

https://ajyvig.db.files.1drv.com/y4mgOfZpa9QqqgsY7aesMeiImIzPQkh4mE1Rr-QcPvuy4ORg0B-H1Crlf_gxsFNOF6bM-yIcQ5hmbHO6nQMaV4Mcw41-E93cQv-LKNikb5If1SAQoVTaRMvnL60TwLG0W_eMUukO6yfaISItiTeiQ Ei5THkfDFkHhYCKrNF0jYCu9iCVNyWsRm_vpmem8TYnNhYvWMq nYIoLqP4hwtGjwoouw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

I have therefore decided to replace the subframe completely. I've found one for a fairly low price and in a far better condition and will order it soon. Before that, however, I want to drive the car for a bit and see how much oil it burns. If it turns out to burn too much I want that to be before I put any more money into this thing - the head gasket seems fine, so it would be either bad valve seals or piston rings, neither of which would probably be worth replacing.

With the left front wheel off I also decided to look at the wheel well. Yep, of course that's rusted too...

https://xtorug.db.files.1drv.com/y4mf_UqMyjckbK_d09ZUmNM20G2ojmcfUG2-KWpr8FTFo0nEejRxgrclMzE3m6lgPCH-EvQZN-QZbVHmSYcj9MOiQCETAbRzAa7KtlVvsdKtZBd_fmlobXELdGdm O_CXEnJCKn3bOJclbioKUx-GTGHuam0k7CU0z-1AwmswdmjTff6JwzgPX2whcC9mWxYUaVzBN5YLzZ961KER_Ucq _7QFQ?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

https://ajyyig.db.files.1drv.com/y4mOAd23CLcnFdFsjLQfhCgK2X351w_WAevCkBnMwKIAVgPNwW O4GelsD60QtfDEmjEZ_mui9B424aM-IRbJNA63aDuGxs-eX91GzRa_EFBGqPVGkJDKz9-a2MJHbfw4EyxLQ1XXJDOz87lc1-Zk_5Dezc_UIM6vGqSFPTrdVqEwcfB8v-ZJ4nsKAZ4Cx_jH-f2SxYCKaQW6Qp_os2L8ZZLZw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

I'm not going to fix this now, either. The strut will need to come out to give me access to what's behind it, requiring an alignment afterwards, which, of course, costs money. And since the subframe needs to be replaced (if the engine turns out not to burn too much oil) I'm going to then take care of this at the same time so that I only need to get the alignment once.

[praivo]

I haven't posted for a while, but I have been working on the car, so here's a quick update:

I have repaired multiple holes in the RR wheel well. I cut all the damaged metal out and used rust converter (phosphoric acid) on the remaining surface rust. Then I made a patch bigger than the hole, welded it on and gave it one coat of the Zn/Al primer on the top and the asphalt undercoating on the bottom. This was then sealed from both sides and painted again. The last step were two coats of black paint (which claims to prevent rust, but I don't really trust it, and zinc does it better anyway).

Tomorrow I'll sand and paint the rest and spray a bit more oil into the rocker panel. After that I should finally be able to put the plastic trim panels back on to prevent thing from falling into them and myself from hearing every pebble that hits the wheel well.

So here's the top...

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...and the bottom:


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As you can see, I didn't really manage to get the patch right. But since the shape of the wheel well in this area would make making a nice patch a PITA and I made it with a only few hours of daylight left to weld it in before having to leave the next morning I decided to leave it like that and will the rest with fiberglass filler. I had already cleaned it and applied rust converter beforehand so I'm not really worried about the rust coming back.

The next two photos were taken today, 200 km after I did this, that's why it's dirty.

https://ndhk8g.db.files.1drv.com/y4mKEXRzZnV9Vgiog6i1uqUNneNazMThFpcA7XsOIVc2VIY9SR eXnFPLe8NoL3WvOCMegNpa7qJgIuH_K5lQ30moMyEUYYTZKuGz GG3sFWAhXdCpGaNCJ9SpXFaeVVfjZzY3JLBf62xdMheQAIg_HG 103F6pyFsj_jBhlc-txcFo9EY9kPtYHTYby2-5FM1-S5WSCykdpf8i1G3_RgD5xnURw?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

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(I didn't get the angle right, I'll take a better photo tomorrow).

[praivo]

The next step was the spare wheel well, which used to have two rather large holes in it (large enough for tools to fall through them!). I had already welded one before, so there was only one left at this point. I didn't bother trying to replicate the original shape, I just wanted to get rid of the hole. If I get lucky enough, the whole section of the floor will be replaced with a good one next year, along with the middle section (above the fuel tank) and, hopefully, the left wheel well.

https://lgrofa.db.files.1drv.com/y4mfZ21BTipQjK6LB2aeg9_3pbTuMuEoUbr2Nw9LAxB1i_vvH-ClcbXMO9Q9A7WstV0mfqwM0MFOT5c92I_eciRbfaY6z0I_FmbE jFI4JFBQj2gUl_FGutwYLzWtTknBWTZaEBuw8aExUrNFeQctqP WfGQDuJutZz63V6QKU15KfLGjSAAFeFD6gcd5PrJ2QZquoZxeK LphFZe4Tikp0HRHuw?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

This was done on Monday, together with a part of the right wheel well. I drove the car on Tuesday morning and it got noticeably quieter inside :laugh:

There's now only one thing left to repair on the rear half of the car, and it's this hole in the inner layer of the rear quarter panel.

https://kdhv8g.db.files.1drv.com/y4mdtLPqn62aI6_pbhrCrS-hvyu5Q6_nkJ0C95KpLYynkOWQhr6DGLWz9RTQR3F6mhRXJefrf 8CXaLItmKFstTM2D_yLP1HkVO08Wbi1FnNxAO42SJWgnBYBjOc-nYJ2rvDSqmI-yQGGvRI0NA2nhVmocVj6M4cYskfx1F6i-rzjcsOhwPn9tZw05SHFy_78PA_17D_JDdMX1XejR1t4k2B_Q?w idth=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

As you can see, someone's been here before - and whoever that was probably also put silicone, or whatever it was, along the edge, which obviously trapped water and caused everything it covered to rust.

Here's the outside that I'm going to need to cut out to access the inside and get all the rust out:

https://jcottw.db.files.1drv.com/y4mcdquh0ogT3rsa0s0gIRU5zmZGgAvQFBn0kGPbp5IQQ_e3PL WPwbMdgzAE0MXXSUxj7x9zf9ZNWA0b3SEa7EQvWhgcbz_3ldUC Hb7Bn8N8qGLXMVBail66RG8qs_MNg-PUIh_e5x0c0vQtj8lrXvxmUQ1wUK2ZjaANQ7yl8WLMzpT2bqnT mLDjJxI70AplLRn9IEPHf2aO_Mwav82oAVTcQ?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none


That little crack/gap definitely shouldn't be there. Might be why the car has been repainted (and quite badly at that).

Here's a fun fact: So far I've used about 2 m^2 (!) of the 1mm sheet metal (2/3 of the 1.5×2-m piece I bought in June). I'll probably need to buy more for the front of the rockers. I've also used about 30 kg of CO2 for the MIG welder and over 2.5 kg of wire. And while I've stopped counting the time spent on the car a long time ago, I'd guess at least 150-180 hours now (mainly because this is my very first time doing most of these things and I'm doing everything by myself with no help from anyone else).

[praivo]

I'll add one thing that isn't directly related to the car (or any Yaris for that matter) but is related to the kind of repairs I'm doing here.

After I bought the car and found how badly I screwed up, my dad pretty much just called be a f****g i***t and said that I'd p****d him off and that if *he* were buying anything like that he'd bring someone else with him (which I didn't, regretting it afterwards).

Fast forward to last Wednesday. He calls and says that he found a tiny camper trailer for sale that he wants to buy on Friday, and that he wants me to go with him (it's about 120 km/~75 miles away). I'm like, "You've got to be kidding me, right? You got mad at me for impulse buying a 42k CZK/$1800 car, and now you want to impulse buy a 36k CZK/$1600 trailer?" but he insists. OK, I'll go (because if I didn't and he bought a POS it would have been my fault for not going with him)...

We get there and while he's with the seller looking at the inside and at a cracked window, I'm lying under the thing checking out the frame and the fiberglass shell. It doesn't take long for me to notice paint flaking off the frame with rust underneath it and a large hole in the shell above the left wheel (which has the tire mounted backwards, by the way).

https://hnxoig.db.files.1drv.com/y4m1exbIXIi5l9cemlH9dxhAmFUg_KY5eIWRKS4Mf7uDfwxH0e Whd4zVo9AhrZDOerVeog_Y08TskGxk69GjJVJr9R4mhl2e1seO O-AfMBoxR8WBwZYLsBByKKnB6wPNeRsI4Y5WuLRH0x53aMOBz-4nXDyxPGgQWRgM9K0CcqsmiQwpX59DBwuFk0ab-0G1asgPw1c6cm3Wo37nrMFPwYp4A?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

I point this out to the two, saying that I definitely wouldn't buy this for that price. The seller acts like he's never seen the hole before, and dad insists that it's not a big problem because it's fiberglass (yeah, it is, but it's quite thick and that's not exactly a pinhole) and that he wants to buy it anyway, for the full price! :eek:

I'm now starting to get angry, as the guy who gave me s**t for buying the Yaris alone and not checking it carefully enough now wants to buy a vehicle in a similar condition for a similar price despite making me go there and tell him repeatedly how badly he's about to screw up. I keep finding other sketchy s**t (more holes, more cracks in windows, suspicious rust on the frame, tires as old as the trailer itself (*1982), one of the lights not working probably due to a broken cable...), yet he's still determined to buy it. I'm starting to see myself finishing the Yaris just to spend another few months on this.

Well, this is our front yard a few hours later:

https://larzfa.db.files.1drv.com/y4mpPU0WIYty0_70GxhYcnvywPyhcA_OF_4Js2AutGc5Svy5BO T0jT0a0VJ05sIDGpbBKevgYHhyvZDuhgsc4C61n1IgmdbC4zUE DuUbFu9AC1jER-rWrTN9vX4mJqs0dTFoI75SqeX33N1LD0p0JOQX2kHxA2kkI3uA RHBUY2Rpl5LS97TJTJWWxW0VQTMXJoZ2kqm12mwZxAxG7cgBk0 bUg?width=1024&height=578&cropmode=none

If that weren't enough, the trailer is now missing both wheels after what the seller said was one wheel bearing starting to go bad turned out to be BOTH bearings bad, with the right wheel having a huge amount of play in the hub due to a bent axle.

https://znpvcg.db.files.1drv.com/y4mX9J8y-JC98KXG679janEpgSGTIBhmmNr9Z49x_zHm_OBJCRpyc9A8-zaOB6kqdz7-i_CWXk-QxsHi4xxp70LDZzV_B1ZZU0XDypp-nKjoV9IgUCfz0S5bpLEkzMaoqoioUbfUJsDUmIj3zU8ulw68fx JZe7t2yRio5flK3QrGZ1GnaqiW1Vgxnmjarj-xyhPyW09Uw1QkXvBD2xOcC2CpQ?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none

These are only available in Poland and cost 85 PLN ($22) a piece. But buying them wouldn't really help - I doubt that the hub bearings (which are available here, 220 CZK ($10) per side) are intact. And neither of us has a press to replace them anyway (although do I plan on building one eventually).

It would be mechanically possible to replace the whole torsion axle assembly, but:

1. The trailer uses wheels from a Fiat 126p (which it's supposed to be used with, hence the name). These are 4.5×12" ET who-knows-what, 4×98 bolt pattern with a 56.1-mm center bore, using 145/70/12 tires. New axles with 4×100 hubs are fairly common and cost around 3000 CZK ($130), but they tend to use a larger center bore (58 mm). That would mean new wheels - which aren't available in the size required and the ones that are (770 CZK/$30 each) would be offset too much. This could be solved by using a wider axle assembly, choosing very carefully in order not to change the track width.

2. It would also change the construction of the trailer and make it technically illegal on public roads.

I'll be surprised if the frame turns out NOT to have rust holes in it.

On top of all that, he now gets angry at me whenever I even suggest that he's bought just as big a lemon as I did. I did admit that I'd made a big mistake, he refuses to, saying that he can sell the trailer for more than be bought it for whenever he wants to. He can't be that delusional, can he?

And that's not all. The car dad wants to tow this with is his 2006 Škoda Fabia Combi 1.2 HTP 47 kW/64 HP. The trailer has a maximum allowed weight of 450 kg (100 lbs), so it normally wouldn't be a problem (after all, those Fiats did it with less than half the power) - but the HTP engine is known for overheating oil (to up to 150 °C at high loads) and the timing chain on this particular one already rattles like crazy at idle and low speeds even though the car has only done 144k km (<90k miles), which he hasn't done anything about yet, because buying a shitty trailer is somehow more important than keeping the car running. And no, with that attitude I will NOT let him use my other Yaris for that.