What do you guys think of this?
 

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29193

Talks about gaps in welds where water can get through. Makes me paranoid.

It almost seams (get it?) like they forgot the step where the factory would apply sealant to the interior side of the panel seams after welding. I know I've seen that on other cars.

On the other side of the coin, could they somehow have been designed to drain or ventilate? Doors have drain holes in them...

That's what I was thinking, drain hole..if that part was completely sealed it would make a great place for water to puddle in. This bugs me, but I don't know what's the engineering thought behind it, I'm no car maker...

I drove a car without interior panels and during winter time (hot inside, cold out) condensation accumulates on the interior steel panels, up to the point of water dripping down...What I mean is interior panels will get wet even when isolated from the outside. EDIT: That car was a 98 civic, it rusts around the rear quarter panels over the wheel, apparently, water gets trapped there because it rusts from the inside out, and I witnessed it! lol

My fix? I'll spray some rust check in the area, no water puddling and good old yearly rust checking.

The wheel well problem of most 90's late 00's Japanese cars was because the seam between the quarter panel and the wheel arch sheet-metal was generally poorly stamped/spot-welded together. Shitty steel, poor paint and probably the harshest exposure to the elements next to the front bumper resulted in this still present phenomena in cars that fit this design.

Those manufacturers that designed a rubber/plastic mold to go on top of this poorly welded area should be given some sort of prize for retardation, as this caused more harm than good by trapping salt, dirt and water in an already established weakspot.

But whatever

You will notice on our FRSs and other modern cars that the point where the two sheet metals connect has been covered entirely in what I suspect is a rubber compound molded entirely in and out, HOPEFULLY ensuring that no water gets in-between the two pieces of metal.. ever.

So no quarter-panel rust... hopefully.


As for those holes you guys are referring to, pending an official investigation and given the general quality/methodology of building low end Japanese cars, i'd say these are simply drain holes. The real question should be IS THERE PAINT ON THEM, if they are painted all the way through then you shouldn't worry. If it's raw metal then I'd be worried.

^ So... you're into good pain? :bellyroll:

lol

meant to say paint, haha