Thread: PUMA's and Rust - what to look for?

My 2012 90 is undergoing a bit of a refurb, have stripped most everything off the outside and inside and found a few areas of rust. Less than I expected really, a bit around the winch bar mounts, the rear cross member and everywhere there is weld splatter (which seems to be all over..) Cleaning it up as I go along and hopefully I get another 5 years without too much trouble.

Cheers D9Oh..

How did they manage to stuff up the roof!? Original 1989 roof, scratched up with zero corrosion. Puma roof replaced after 2 years? Did they add steel reinforcement?

Looking forward I was rather hoping pumas would serve as good donor vehicles for my TDI. 😀 Watch out county owners.

All 'defenders' share similar corrosion issues. The only way to sort it out is to rebuild with galv steel and proper separation of Ali/Steel. Clean chassis will help keep it solid but the dissimilar metal corrosion on the body work will set in regardless. Its doomed from assembly. The roof is a new one!

The good news is that the rust and corrosion has few places to hide. Most problem areas are in plain sight. Look around the external body work for bubbling of paint. Poke around the bulkhead and chassis. I doubt there are many pumas with rusted out rear cross members or footwells.

Defenders are sold as a kit, they hand the parts to you loosely bolted together. If you are looking for a long term keeper, get one rebuilt.

I have a 90 delivered in Feb 2016. I have had the entire bottom of the car covered in lanolin from 6 month, hope I never find out...


Also have a 130 from 2002...Door flames are steel so have rust..the door sill frame also...so the parts your feet go on, the thing under the door they are bolted to.

Roof and the rest is fine.

Originally Posted by Tombie

All under warranty.

Not good, I shall keep an eye on this area.
Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

Not good, I shall keep an eye on this area.
Pickles.

Tombie, that is totally horrendous mate...

Do you keep your Defender parked on the beach front?...

I trust they will be replacing the entire bulkhead and doing a proper paint job... just unreal on a 2 year old Defender. Mine is nearly 2, however it spends it's life in a garage... perhaps I should park it outside and see what happens...

All recent Defenders went through the same paint shop/process as all other Landrover products... RR, Disco etc etc. So this really surprises me.

Hope they sort it properly.

Originally Posted by YOLO110

Tombie, that is totally horrendous mate...

Do you keep your Defender parked on the beach front?...

I trust they will be replacing the entire bulkhead and doing a proper paint job... just unreal on a 2 year old Defender. Mine is nearly 2, however it spends it's life in a garage... perhaps I should park it outside and see what happens...

All recent Defenders went through the same paint shop/process as all other Landrover products... RR, Disco etc etc. So this really surprises me.

Hope they sort it properly.

Once again the Adelaide Dealer has been fantastic. They've organised all the warranty items and sorted most whilst we were in Thailand in March.

'Ike' is currently having another holiday down in The big City having a Sleep Over and a bit of an upgrade this week.

We have a shiny new Discovery Sport to use while he gets his shiny new Windscreen Surround and Roof Panel.

Best bits are the upgrades

- Rear Cross Member being matched in Santorini
- Wing mirrors colour matched Santorini
- Flares being done in, you guessed it, Santorini
And....
Whilst the roof was replaced I supplied them with a pile of "Car Builders" sound deadened Stage 1 and 6mm acoustic liner. They've installed all that for me whilst the trim is off.

Cheers
Mike

That's some 90 that is.

Originally Posted by cuppabillytea

That's some 90 that is.

Thanks Billy,

I will have to do a write up... just so many little things to get done before Mrs Tombie (& I) are happy with it

Once I get my workshop back - currently occupied by a D2 (been in family since new) - I will make the time to finish the electrical & Electronic install.