Defender rust, a warning for those who don't have it yet

[newhue]

Now if you like me I’m a first time owner of a Defender, and I’d imagine a Tdci is no different from the models before. I have heard in a Tdci the doors frames are zinc coated with an alloy skin. I have also heard the doors are steel these days, full stop. Solihull have not confirmed this yet for me.

I just so happen to have a Tdi in the yard that has been killed by rust. And thought for all Defer owners, particularly the Tdci’s who don’t have rust yet, I’d post some pics. I for one will be pulling my door skins off and shooting plenty more cavity wax or similar around the place. And the other spots on the fire wall and around the place. I’d imagine the bottoms of the A and B pillar are also worth a look over.

I have also noticed, the rear cross members before the rear coils on these trucks, is a good place to collect mud, and not obvious to clean. Around the forward and rear gussets onto of top of the chassis. Mud deposits there, gets wet, and takes a long time to dry.

[rick130]

So far I've been very, very lucky as mine's lived all its life well away from any sea/salt/brine, but six months ago it spent five weeks camped at the beach......

[tonic]

Yep, took me 2 years to find one without rust or with litle rust. Still spent near 2k fixing rust after I bought the one I have. The one in the photo looks like one they tried to sell me for $15,000 because he said it was a 300tdi and they are the best. We argued about the rust and I offered him 2k in the end. Did it come from around ANZ stadium in behind the Aldi?

[ugu80]

I have also heard the doors are steel these days, full stop. Solihull have not confirmed this yet for me.

Easy. Will a magnet stick to the door skin?

[newhue]

Tonic, down northern NSW buy the sea side.
Of course lots of beach work will accelerate the cancer, but a dousing of prevention may keep it at bay for many many years I'm hoping.
It seems to be a common problem with older Landies. They get used a lot, live out doors a lot, poor things don't have much of a chance in many cases.

[newhue]

Easy. Will a magnet stick to the door skin?

oh deer, just used one of the kids woeful alphabet magnets on the doors, stuck all over the place

[landcol]

Very timely thread as I'm having this problem right now! Didn't actually realize defenders were do prone. Been a bit oblivious I guess

[tonic]

Tonic, down northern NSW buy the sea side.
Of course lots of beach work will accelerate the cancer, but a dousing of prevention may keep it at bay for many many years I'm hoping.

I'm hoping too, sprayed the whole inside of the doors with rust proventer, well the panel guys did when they did the doors. I intend to keep this one for some time so am even considering buying new doors 1 at a time over the next few years. The firewall and underneath are good and I keep them sprayed with sheep oil

[Reads90]

Not a new problem. Just Australia does not suffer rust as bad as the uk.

Manily because they put salt on the roads in the uk

But all Land Rover parts companies do replacement parts that are needed because of rust. Just some of them. Bulkhead repair kits ( replaces from top corner bit where the top door hinge is right down to the chassis ), foot wells , doors frames ( Pre Puma panel Ali but steel frames), rear cross members are few yearly replacement item on defenders in the Uk , chassis hangers both sides front and year and front legs on the chassis ( where the bumper bolts to). Just a few things that will get replaced on a defender in the uk. All the time.

The problem I have had in Australia with my imported defender is the window channel has rusted. ( normal thing in the uk so replacement part) this means the window when it goes down it falls out of the channel and won't come back up. Been to MR and other land rover companies in Qld and all have looked at me with a tilted head and say why would you need to replace that , and when I say it has rusted they say what nah never had that before. So I can't get one so working on getting one imported.

BUT this is not only defenders but also RRC and Discos. In the uk you will find it very very hard to find and Disco 1 or RRC that will pass a roadworthy due to rust. Mainly rear floors, doors , top and bottom tailgates on RRC ( in fact so bad in the uk top and bottom tailgates for RRC command serious money if you can even find one ) . Sills and inner wings.

RRC are getting very very hard to find in the uk because most have rusted away. Last year at billing a 2 door RRC with no engine and left hooker sold for £10,000 just because the body had little rust

[manic]

Funny the amount of times I have had people here in Aus comment on the galvanised bits on my landy. 'You don't need to do that over here in Australia' they say... ha!

For my doors I used Dinitrol which comes in spray cans and a long extension hose to feed into all the nooks and crannys - great stuff.

Also with the old style rear doors - perhaps new ones also - water gets in through the latch handle recess. The evidence was clear when looking at my old rotten rear door. Water gets into the recess and then down into the door along the inside of the frame - rusting it out. I'm considering a flap to cover the recess. Also good idea to add a silicone bead around the outside edge of the window (older rear door) - can be done to look neat with masking tape.