Finally hoping I have sorted the boot leak as it seemed to be coming from under the seal in different places depending on the direction of the wind but mainly under the rear boot edge.
I’ve noticed that the groove of the boot seal , where it fits onto the metal lip , was always wet just above the bumper as if the water is finding its way under the seal higher up.
This may account for the rusty boot lip I had repaired last year.
Fitted the new boot seal but noticed that the lip on the off-side was in very poor condition with a burr on the edge of the metal lip which had resulted in a build-up of paint and the metal lip was distorted on the vertical part of the lip.
Carefully straightened the lip to avoid any further damage, there is also a depressed area around a spot weld so a bit of sealant might be required to complete a really good seal.
Uncovered a bit of corroded metal on the lip edge under the rear screen, not too serious , that will need repairing at some point but for now I’ll clean it up and paint it to stop the rust progressing.
I think that might be a tiny leak through the boot air vent so will have the bumper off at some point so I can reseal this. I’ve seen pictures of the air vents on the 5 door but not the 4 door.
Had a trip out to South West Rust Proofing in Westbury near Bath, just on the day when the petrol shortage kicked off, to complete an assessment on the state of the existing rust proofing – or lack of it. Booked in for next March and I’m sure there will be a few photos from that visit.
The guys there were very interested in the car/brand, as are a lot of garages I go to, and were complementary about its condition underneath the car which was reassuring .
Have also finished the top and bottom hose ugrade to silicon hoses.
Went smoothly except for cutting the 16mm hose from the bottom hose to the expansion tank too short.
I know measure twice cut once I hear you all cry, well I did, in fact I measured three times . The problem was I measured it to the wrong part of the nozzle on the expansion tank - I measured it to the end of the metal pipe that is inserted inside the plastic nozzle to give it strength.
Fortunately the supplier had a replacement in stock and I didn’t have to wait another 8 weeks, but set me back more cost on an already expensive exercise.
The top hose is not as neat as I would like it to be. The offcuts from the 500mm straight section used for the bottom hose was too short meaning the connection to the expansion tank breather hose is too far forward. I should have brought the 1000mm straight section which would have given me a bigger length of offcut to use
Decided not to trim the 9.5mm dia expansion tank breather hose to length just yet until I come up with a better solution. So this hose is a bit messy at the moment.
Might also upgrade the hose clips to bolt clamps or black hose clips at some point, far too many shiny hose clips and sharp edges for my liking, although there appears to be no leaks so far!
Turned out to be an expensive exercise at around £250 (excluding trial parts and messed up parts) for all the hoses and connectors but I think you could do the same changes but using normal rubber hoses for under half the price which perhaps would have been more sensible.
However I’m pleased with the results and look forward to the hoses withstanding the rigors of the journeys up the M5 to the shows next year and beyond .
Thanks for looking
- but still manages a spirited drive down the A38