I tell you what will really help you out, youtube search "Aaron unknown rust" and look at his repairs on his old fiesta, he does it all in his garden DIY, its all stuff you can learn and do very easily.
I would not describe him as "phenomenal" his repairs are sub average at best, I would advise looking at videos from urchfab for a proper repair. Regarding the car i would suggest looking at sills, inner arches and under factory underseal before decided to continue and repair it or not.
Yep, bracing myself for the hysterical optomists says a repair is easy. Even if it is repaired the rest will be rotten in 12 months time. games up sadly.
@@davidhaygarth4763 Yep...the rust won't stop at the floorpan that's for sure. Plus everyone saying 'fix it'...easy to say but without a garage, in winter on the drive in the UK...naaa, sell it for parts. Game over.
Actually ford Fiesta mk4 were notorious for the pre existing holes that stands on the lower body of the car, I.e the screw holes for the front seats.Car is getting rusted like hell.
_My dad was a welder and taught me how to weld. My first real challenge was welding the project car I bought._ A 92' classic mini with a rotten floor. Way worse than this one. The sills, passenger and driver floor plans, rear floor pan and every wing corner needed some fresh metal. I went the cheap and hard way of fixing it and bought only the outer sills. The rest I fabricated and welded in myself out of metal plates. If I was you I would do the following thing: - Buy a good MIG welder with CO2 gas, welders mask, gloves (No Stick Welding!) - Try to find someone how can teach you it, follow a welding course our try self study, there are lots of RUclips videos about it - *PRACTISE it!* It's just like painting. You need to practice outerwise you can't learn it. Yeah you properly gonna mess it up a lot. Just grind your welds away or cut out the badly welded metal and try it again. It's gonna be somewhat difficult because floor pans are very thin so it's easy to burn trough it because of the heath. But just like painting if you mess-up. Sand it down, prep it and paint it again. Welding is a skill every DIY'er needs to have. Bolts or nuts that got rounded? Weld a nut on it and try to take it of again. Failed MoT because of rust? Weld it solid again. Exhausted got a small hole in it? Weld it. You can buy the front floor pans, some metal plates and find a DIY guy that welds it for you for a coupe of hundred quid. But that just a quick solution if you ask me. Having the skill to weld yourself really is worth it James. Only think about the money you can save on welding jobs you can do yourself instead of paying some garage!
In uk car with 17 years is a crap normali people in this coutri renove a car every 5 years becouse mot is veri meticulus includes headlamp parishes and frame rust y have a 15 year a kia rio 1.3 i have to eliminate all rust issues but have impossible to pas the mot test includes smoke emission is riguristic cheking valve cover must be seal registrate plate lights mus be working expensive maitenance is a old car in uk
@@theniceguy504 60k is nothing at all, my old 106 from 1991 has done over 150,000 miles and only finally got a hole poked in the sill by a tester this year! first time it's been welded and we live right by the sea, my 2002 106 is completely rotten all under the bonnet, the boot floor is falling out and will never pass another mot, it's really more about wether the panels are galvanised from factory or not, the later 106's had been cost cut and they switched from hot dip galvanising the whole car after it was welded together to using pre galvanised sheets and welding after so they rusted from the welds. This fords rust is nothing to do with underseal although it does help in most cases, fords will find a way to rust no matter what, I am pretty sure they use pre rusted metal like fiats, when a ford rust's they get bright orange damp rust which spreads like the plague regardless, and it happens to them all... transit's, puma's, Ka's of the same era are all mostly filler and rust.. shocking design.
@Honda 250 100000 miles in 17 years is nothing. Your maseratti probably wasnt a daily driver so it likely wasnt driven in the winter. Winter time=rust time
i bought a van that was rotten and lost interest then found retrorestore transit build on youtube and ended up borrowing a welder and done it all myself from watching his videos learned loads of tips and how to protect it
I had a ‘97 P reg 1.25 Zetec bought new that started rusting in the wheel arch a year after purchase as they hadn’t fitted liners in the Valencia factory. Fords are just built to rust it seems.
The reason why they get like that is that the sunroof drains on that generation of Fiesta are a really poor design. They drain into the sills, which is pretty standard, but the drain holes in the bottom are so small that they easily get blocked. Then the sill fills up with water until it overflows onto the floor pan and soaks the sound deadening, which holds the moisture against the metal. As you can see when you lifted the carpet, the floor pans don't really have any paint on them, just the factory primer, so the rust starts eating away at the metal. That is repairable, depending on how much you want to spend, and it should be a fairly easy job, particularly if there are proprietary repair panels available, but it's still going to be a lot of man-hours to sort properly. Another option that might be worth considering, and may well work out similar in terms of cost, would be to find a solid poverty model Fiesta of the same age, which doesn't have the factory-fitted sunroof, and rebuild your Zetec S into that. The solid roof cars are much less prone to those sorts of problems, and a lot of the basic Fiestas that are still around have been owned by much more mature people so they've often been very well cared for. Plus, it has to be said, the non-sunroof shell is a decent amount stronger than the items built to take the factory sunroof, which can only be a good thing for the way the car drives. The rebuild will actually be a lot easier than it seems as all the shells are built to accommodate any of the range of engines fitted to them, so although a basic car will probably only come with the 1300 push rod engine, the car will still accept the 1600 Zetec lump, gearbox and suspension assembly with sub-frame so it's just simple, nuts and bolts stuff...
It looks daunting but it's all very repairable. MIG welding is a satisfying skill to learn, and I'm guessing you've got plenty of time to give it a try. A automatically dimming welding helmet really helps. Also if you give it a try and your not happy, you can always grind it off and get someone else to do it. Good luck
Hi mate , just thought I'd say I like the way you tackle your cars , I'm learning stuff from you , I worked in a garage as an improver , but only stayed about 2 months . Thanks for your videos , glad you're not afraid to tackle these projects , from Tony from bedfordshire ,
That Rover 800 Hubnut had where the roof was all rusty under the upper door seal because it had been retaining water under the rubber was the biggest shock example of rust.
Get an automotive welder to check it out. The sills are structural areas, so the last thing you want to do is practice your welding by putting patches yourself. Get the advice of a professional and their price.
I had a j reg xr2 and it was in a similar condition. Thought I scrapped it but can’t remember as it was about 20 years ago. Recently had a letter off dvla asking if I still own it so presumably someone’s trying to do something with it. Excellent videos thanks.
I love your videos James. Your attitude and desire to share your projects are so inspiring. So many thanks for that 👍 If you decide to learn how to weld, please share that project too...you might inspire a grow up white collar guy to do the same 😀 Best greetings from Scandinavia.
Hi. There are after market floor pans available from a good panel shop. The reason for the water is probably the the door shut rubbers. . And if you can afford a mig welder. You pick the process up very quickly. Good luck. My regards Lisa.
Oh that's not too bad mate!! at least you've got great access! I bought a nice Clarke MIG151EN Turbo Gassless MIG and welded front frame-rail repair panels into my MX5, and then fixed some nice holes in my 306 Rallye. people love to harp on about get a good gas MIG , but i found the gassless flux cored stuff to work just fine. i just dont have the space for gas bottles! Practice on some scrap metal until you are getting acceptable results and then weld-er up! probably a good idea to see if people make pre-formed patch panels because that saves you so much time!
Yeah it is quite common to rust after all those years. Got my girlfriends dead Fiesta sitting in the yard. Having a look at it this weekend. At least I won't have to tow it to the scrapyard.
I have a 2002 fiesta 1.4 ,its actually solid rust wise but in your case the fiesta you have is financially a dead duck but in another hand its labour of love and also a great training exercise to practice on .
I had a Fiesta the same year...the Cills were completely shot and covered in filler, fibreglass and black underseal (I spy underseal on this car too...it can cover a multitude of sins). If the floorpan has gone I'm surprised the Cills aren't showing signs as well?
Had a similar problem with a vauxhall astra. Had new plates welded in, was caused by the rubbers around the windowscreen detriating and allowing water to come through.
There’s no such thing as an unrepairable car James........all it takes is time and money ! But on a serious note, I’ve seen and personally repaired much worse. I’ve watched your channel grow alongside your skill set and I really think with some experienced supervision this repair is easily achievable if you’re willing to learn to weld yourself. What I think you have to ask yourself is do you want to invest the time and money in the repair ? Is your long term plan to keep the fiesta for yourself or simply move it on after repair ? Which is most cost effective option for your pocket and also heart strings !! Best of luck either way 👍🏼
It's not horrendous. Pull the covers off the sills to assess the condition of the inner and outers. You've got nothing really to lose on it - and once completed you'll know it will have have a full and comprehensive rebuild. I'm sure if you don't want to attempt the welding - someone can step in to help you out. Don't wimp out on it - these Zetecs are rapidly dissappearing and it's rust repair will make great content for your channel. 👍
You’ve come this far buddy and put all that effort into it to get it where it is. Do right by the car and learn how to repair it trust me it’ll be worth doing and learning and great content for other people wanting to start welding. Keep up the good work mate you’re smashing it
I have had similar issues that have turned out to be 1 of 2 things. Drainage points under plastic scuttle where the front wiper are get blocked up with cack, back up and leak in from the bulk head or Plastic/foam cover that is behind the door cards is not sealed properly and lets small amounts of water in that drips past the window seal into the door. Good luck pal
I wouldn't patch weld it. In my opinion it's replacement floor plans only. So the question is, can you buy them. Also. The sills, how bad are they. In my experience, what you see is usually the tip of the Iceberg. You start chopping and grinding and just find more and more.
That's repairable, also check drainage holes below the scuttle panel if these are blocked water will come into the front off car and leave carpets soaking,
Hi James repair it mate you have done the hard part pulling it apart.You can get pattern floor pans or sheet of metal.My mark 2 fiesta was worse than that and i repaired it.I paid £20 for the car with no mot and was offered £600.
Check the inner sills at the rear just where the handbrake cables go past from both underneath and from above , that's a hard area to fix . If anyone needed a house with a big garage its you , you could do so much more . Still with the shell stripped down you could flip it and work underneath from the top as it were LOL
Looks like the underlay soaks in the water and retains it leading to the acceleration of rust and the underside of the carpet further helps to retain the moisture at the same time by insulating the heat from the cars heater from reaching the damp underlay.
I repaired the floor on my ZS, took me 4 days, front arch were completely rotted. Lift the door seals up as well, good chance there's a bit of rust there and underneath will be rusted, not the hardest job in the world. I'd suggest as others have, get a mig welder and practice, it's thin sheet metal so will need to be tack welded anyway otherwise you'll blow through the metal. Good luck 👍🏼
Ouch! But well, floorpans are a good place to try welding out. An inaccessible spot on a shock tower or some weird sill structure would be much more complicated to try and fix. Maybe you could collaborate with Bilt Hamber, imo they make the best rustproofing products. Weld that Ford up and protect it well - would make for an interesting video!
James, you said that this is going to be a long term car and this one is still perfectly saveable. Get a welder to teach you how to do it yourself. It will make for great content. I hope it lives to see another day.
Dont see anything that can't be repaired. Time to learn and extend your welding skills. ( I drive a Ka...2006. So seen worse😂😂😂) The joy of old Fords....always a nearly total restoration projects.
@Doc , Indeed....rust buckets, but with a quit nippy handling. ( rust...no worry's....I've owned in the past (1974) an Alfasud 1.5 ti. They had the nasty tendency to rust already ...in the brochure. That's been a tremendous boost for my welding skills 🙄🙄)
I've been a welder for over 40 years James and believe me its not that bad. Mig welding is the easiest to become competent at but not gas-less or using co2 as gas. Its really worth investing in a decent welder even second hand off Ebay is much more preferable to a new cheap Chinese one. A second hand decent one will cost around £300-£400 with superior wire feed rollers, better and longer torch lead ( about 5m long is preferable ) cheaper consumables and a much higher duty cycle. You will also need a gas bottle which you usually rent, think its about £20 a month and use Argoshield as gas for much easier and neater welds. A weekend with a competent welder showing you, should have you sticking metal together then its just practice. As a warning though NEVER weld on your own, ALWAYS have someone fire watching, dozens of people have set light to their cars whilst merrily welding away under a car. Best of luck and have the confidence to give it a go 👍
Im a veteran of many mk 5 fiesta sill and floorpan repairs! To do a proper job, and I mean PROPER, the sills and inner sills will need removing also. Repair those first, then follow up with floorpan and reinforcing sections underneath. BIG job. Involving bracing the body up and cutting out. I have reshelled a couple of these cars. Dont even know if they are still available now. In your position I would pass it on. If you could do it yourself, yes, I would say have a go! Saying all that, I restore "sentimental" cars for customers that are really not worth doing financially (like this one) but to them it is. And ive got to respect that. I do the same to my cars! Good luck in your choice.
James, I don’t comment very often but this is perfect for you to learn on, I would suggest to buy a Clarke 135TE and buy 0.6 mm wire it’s a good cheap welder to learn with, this is what I have done and not looked back. I have lots of rust on my 1984 Cavalier and this is what I’m learning myself the hard bit is shaping the metal and making it look good for areas on show like a wing repair or rear arch, at least on the inner sill it can look messy but just make sure it’s a good strong repair do plenty of research, there is a great thread on the retro rides forum (Making panels ) trust me it’s worth learning and definitely expands you overall knowledge on cars and I know this is something that you will be able to do with the right guidance. I done a classic car restoration class at night school this is a great start. All the best on your venture. Steve. Hope you save this otherwise I know you will regret it if you don’t.
You know i have to say the clarke stuff Machinemart sell considering how cheap it is. It really isn't bad at all for DIY use. I have abused the shit out of one of their air compressors and it still works fine. Have a bunch of the air tools and am quite satisfied with them.
zoidberg444 I fully agree with you there, it’s nice to know about the air tools take some abuse as well starting to get into the air tools myself. Cheers.
I’ve had several cars over the years and the one that rusted most was my ‘Y’ reg Zetec S. I’d also inspect the wheel arches in detail, both on the outside and underneath, that’s where I had the most issues. Might help you decide what to do.
a lot BETTER than i expected at 17 years old! UK climate really rots all cars hard! not sure about that model but complete replacement floor sections were available cheaply for the previous models. they rot where they do because they are dirt traps and its close to areas that are welded at the factory, a common point where rust accelerates as there is no way to get rust protection in there after welding.around fuel filler caps and all wheelarches are also common rot points on these Fiestas, as well as outer sills, hidden by bodykit on some models!
That's a big job,floor plan definitely needed hope you can find someone to do it,you should take the rear bumper off fiestas were known for rot on the rear valance ,panel
I'm a mobile welder that specialises is classic cars , it can definitely be fixed but weather the cost would be worth it to you is another matter as if it's gone on the floor to sill section of the floor you cab pretty much guarantee it will need new outer sills and inner sills , I'd recommend getting the side skirts off as I'd say they will be hiding more rust
I've just brought an rtech welder. They offer some great finance deals. It will go down to low enough power to weld thin metal. Has it got side skirts on it? If so you need to get them off and inspect that area as well. I've really enjoyed mig welding and a very useful tool to learn. I have a tig welder but takes alot of time and gas to get to a good standard.
James compared with my 1978 Renault 5 , that at the time was just 5 years old in 1983, the fiesta is holding up well. I think it is worth saving and an opportunity for you to learn how to weld. Take it along to a local garage and see if they will help. Best wishes mark
I hope you can save it, as curators of rust ourselves it doesn't look to be too bad. I would say that you might be able to pull the panels from another fez that is in good condition and weld those in? Fingers crossed for you - Trev
That’s good for an old ford. My mk4 escort was like Fred flintstones car. You are so far in now it is well worth the time and effort to get it done. If I was you I would try doing the work your self. You might be able to pick up a floor pan of the net.
Hi James,I've had this with a Mini,i got it fixed as a first car,as rust it looks bad but can be fixed,i wouldn't carry on with it but that's my opinion,I would get it checked at the back of it as well for rust.
If you're going to keep as intended I'd do a proper resto job on it, OK cost a bit more, BUT, once its done its done. Don't do something you'll regret either way. You're doing the job now, for payback in maybe 10 years time. Only thing I can add is, I wish I'd kept all my old Ford XR's & RS's and original GTi's and other stuff like 5 & 21 turbo's, Peugeot GTi's , to this day I regret NOT buying an RS2000 when you could buy them for like £800-1200. That being said you know inside what you want to do. Personally I'd stick with it and take my time, you can only make it better now. Good luck. P,S even if you try and fail(not failing though is it), we don't care coz you're showing us all how difficult it could be. Romance and reality are 2 different things. GOOD GOOD LUCK
My MkIII Fiesta had an apparent cabin leak which was caused by blocked drain holes in the scuttle area under the wipers. If it's been sitting for a while, it's probably been soaking and rotting at the same time. Might still be worth fixing, although rotten inner sills may require a body jig to avoid distortion while they're being cut and welded. Doesn't sound like it can be done on your drive!
It is still worth fixing. New floorpans are readily available online. It is the perfect opportunity to try and learn some welding. Ford really did step up their game with the newer mk6 Fiesta. I've recently checked my 13 year old mk6.5 Fiesta and a mates 16 year old mk6 Fiesta. Both cars are still as good as rustfree. The only place where I found some rust on both cars was on the underside of the bonnet. (Where the bonnet meets the small cushion on the side.)
17:03 it might be wet cuz of the heater matrix leaking. also i think it would be less worth it to get someone else to fix the rust because it would cost a lot of money personally i would give it a go to fix it myself
Buy a welder and have a go yourself those repairs don't look too bad, nothing worse than finding a load of rust, I'm still on repairing my classic mini!
I agree. I have fixed rust like that by welding in small peices. It's all hidden so no real problem if it doesn't look nice. Don't think about a new floor pan it will take far too long to do and requires a high level of skill to do. However make sure to fix the leak properly.
Condensation with sitting about, cut out past the rust and keep it squared. Hold cardboard up to otherside and where possible draw around edges to make a template. Put template on a sheet of tin then cut out your repair patch. I'd personally gas weld it as looks neater but give it a bash yourself, if you screw it up you just cut it out and repeat till proficient. Never lift the carpets on a Ford 😁
I had a mk4 1.3 poverty spec Fiesta that I bought cheap via EBay in 2012, P reg, it was rusty in places but little did I know the extent of the rot, plus other mechanical maladies, it was in poor shape, sadly I had to get rid, it was worth little at the time, so it was scrapped. Hope you managed to save this one, they are nice little cars and the Zetec S 1.6 is a little pocket rocket!
That front foot well is in better shape than my mums Puma was when we srapped it. She'd spent £1600 2 years previously having the underside "professionally" repaired. All they did was a few repair patches and filled the rest with underseal.
Fords are known for rust down side of floor, looks like the bulkhead around the wiper motor is leaking or has holes, mark 3 escorts were also nutorios for rotten bulkheads and floors same as your fiesta, cut out the rust and weld some patches on, easy cheap fix if you can use a mig welder, also check top of the bulkhead and repair or you'll be welding it back up again after a year
I can already tell if you do try and save this James please please PLEASE spray the inside of the floors plan in sholts rust protector also do a couple coats on the underside of the car I had this issue with a mk3 ford cortina we done I done that method 5 years ago and I haven't had no rust on that car since the customer brings that car back every 2 years to check it and apply a coat and it has never had a issue with rust on the underside or under the carpet since good luck with the project I hope you get it sorted
You need to find where the ingress of water is from! I would say the job is do able though! Glad the Irwin tools worked so well as I bought the same set following your last vlog.
Wet carpet, always check your car for signs of leaking under the carpets. The mould is a big clue. Bets on as to finding the leak, my guess is the plastic behind the door trim or the door seals themselves.
I have a ford Ka and has had the 2 sills done and other rust so is worth fixing if you can on the Fiesta. If you take it to a garage your more than looking at around £800 quid to do the lot I would say. See if you can get the front floor panels from a scrap yard that are new. Or get someone to teach you how to weld. If the fiesta has low mileage on it well worth doing the work.
Local motor factors should have repair floor pans for that 30 to 60 quid a side angle grinder and welder required after that and jobs a good un get yourself a cheap mig and have a go nothing to loose and experience to gain.
Not only all that floor pan would have to be done but probably all the outer sills will have rust spread from this, you'll soon be opening a can of worms where just getting another shell will be cheaper in the long run. These things should've definitely been spotted on an MOT as these parts are easy to access from underneath, I would also check inside the rear arches on the shock turrets they're prone to rusting out too.
As an owner of a zetec s as my second car they always seem to either rusty arches and good underneath or good arches and hanging underneath. And I guarantee lift the door rubbers up and you'll find more even if it looks a mint car it wont be and it doesn't get noticed because of the rubber. You normally find a small rust hole in the corner
can you still get floor pans? ive got some welding to get sorted in the spring so be interesting to hear what welders here think and the cost too but you have to strip everything out for that and careful with grinding that the sparks dont pit your glass windows. like those irwin bolt removal sockets. the relief when it turned!
Whether the car is worth. Is really down to the individual. If you want this car and.love it...then it's worth it to you. I say this is a chance to.practise welding. If you managed to self it yourself great. If the diy welding doesn't work out then your no better off than you are now, but have content either way. All to gain and nothing to lose in my eyes. Keep going james
I would repair it, rust on my Zetec S Xreg was the same if not worse plus rusty rear arches (my sills were worse however floor pan was in a better state, drivers side is always worse) . Mine has been saved and I’m sure yours can be too!
Wearing a harry main cry hoodie ..... two new front floor pans inner and outer seals seat belts mounts plus the little bits your looking at about £400 worth of welding if you want it done properly
All comes down to time, money and how much you love the car, I hate to see any car scrapped, saved a couple of old Vauxhalls that were nearly at the end of their lives. Keep your chin up and get it sorted, you said it was a long term project and it will make great viewing
I have an 02 Zetec S myself, and they always leak into the front pans. I've ripped the sound deadenng out of the front and keep the carpets folded back in wet weather. I keep a few sponges in there to bail it out, and mine has started to rust in the same places, but no were near this bad. Deffo worth repairing though mate. You can buy a cheap gasless mig on eBay for under £100 and some 1mm sheet steel and have a go yourself, thats how I learnt. Wish I could work out where the water comes in from though! Top vids mate, keep up the good work, and PLEASE fix this :)
An ugly little secret of so many Mk4/5 Fiestas sadly. These are good little cars but unfortunately they had precious little rustproofing applied when they were built. I had a 3 year old Zetec S in 2004 and the amount of surface rust underneath was fucking horrendous! I sold it on the following year so what happened after that, Christ knows. My mum still has an X plate 1.25 Zetec which has suffered badly, but it's still going strong now thanks to some welding, cavity wax and TLC. Being garaged helps too !! Great vid, cheers for sharing 👍👍👍👍
They look daunting initially to the inexperienced but they are actually simple fixes as most are "flat sheet steel" areas with a little shaping required. They look like ideal learner projects if taken in small individual areas. Go on, buy a MIG welder, make contact with somebody local that can give advice, practice on some scrap metal with different power settings and wire speeds then on to thin sheet steel. I started with no tuition initially and I've now done floorpans/sills/arches. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck.
not the worst rust, i am sure there are companies out there that can source you the complete sills and floor pans, a quick search on google will give you a few results, and not to expensive, no reason why you cannot try to weld them at home, as others are saying, a good mig welder with c02 bottle. I have been keeping a 2002 Peugeot camper on the road for the last few years, it has needed bits of welding around jack points and sills.
Grind out metal and cut out rot will look worse before it gets better get same gauge metal or get in touch with magnum car panels I bought mine from there easy fix good luck with the rebuild repair 👍🏻
Does it have a sunroof? The drains come down the A pillars and should drain out through the sills. The drains get blocked and the water comes into the footwell.
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I tell you what will really help you out, youtube search "Aaron unknown rust" and look at his repairs on his old fiesta, he does it all in his garden DIY, its all stuff you can learn and do very easily.
Yes totally agree with this comment the guy is phenomenal
I would not describe him as "phenomenal" his repairs are sub average at best, I would advise looking at videos from urchfab for a proper repair. Regarding the car i would suggest looking at sills, inner arches and under factory underseal before decided to continue and repair it or not.
Yep, bracing myself for the hysterical optomists says a repair is easy. Even if it is repaired the rest will be rotten in 12 months time. games up sadly.
I love his attention to detail. Especially on the red Astra Of his.
@@davidhaygarth4763 Yep...the rust won't stop at the floorpan that's for sure. Plus everyone saying 'fix it'...easy to say but without a garage, in winter on the drive in the UK...naaa, sell it for parts. Game over.
Why is the carpet so wet! Might be something to with the holes in the floor 🤣
I would think many old car second hand dealers would just sit in shut the doors and smell the damp.
Actually ford Fiesta mk4 were notorious for the pre existing holes that stands on the lower body of the car, I.e the screw holes for the front seats.Car is getting rusted like hell.
No shit sherlock
wheeler dealer I know, how thick?
Good project to hone your welding skills on, will be a classic one day!
Exactly and that's how I trained myself to weld, the price you'll pay for someone to do it you can buy the complete set up and still have change.
_My dad was a welder and taught me how to weld. My first real challenge was welding the project car I bought._ A 92' classic mini with a rotten floor. Way worse than this one. The sills, passenger and driver floor plans, rear floor pan and every wing corner needed some fresh metal. I went the cheap and hard way of fixing it and bought only the outer sills. The rest I fabricated and welded in myself out of metal plates. If I was you I would do the following thing:
- Buy a good MIG welder with CO2 gas, welders mask, gloves (No Stick Welding!)
- Try to find someone how can teach you it, follow a welding course our try self study, there are lots of RUclips videos about it
- *PRACTISE it!*
It's just like painting. You need to practice outerwise you can't learn it. Yeah you properly gonna mess it up a lot. Just grind your welds away or cut out the badly welded metal and try it again. It's gonna be somewhat difficult because floor pans are very thin so it's easy to burn trough it because of the heath. But just like painting if you mess-up. Sand it down, prep it and paint it again. Welding is a skill every DIY'er needs to have. Bolts or nuts that got rounded? Weld a nut on it and try to take it of again. Failed MoT because of rust? Weld it solid again. Exhausted got a small hole in it? Weld it. You can buy the front floor pans, some metal plates and find a DIY guy that welds it for you for a coupe of hundred quid. But that just a quick solution if you ask me. Having the skill to weld yourself really is worth it James. Only think about the money you can save on welding jobs you can do yourself instead of paying some garage!
@ Kevin Breslin ... There’s always that one knob jockey and guess what.... This time, it’s you! 🙄
@ Ilias Lamari ... Sound advice 👌🏼
Kevin Breslin he drives a moped sooo what?
Kevin Breslin prick I bet you don’t even drive , do us a favour.....fuck off
@ Kevin Breslin ... Proved me right again didn’t ya... Knob Jockey!
All things are repairable it just how much time and money it takes
17 years is good for a car in the UK with our salty roads but would be sad to see it go
Would be nice to hope it can be fixed
In uk car with 17 years is a crap normali people in this coutri renove a car every 5 years becouse mot is veri meticulus includes headlamp parishes and frame rust y have a 15 year a kia rio 1.3 i have to eliminate all rust issues but have impossible to pas the mot test includes smoke emission is riguristic cheking valve cover must be seal registrate plate lights mus be working expensive maitenance is a old car in uk
My micra has done 60k and it’s 22yrs old. Perks of undersealing a car when you buy it from factory
@@theniceguy504 60k is nothing at all, my old 106 from 1991 has done over 150,000 miles and only finally got a hole poked in the sill by a tester this year! first time it's been welded and we live right by the sea, my 2002 106 is completely rotten all under the bonnet, the boot floor is falling out and will never pass another mot, it's really more about wether the panels are galvanised from factory or not, the later 106's had been cost cut and they switched from hot dip galvanising the whole car after it was welded together to using pre galvanised sheets and welding after so they rusted from the welds. This fords rust is nothing to do with underseal although it does help in most cases, fords will find a way to rust no matter what, I am pretty sure they use pre rusted metal like fiats, when a ford rust's they get bright orange damp rust which spreads like the plague regardless, and it happens to them all... transit's, puma's, Ka's of the same era are all mostly filler and rust.. shocking design.
@Honda 250 100000 miles in 17 years is nothing. Your maseratti probably wasnt a daily driver so it likely wasnt driven in the winter. Winter time=rust time
Hax the question is who the fuck buy’s a micra new 😂🤣😂
I'd check the inner wings if the floor's that bad aswell, they like to rot out aswell on these
Behind rear arch liners as well on these
what doesn't like to rust on an old ford..
No, repair the rust, its worth it, just got a Fiesta myself, 1998 Zetec-s 1.25, needs some work but its fairly rust-free
i bought a van that was rotten and lost interest then found retrorestore transit build on youtube and ended up borrowing a welder and done it all myself from watching his videos learned loads of tips and how to protect it
Mike Burns totally agree with you, I came across the same video 👍
I had a ‘97 P reg 1.25 Zetec bought new that started rusting in the wheel arch a year after purchase as they hadn’t fitted liners in the Valencia factory. Fords are just built to rust it seems.
Love these Zetec S', would love to see this one brought back. Many of them have already rusted away, don't let this one go like that.
The reason why they get like that is that the sunroof drains on that generation of Fiesta are a really poor design. They drain into the sills, which is pretty standard, but the drain holes in the bottom are so small that they easily get blocked. Then the sill fills up with water until it overflows onto the floor pan and soaks the sound deadening, which holds the moisture against the metal. As you can see when you lifted the carpet, the floor pans don't really have any paint on them, just the factory primer, so the rust starts eating away at the metal. That is repairable, depending on how much you want to spend, and it should be a fairly easy job, particularly if there are proprietary repair panels available, but it's still going to be a lot of man-hours to sort properly. Another option that might be worth considering, and may well work out similar in terms of cost, would be to find a solid poverty model Fiesta of the same age, which doesn't have the factory-fitted sunroof, and rebuild your Zetec S into that. The solid roof cars are much less prone to those sorts of problems, and a lot of the basic Fiestas that are still around have been owned by much more mature people so they've often been very well cared for. Plus, it has to be said, the non-sunroof shell is a decent amount stronger than the items built to take the factory sunroof, which can only be a good thing for the way the car drives. The rebuild will actually be a lot easier than it seems as all the shells are built to accommodate any of the range of engines fitted to them, so although a basic car will probably only come with the 1300 push rod engine, the car will still accept the 1600 Zetec lump, gearbox and suspension assembly with sub-frame so it's just simple, nuts and bolts stuff...
It looks daunting but it's all very repairable. MIG welding is a satisfying skill to learn, and I'm guessing you've got plenty of time to give it a try. A automatically dimming welding helmet really helps. Also if you give it a try and your not happy, you can always grind it off and get someone else to do it. Good luck
Hi mate , just thought I'd say I like the way you tackle your cars , I'm learning stuff from you , I worked in a garage as an improver , but only stayed about 2 months . Thanks for your videos , glad you're not afraid to tackle these projects , from Tony from bedfordshire ,
That Rover 800 Hubnut had where the roof was all rusty under the upper door seal because it had been retaining water under the rubber was the biggest shock example of rust.
Turn this into an opportunity and learn to weld, pretty sure a guy with your practical mind set could easily learn to weld on this little car.
Years ago I had similar damage repaired on a mk3 escort, they welded in plates to correct it.
Get an automotive welder to check it out. The sills are structural areas, so the last thing you want to do is practice your welding by putting patches yourself. Get the advice of a professional and their price.
Man. I totally feel for you. So much work.. you have great work ethic I applaud you
They're getting rarer, would be a damn shame to see that one go to the scrap too :(
I had a j reg xr2 and it was in a similar condition. Thought I scrapped it but can’t remember as it was about 20 years ago. Recently had a letter off dvla asking if I still own it so presumably someone’s trying to do something with it. Excellent videos thanks.
I love your videos James.
Your attitude and desire to share your projects are so inspiring.
So many thanks for that 👍
If you decide to learn how to weld, please share that project too...you might inspire a grow up white collar guy to do the same 😀
Best greetings from Scandinavia.
I hate working on my car in the winter hands freeze wet cold props to you man doing good jobs!
Hi. There are after market floor pans available from a good panel shop. The reason for the water is probably the the door shut rubbers. . And if you can afford a mig welder. You pick the process up very quickly. Good luck. My regards Lisa.
Oh that's not too bad mate!! at least you've got great access! I bought a nice Clarke MIG151EN Turbo Gassless MIG and welded front frame-rail repair panels into my MX5, and then fixed some nice holes in my 306 Rallye.
people love to harp on about get a good gas MIG , but i found the gassless flux cored stuff to work just fine. i just dont have the space for gas bottles!
Practice on some scrap metal until you are getting acceptable results and then weld-er up!
probably a good idea to see if people make pre-formed patch panels because that saves you so much time!
Yeah it is quite common to rust after all those years. Got my girlfriends dead Fiesta sitting in the yard. Having a look at it this weekend. At least I won't have to tow it to the scrapyard.
I have a 2002 fiesta 1.4 ,its actually solid rust wise but in your case the fiesta you have is financially a dead duck but in another hand its labour of love and also a great training exercise to practice on .
Take off the rear cards and have a look at the inner sills
I had a Fiesta the same year...the Cills were completely shot and covered in filler, fibreglass and black underseal (I spy underseal on this car too...it can cover a multitude of sins). If the floorpan has gone I'm surprised the Cills aren't showing signs as well?
Hes done the rear sills last year
Only the outers.you can get a good view of the inside of the sills and the inner sills.
By taking the inner panels off
For the love of God someone help him out!!! MAN DOWN ☹️😔😔
Had a similar problem with a vauxhall astra. Had new plates welded in, was caused by the rubbers around the windowscreen detriating and allowing water to come through.
Stumbled across your channel last night via the storm force review. Get stuck into this man, great project to learn a new skill!
There’s no such thing as an unrepairable car James........all it takes is time and money ! But on a serious note, I’ve seen and personally repaired much worse. I’ve watched your channel grow alongside your skill set and I really think with some experienced supervision this repair is easily achievable if you’re willing to learn to weld yourself. What I think you have to ask yourself is do you want to invest the time and money in the repair ? Is your long term plan to keep the fiesta for yourself or simply move it on after repair ? Which is most cost effective option for your pocket and also heart strings !! Best of luck either way 👍🏼
It's not horrendous. Pull the covers off the sills to assess the condition of the inner and outers. You've got nothing really to lose on it - and once completed you'll know it will have have a full and comprehensive rebuild. I'm sure if you don't want to attempt the welding - someone can step in to help you out. Don't wimp out on it - these Zetecs are rapidly dissappearing and it's rust repair will make great content for your channel. 👍
You’ve come this far buddy and put all that effort into it to get it where it is. Do right by the car and learn how to repair it trust me it’ll be worth doing and learning and great content for other people wanting to start welding. Keep up the good work mate you’re smashing it
Also check the area around the rear seatbelts above the inner wheel arch.
I have had similar issues that have turned out to be 1 of 2 things. Drainage points under plastic scuttle where the front wiper are get blocked up with cack, back up and leak in from the bulk head or Plastic/foam cover that is behind the door cards is not sealed properly and lets small amounts of water in that drips past the window seal into the door.
Good luck pal
I wouldn't patch weld it. In my opinion it's replacement floor plans only. So the question is, can you buy them. Also. The sills, how bad are they. In my experience, what you see is usually the tip of the Iceberg. You start chopping and grinding and just find more and more.
That's repairable, also check drainage holes below the scuttle panel if these are blocked water will come into the front off car and leave carpets soaking,
Hi James repair it mate you have done the hard part pulling it apart.You can get pattern floor pans or sheet of metal.My mark 2 fiesta was worse than that and i repaired it.I paid £20 for the car with no mot and was offered £600.
Check the inner sills at the rear just where the handbrake cables go past from both underneath and from above , that's a hard area to fix . If anyone needed a house with a big garage its you , you could do so much more . Still with the shell stripped down you could flip it and work underneath from the top as it were LOL
Shame that is mate! I’ve got no doubt in your ability to get it fixed tho 👍🏻
Looks like the underlay soaks in the water and retains it leading to the acceleration of rust and the underside of the carpet further helps to retain the moisture at the same time by insulating the heat from the cars heater from reaching the damp underlay.
I repaired the floor on my ZS, took me 4 days, front arch were completely rotted. Lift the door seals up as well, good chance there's a bit of rust there and underneath will be rusted, not the hardest job in the world.
I'd suggest as others have, get a mig welder and practice, it's thin sheet metal so will need to be tack welded anyway otherwise you'll blow through the metal.
Good luck 👍🏼
Ouch! But well, floorpans are a good place to try welding out. An inaccessible spot on a shock tower or some weird sill structure would be much more complicated to try and fix.
Maybe you could collaborate with Bilt Hamber, imo they make the best rustproofing products. Weld that Ford up and protect it well - would make for an interesting video!
James, you said that this is going to be a long term car and this one is still perfectly saveable. Get a welder to teach you how to do it yourself. It will make for great content. I hope it lives to see another day.
Dont see anything that can't be repaired. Time to learn and extend your welding skills. ( I drive a Ka...2006. So seen worse😂😂😂)
The joy of old Fords....always a nearly total restoration projects.
@Doc ,
Indeed....rust buckets, but with a quit nippy handling. ( rust...no worry's....I've owned in the past (1974) an Alfasud 1.5 ti. They had the nasty tendency to rust already ...in the brochure. That's been a tremendous boost for my welding skills 🙄🙄)
I've been a welder for over 40 years James and believe me its not that bad. Mig welding is the easiest to become competent at but not gas-less or using co2 as gas. Its really worth investing in a decent welder even second hand off Ebay is much more preferable to a new cheap Chinese one. A second hand decent one will cost around £300-£400 with superior wire feed rollers, better and longer torch lead ( about 5m long is preferable ) cheaper consumables and a much higher duty cycle. You will also need a gas bottle which you usually rent, think its about £20 a month and use Argoshield as gas for much easier and neater welds. A weekend with a competent welder showing you, should have you sticking metal together then its just practice. As a warning though NEVER weld on your own, ALWAYS have someone fire watching, dozens of people have set light to their cars whilst merrily welding away under a car. Best of luck and have the confidence to give it a go 👍
Im a veteran of many mk 5 fiesta sill and floorpan repairs! To do a proper job, and I mean PROPER, the sills and inner sills will need removing also. Repair those first, then follow up with floorpan and reinforcing sections underneath. BIG job. Involving bracing the body up and cutting out. I have reshelled a couple of these cars. Dont even know if they are still available now.
In your position I would pass it on. If you could do it yourself, yes, I would say have a go!
Saying all that, I restore "sentimental" cars for customers that are really not worth doing financially (like this one) but to them it is. And ive got to respect that. I do the same to my cars!
Good luck in your choice.
James, I don’t comment very often but this is perfect for you to learn on, I would suggest to buy a Clarke 135TE and buy 0.6 mm wire it’s a good cheap welder to learn with, this is what I have done and not looked back. I have lots of rust on my 1984 Cavalier and this is what I’m learning myself the hard bit is shaping the metal and making it look good for areas on show like a wing repair or rear arch, at least on the inner sill it can look messy but just make sure it’s a good strong repair do plenty of research, there is a great thread on the retro rides forum (Making panels ) trust me it’s worth learning and definitely expands you overall knowledge on cars and I know this is something that you will be able to do with the right guidance. I done a classic car restoration class at night school this is a great start. All the best on your venture. Steve. Hope you save this otherwise I know you will regret it if you don’t.
You know i have to say the clarke stuff Machinemart sell considering how cheap it is. It really isn't bad at all for DIY use. I have abused the shit out of one of their air compressors and it still works fine. Have a bunch of the air tools and am quite satisfied with them.
zoidberg444 I fully agree with you there, it’s nice to know about the air tools take some abuse as well starting to get into the air tools myself. Cheers.
I’ve had several cars over the years and the one that rusted most was my ‘Y’ reg Zetec S. I’d also inspect the wheel arches in detail, both on the outside and underneath, that’s where I had the most issues. Might help you decide what to do.
a lot BETTER than i expected at 17 years old! UK climate really rots all cars hard! not sure about that model but complete replacement floor sections were available cheaply for the previous models.
they rot where they do because they are dirt traps and its close to areas that are welded at the factory, a common point where rust accelerates as there is no way to get rust protection in there after welding.around fuel filler caps and all wheelarches are also common rot points on these Fiestas, as well as outer sills, hidden by bodykit on some models!
That's a big job,floor plan definitely needed hope you can find someone to do it,you should take the rear bumper off fiestas were known for rot on the rear valance ,panel
I'm a mobile welder that specialises is classic cars , it can definitely be fixed but weather the cost would be worth it to you is another matter as if it's gone on the floor to sill section of the floor you cab pretty much guarantee it will need new outer sills and inner sills , I'd recommend getting the side skirts off as I'd say they will be hiding more rust
I'd love to see you fix it yourself, I'm sure you and your dad could do this no problem and definitely a new skill to learn/add to the list
I've just brought an rtech welder. They offer some great finance deals. It will go down to low enough power to weld thin metal. Has it got side skirts on it? If so you need to get them off and inspect that area as well. I've really enjoyed mig welding and a very useful tool to learn. I have a tig welder but takes alot of time and gas to get to a good standard.
James compared with my 1978 Renault 5 , that at the time was just 5 years old in 1983, the fiesta is holding up well. I think it is worth saving and an opportunity for you to learn how to weld. Take it along to a local garage and see if they will help. Best wishes mark
I hope you can save it, as curators of rust ourselves it doesn't look to be too bad. I would say that you might be able to pull the panels from another fez that is in good condition and weld those in? Fingers crossed for you - Trev
That’s good for an old ford. My mk4 escort was like Fred flintstones car. You are so far in now it is well worth the time and effort to get it done. If I was you I would try doing the work your self. You might be able to pick up a floor pan of the net.
Hi James,I've had this with a Mini,i got it fixed as a first car,as rust it looks bad but can be fixed,i wouldn't carry on with it but that's my opinion,I would get it checked at the back of it as well for rust.
New floor pans are not very expensive, and a cheap welder, got my old escort done in a day , perfect!
If you're going to keep as intended I'd do a proper resto job on it, OK cost a bit more, BUT, once its done its done. Don't do something you'll regret either way. You're doing the job now, for payback in maybe 10 years time. Only thing I can add is, I wish I'd kept all my old Ford XR's & RS's and original GTi's and other stuff like 5 & 21 turbo's, Peugeot GTi's , to this day I regret NOT buying an RS2000 when you could buy them for like £800-1200. That being said you know inside what you want to do. Personally I'd stick with it and take my time, you can only make it better now. Good luck. P,S even if you try and fail(not failing though is it), we don't care coz you're showing us all how difficult it could be. Romance and reality are 2 different things. GOOD GOOD LUCK
My MkIII Fiesta had an apparent cabin leak which was caused by blocked drain holes in the scuttle area under the wipers. If it's been sitting for a while, it's probably been soaking and rotting at the same time. Might still be worth fixing, although rotten inner sills may require a body jig to avoid distortion while they're being cut and welded. Doesn't sound like it can be done on your drive!
It is still worth fixing. New floorpans are readily available online. It is the perfect opportunity to try and learn some welding.
Ford really did step up their game with the newer mk6 Fiesta. I've recently checked my 13 year old mk6.5 Fiesta and a mates 16 year old mk6 Fiesta. Both cars are still as good as rustfree. The only place where I found some rust on both cars was on the underside of the bonnet. (Where the bonnet meets the small cushion on the side.)
17:03 it might be wet cuz of the heater matrix leaking. also i think it would be less worth it to get someone else to fix the rust because it would cost a lot of money personally i would give it a go to fix it myself
Water coming in from the road my dude. Heater matrix would be the very least of his worries!
Buy a welder and have a go yourself those repairs don't look too bad, nothing worse than finding a load of rust, I'm still on repairing my classic mini!
I agree. I have fixed rust like that by welding in small peices. It's all hidden so no real problem if it doesn't look nice. Don't think about a new floor pan it will take far too long to do and requires a high level of skill to do.
However make sure to fix the leak properly.
@@andrewthompsonuk1 The leak is the holes in the floor lol
@@MonkeyHunch1 I doubt it because the car has not been driven for a long time.
Condensation with sitting about, cut out past the rust and keep it squared. Hold cardboard up to otherside and where possible draw around edges to make a template. Put template on a sheet of tin then cut out your repair patch. I'd personally gas weld it as looks neater but give it a bash yourself, if you screw it up you just cut it out and repeat till proficient.
Never lift the carpets on a Ford 😁
@@boabm6522Cardboard template first is the way to go.
A good project to get better at welding. you can buy floor pans which you just weld in. give it a go.
How was this not seen on last mot ?
Dried mud ?
I've checked it failed on this then 2 miles later it passed ?without being welded.
I agree 😀
@@3-cpo574 well that gives you confidence in happy motoring.
this is not even an mot fail, it's not on a sill, it's more than 30cm away from any suspension component.. it's totally legal like this.
I had a mk4 1.3 poverty spec Fiesta that I bought cheap via EBay in 2012, P reg, it was rusty in places but little did I know the extent of the rot, plus other mechanical maladies, it was in poor shape, sadly I had to get rid, it was worth little at the time, so it was scrapped.
Hope you managed to save this one, they are nice little cars and the Zetec S 1.6 is a little pocket rocket!
Thats not too bad, my old ford sierra did have three times more than that and i welded it :D it’s always worth it to keep old ford on the road!
That front foot well is in better shape than my mums Puma was when we srapped it. She'd spent £1600 2 years previously having the underside "professionally" repaired. All they did was a few repair patches and filled the rest with underseal.
Fords are known for rust down side of floor, looks like the bulkhead around the wiper motor is leaking or has holes, mark 3 escorts were also nutorios for rotten bulkheads and floors same as your fiesta, cut out the rust and weld some patches on, easy cheap fix if you can use a mig welder, also check top of the bulkhead and repair or you'll be welding it back up again after a year
Give it a crack fella, you've got nothing to lose and will gain some invaluable experience and future knowledge 👍🏁🏁
I can already tell if you do try and save this James please please PLEASE spray the inside of the floors plan in sholts rust protector also do a couple coats on the underside of the car I had this issue with a mk3 ford cortina we done I done that method 5 years ago and I haven't had no rust on that car since the customer brings that car back every 2 years to check it and apply a coat and it has never had a issue with rust on the underside or under the carpet since good luck with the project I hope you get it sorted
You need to find where the ingress of water is from! I would say the job is do able though! Glad the Irwin tools worked so well as I bought the same set following your last vlog.
"Whys it so wet in here" mmmm ... because there's great big holes in the floor 😂😂 I've taxed worse though
Pull the door seal rubbers off too as they also rot behind those. Mine had rot under the rubbers when it was 6-7 years old😱
Wet carpet, always check your car for signs of leaking under the carpets. The mould is a big clue. Bets on as to finding the leak, my guess is the plastic behind the door trim or the door seals themselves.
I have a ford Ka and has had the 2 sills done and other rust so is worth fixing if you can on the Fiesta. If you take it to a garage your more than looking at around £800 quid to do the lot I would say. See if you can get the front floor panels from a scrap yard that are new. Or get someone to teach you how to weld. If the fiesta has low mileage on it well worth doing the work.
Local motor factors should have repair floor pans for that 30 to 60 quid a side angle grinder and welder required after that and jobs a good un get yourself a cheap mig and have a go nothing to loose and experience to gain.
Have you ever thought about a flintston car project?🤣
Not only all that floor pan would have to be done but probably all the outer sills will have rust spread from this, you'll soon be opening a can of worms where just getting another shell will be cheaper in the long run. These things should've definitely been spotted on an MOT as these parts are easy to access from underneath, I would also check inside the rear arches on the shock turrets they're prone to rusting out too.
As an owner of a zetec s as my second car they always seem to either rusty arches and good underneath or good arches and hanging underneath. And I guarantee lift the door rubbers up and you'll find more even if it looks a mint car it wont be and it doesn't get noticed because of the rubber. You normally find a small rust hole in the corner
can you still get floor pans? ive got some welding to get sorted in the spring so be interesting to hear what welders here think and the cost too but you have to strip everything out for that and careful with grinding that the sparks dont pit your glass windows. like those irwin bolt removal sockets. the relief when it turned!
Highly recommend the Irwin bolt grips, they kick butt and work awesome. I've only had to use mine twice and they've worked great both times.
Learn a lot from you James, you are a handy guy, buy a welder or whatever and tackle it yourself, i think it will be stunning ;)
defo worth doing mate and future classic specially with the restoration your doing
any welder will tell you it needs a new floor pan both sides, depends on cost whether it is worth it.
Whether the car is worth. Is really down to the individual. If you want this car and.love it...then it's worth it to you. I say this is a chance to.practise welding. If you managed to self it yourself great. If the diy welding doesn't work out then your no better off than you are now, but have content either way. All to gain and nothing to lose in my eyes. Keep going james
I would repair it, rust on my Zetec S Xreg was the same if not worse plus rusty rear arches (my sills were worse however floor pan was in a better state, drivers side is always worse) . Mine has been saved and I’m sure yours can be too!
Wearing a harry main cry hoodie ..... two new front floor pans inner and outer seals seat belts mounts plus the little bits your looking at about £400 worth of welding if you want it done properly
151CHAVIN that’s not bad money you know, I’ve just dropped nearly a grand on some for my classic
All comes down to time, money and how much you love the car, I hate to see any car scrapped, saved a couple of old Vauxhalls that were nearly at the end of their lives.
Keep your chin up and get it sorted, you said it was a long term project and it will make great viewing
I have an 02 Zetec S myself, and they always leak into the front pans. I've ripped the sound deadenng out of the front and keep the carpets folded back in wet weather. I keep a few sponges in there to bail it out, and mine has started to rust in the same places, but no were near this bad. Deffo worth repairing though mate. You can buy a cheap gasless mig on eBay for under £100 and some 1mm sheet steel and have a go yourself, thats how I learnt.
Wish I could work out where the water comes in from though! Top vids mate, keep up the good work, and PLEASE fix this :)
Get. Welder
Do lap welds on the floor pan if you can seal it both sides (with brushaable sealer )
And you’re good to go.
Worth trying now you’re so far into it. Standard rust for a Ford unfortunately.
Great video still.
An ugly little secret of so many Mk4/5 Fiestas sadly.
These are good little cars but unfortunately they had precious little rustproofing applied when they were built.
I had a 3 year old Zetec S in 2004 and the amount of surface rust underneath was fucking horrendous!
I sold it on the following year so what happened after that, Christ knows.
My mum still has an X plate 1.25 Zetec which has suffered badly, but it's still going strong now thanks to some welding, cavity wax and TLC. Being garaged helps too !!
Great vid, cheers for sharing 👍👍👍👍
Similar floor to my mazda. Bulkhead leak, water under the carpet rotted the floor and inner sills. A, day or two of welding, all sorted.
They look daunting initially to the inexperienced but they are actually simple fixes as most are "flat sheet steel" areas with a little shaping required. They look like ideal learner projects if taken in small individual areas. Go on, buy a MIG welder, make contact with somebody local that can give advice, practice on some scrap metal with different power settings and wire speeds then on to thin sheet steel. I started with no tuition initially and I've now done floorpans/sills/arches. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck.
Been there done that (..on a XR3)
not the worst rust, i am sure there are companies out there that can source you the complete sills and floor pans, a quick search on google will give you a few results, and not to expensive, no reason why you cannot try to weld them at home, as others are saying, a good mig welder with c02 bottle. I have been keeping a 2002 Peugeot camper on the road for the last few years, it has needed bits of welding around jack points and sills.
Grind out metal and cut out rot will look worse before it gets better get same gauge metal or get in touch with magnum car panels I bought mine from there easy fix good luck with the rebuild repair 👍🏻
Does it have a sunroof? The drains come down the A pillars and should drain out through the sills. The drains get blocked and the water comes into the footwell.