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Anyone have frame rust

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by heyphillip, Dec 26, 2018.

  1. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wow, that looks really bad
     
  2. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Seems as though you are an expert at being uninformed.
    Have you ever SEEN a car frame break just because it rusted through ??
     
  3. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I had a car frame rust through and it broke. Those were old ladder frames and it actually seems unibody cars hold up better to rust. I used to prefer mid 1960 full size Chrysler products for demolition derby. Even they they were rust buckets they could still take a beating.
     
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  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Pray tell what model car was it ? A '65 Pinto maybe ? :ROFLMAO:
    And how old was it at the time ??
     
  5. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    It was a full size 1966 Ford Custom and it only 7 or 8 years old. Like I said unibody cars seemed to do better.
    I never heard of a Prius having structural problems because of rust.
     
  6. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Watch this video. Structural damage is no problem. That's if you are driving Jeep. lol:ROFLMAO:
     
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  7. heyphillip

    heyphillip Member

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  8. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

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    My mother had a Pinto wagon with a frame that rusted through and broke just behind passenger seat. By that time it was a backup/loaner car so no real loss. I had a Jeep with a severely rusted frame. Drove it till it snapped (Was a romper, not a daily driver) Then did a frame swap with a few other upgrades. Then back into the mud she went. She died when I tried to jump a pond. The Jeep Shop would give you all the parts on your bill for free if you indeed could make the jump. Looking back, that was a fantastic sales incentive on their part.



    On the pics, I see a rusted strut - which doesn't look all that uncommon.

    Pic #2 = lots of insignificant surface rust, but then I see that hole! It's hard to see where that is, but I'd stuff that with heavily oil soaked rag then drive her.

    Pic#3 = that your thumb? :ROFLMAO:

     
  9. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

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    I used Dodge Magnums. They were tanks!
     
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  10. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    As Mendel stated, it's not the surface that has bad rust issues. It's the seams and fasteners where water and debris get trapped. We worked on a 2016 Toyota 4Runner, yesterday. We live in an area that gets just occasional road salts. The underbody fasteners already show corrosion and rust and were difficult to remove. We reassembled the bolts after dipping and coating them in rustproofing to assure easier future removal.

    The worst places on Prius cars is apparently where plastic shields and fender liners are fastened to steel body parts. This is where debris accumulate and hold moisture that causes long term corrosion. Thin zinc coatings on high alloy steels are sacrificial by design and don't last forever. Once gone, high strength highly alloyed steels rust fast.

    Rusted together frozen bolts and parts that break off in mechanics hands are not paid for by the repair facility but the car owner. Rusted brake lines and corroded electrical connecters are the result of little or no care in rust belt areas. Unless the owner gets a new car every 3-5 years, it's really going to cost.
     
  11. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

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    Put a couple logs between what's left of the frame and body to keep the wheel's from hitting the body and drive it home! That's what we'd have done when I was a kid. (Man I miss those days sometimes) but the money I spent I sure do wish I had back. :)
     
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  12. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I had an old Ford truck the steering was in a bind. After crawling under it I found that the rear cab supports were rusting away so I got a jack and raised it back up where it should be and stuck a couple of 2 x 4's under it and problem solved.

    I really miss those days. "NOT":)
     
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