Fixing rust on my car

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

Hi,

I have a Ford Liata, 1997 model, that I bought from my friend. Being new to Taiwan, I have the following questions:-

  1. Anything about this model that I should worry about or get checked before I start going on long drivers in the island?
  2. Is there a good workshop for Ford that anyone can recommend?
  3. The car body has a few rusty spots. There’s even a hole (size of a NT$10 coin) in the rear boot lid, that I would like to fix. Which would be a good place where I can get this done?

Thanks in advance…
Hari

2

[quote=“harikvpy”]Hi,

I have a Ford Liata, 1997 model, that I bought from my friend. Being new to Taiwan, I have the following questions:-

  1. Anything about this model that I should worry about or get checked before I start going on long drivers in the island?
  2. Is there a good workshop for Ford that anyone can recommend?
  3. The car body has a few rusty spots. There’s even a hole (size of a NT$10 coin) in the rear boot lid, that I would like to fix. Which would be a good place where I can get this done?

Thanks in advance…
Hari[/quote]

You should check that it has had a full service of course which should put your mind at ease regarding some aspects such as brakes, fluid condition and levels, timing belt and tensioners, drive belt conditions. Always get the brake fluid changed regularly. You may feel a hard pedal but brake fluid is usually hygroscopic which means that it will absorb moisture from the atmosphere which will both cause early corrosion within the system, but will also boil at a low temperature, especially on steep, long mountain descents and you will lose braking power early in severe cases. Taiwan’s atmosphere is generally very humid and so I recommend changing brake fluid regularly, about once per year should normally suffice.
Always
Check yourself that the suspension is sufficient in performance as most garages don’t know how. Push down hard on each corner of the vehicle and allow it to rebound. It should only be depressed downward and then rebound and settle in no more than 1.5 total strokes. More than that or too little resistance on the down stroke, then change the shocks which a lot of people don’t bother with on older cars. You will notice a huge difference in braking performance as well as cornering. Good shocks will also reduce wear and tear to tyres. For knocking sounds and steering wobbles, check all rubber suspension and steering bushings and joints as these will be prone to failing on vehicles of that generation if they haven’t already done so which they should have a long time ago already.
Also check yourself that the tyre wear indicators still show good tread remaining on the tyres. There will be a narrow band which the manufacturer places within the central tread areas and which runs the width of the tyre every 12 inches on so around the circumference. When the extremities of the tread wear down to the band level, then according to the manufacturer the tyre is no longer serviceable and needs to be replaced. Also turn the steering full lock to full lock and each time check the insides on the front tyre tread for signs of early wear on the inside tread. This will tell you as well as outside early wear if your steering is damaged, excessively worn or needs adjusting.
Check your seatbelt ratchet mechanisms work by tugging on the belts sharply. They should always lock into place. Pull the belts out to their stops and check for signs of belt wear, tearing or stretching and that they recoil easily and quickly, otherwise replace.

I could go on all day here…

Check your vehicle stops sharply and under control and doesn’t veer to the side under braking. You may one day need to make an emergency stop in which case you need to trust your brakes, tyres and steering system.
Check all exterior lights and lenses, as well as brake and reverse lights, which you can do with the ignition on only, no engine running with the park brake on and a brick or long screwdriver wedged between the seat and brake pedal.
Definitely don’t forget to check your spare tyre pressure and tread. You may need that thing right out in the middle of nowhere one day.

Practice removing your own vehicle’s wheel using nothing but the tool kit provided, or replace any missing tools. You are required to have a warning triangle in the back of your vehicle too. That’s not just to look pretty on the road when you break down, but on blind mountain roads, placed before a blind corner with you on the other side, can save your life when changing your flat tyre or filling up with fuel. May just save someone else’s too, so get one, 'cos I bet many old cars have lost them by now.

Top Tip: Never have your car serviced just before you leave on a trip. Always get it done at least a week in advance. Servicing can disturb many elements of a vehicle that can on occasion only show fault after being normally moved or adjusted during service, especially older vehicles. It is every technician’s experience that the most irate of customers are usually the ones who don’t heed this advice or have never heard of it, drive half way down country and then have a problem.

Make sure you have on every trip, and especially complete for old cars and big trips :wink: :

  1. Full tool and spare kit including, flat and philips screwdriver, pliers, adjustable spanner/wrench, spark plug tool, spare fuses of differing ratings, one sidelight and one headlight bulb, jack, jack handle, wheel nut wrench, rags for the hands and dirty bits or better yet surgical gloves, plastic bin or shopping bag, reel of insulating tape, spare fuel can (make sure the bloody thing doesn’t leak!), static hazard warning triangle, tow rope, jump leads, one high tension plug lead, a can of WD40, car powered air pump, extra engine oil for burners, extra litres of water in case of overheating.

  2. For you ,you should take: An umbrella, a waterproof jacket with hood and bottoms, a first aid kit, pepper spray (works on dogs and people), a whistle/air horn, a bottle of water, car telephone charger, a small extinguisher, a life hammer in reach of the driver’s chair, a flashlight/torch, a large bin bag, a map, a simple translation guide, many multiples of 40NT in ten NT coins or road tax receipt book for the highway tolls.

  3. Preparation and how to knowledge including: Changing bulbs, changing wheels, cleaning of plugs and leads (Especially when wet), how to drive on a tow rope, how to jump start, vehicles main and auxiliary fuse box locations, how to pay and how to order fuel at a station, which fuel you need.

Fixing rust on the boot lid should be easy. Its best to have the rust area cut out and replaced with a new piece of metal. You can get this kind of work done at a body shop, which tend to be all around the place. Make sure they coat the inside however with anti corrosion paint as well as the outside.

If new to driving and if travelling around Taiwan at this time then always be wary of the weather. Almost always, rains will cause rock slides and mud slides in steep areas. Do not travel the Eastern coast road number 9 or any other similar road in medium to heavy rain and especially during typhoons. You may often at best get stuck and at worst get killed. It happens every year.

3

Thanks! That’s a whole lot of useful information!! I read it twice and am gonna read it again tomorrow to remember the points:)i

Question: How to differentiate a body workshop from the normal ones? All around me (I live in Nangang area) the workshops I see seem to be the mechanical ones. Is there an area of Taipei where body workshops are concentrated?

Hari

4

[quote=“harikvpy”]Thanks! That’s a whole lot of useful information!! I read it twice and am gonna read it again tomorrow to remember the points:)i

Question: How to differentiate a body workshop from the normal ones? All around me (I live in Nangang area) the workshops I see seem to be the mechanical ones. Is there an area of Taipei where body workshops are concentrated?

Hari[/quote]

In answer to that, most main dealer workshops have a body shop division. If you are looking for a concentrated area, then perhaps Chunde Road would be a good place to start. If you would like a specific reference, the PM me. If you need a professional inspection, I’d be glad to help.

5

“one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.”

6

Have you left your basement recently?

7

Have you left your basement recently?[/quote]

No transport. And its dangerous out there.

8

I believe the number of RAMs above the surface are said to be within normal range.

9

Male sheep? I aint scared of them, though the Taiwanese photo-opportunity feeding frenzy at that sheep farm place in the mountains was almost frightening.
Radar Absorbent Materials? The more the murkier.
Random Access Memories? Ah. OK. Random Access Memories, LEAVE ME ALONE.

10

[quote=“sulavaca”]

Practice removing your own vehicle’s wheel using nothing but the tool kit provided, or replace any missing tools.[/quote]

Its often (generally?) impossible to change a wheel using nothing but the tool kit provided, because (a) The tool kit provided is usually crap, (The Lada one was pretty good, presumably because them Roosskies expected it to be actually used) and (b) no pro mechanic ever used nothing but the tool kit provided, and would never deliberately leave the wheel nuts in a state where you could so remove them. They were massively overtightened while gritty, then they corroded some.

You’ll probably need to supplement or substitute. You might get away with a piece of pipe that fits over the provided lugnut spanner (if it actually fits and doesnt twist off in use) as an extension lever. You should probably also think about a support for the jack base in case you have to use it on soft ground (or heat-softened tarmac).

Good checklist though.

11

[quote=“Ducked”][quote=“sulavaca”]

Practice removing your own vehicle’s wheel using nothing but the tool kit provided, or replace any missing tools.[/quote]

Its often (generally?) impossible to change a wheel using nothing but the tool kit provided, because (a) The tool kit provided is usually crap, (The Lada one was pretty good, presumably because them Roosskies expected it to be actually used) and (b) no pro mechanic ever used nothing but the tool kit provided, and would never deliberately leave the wheel nuts in a state where you could so remove them. They were massively overtightened while gritty, then they corroded some.

You’ll probably need to supplement or substitute. You might get away with a piece of pipe that fits over the provided lugnut spanner (if it actually fits and doesnt twist off in use) as an extension lever. You should probably also think about a support for the jack base in case you have to use it on soft ground (or heat-softened tarmac).

Good checklist though.[/quote]

I never had to replace a wheel with the spare in my few years of driving! Oops…I think I just jinxed myself:)

But that is a very good tip – to check the standard toolset. In any case I have a decent set of tools, which I’ll surely be carrying when setting out on a long trip. Also, just checked the shocks – the vehicle does get back to a stationary state in 1.5 bounces. Which is quite unbelievable – can stock shocks work fine even after 12 years?! I don’t think my friend would’ve replaced them – he’s just not that type;)

12

Unless the vehicle has done very few kilometres, or unless they have been replaced already, then the standard shocks are probably no good. So you’re saying the vehicle doesn’t wobble like a jelly? Well that’s good for sure. Have you tried bouncing a new car for comparison? It’ll give you a vague idea of the feel you should be trying to find.

13

Mileage is rather low – 96000. My friend bought it new and then used to drive it between work and home. But wouldn’t the oil in the shocks get hard over time, no matter what the mileage? If not I would say the Japanese missed a trick or two by making their cars too good.

It doesn’t wobble at all. I used to own a 307 and used to swap it with my friend’s Corrolla Altis (only upon his request) and I could immediately tell the difference between the two when taking corners. This feels more like the 307 than the Corolla.

I went up Jieshan (I could be getting the spelling or even the name wrong) and downhill to Fulong Beach before taking the coastal route back to Taipei. Car was pretty spot on at corners, so was the power steering. I expected it to be soft like a Corolla (being a budget japanese family car) but to my surprise it was a little tight. Are all Mazdas’ steering tighter than Toyotas’?

14

Its too difficult to say who’s suspension is harder between those two over their whole model range.

It certainly sounds like you know your suspension is good though so congratulations. The oil will slowly change over time, but only usually through usage, not so much from the weather.