Being new to P6s I would like to be guided as to where to look see/test topside. one comment i read said take the back seat out , how can you do that to some one elses car ? help please. Jim
I’m sure people will add to this, but start with opening the bonnet. There’s a channel down both sides, between the bolt on wing and inner wing. You may find rust along here, then look down the inner wings to the chassis rails as these can rust. If the rubber across the windscreen has failed, the heater can rust out so have a good feel around there.
Under the front wheel arches behind the wheel is the sill closer and these are subject to all of the water thrown up by the front wheels. Press your thumb into it about an inch or so from the bottom, if it feels crusty and starts to give, then it could be letting water into the sill, which is a problem. Above this there is a horizontal seam and just above that is where the front suspension is held in. Have a good poke around here as they can rust badly and this is the main structure of the car. Turn the front wheel all the way one way, and check the lower link for rust and ball joints/rubbers. Then turn it all the way the other way and check the other one.
The outer sills are screwed on and are not structural. If you run your hand down them and under the car, you will feel the screw heads, and a little further you will feel the edge of the screw on sill and then the floor of the car. This bit is actually the lower part of the box section sill which runs along the car. Push your finger tips into this all the way along and check for areas that start to give and crackle.
Under the rear wheel arches in front of the wheel is another area subject to the full force of the water from the rear wheels. If this had rusted then similar to the front, it can let water into the sill, which just sits there and rusts it away from the inside. It can also allow water into the underside of the seat, which Cobraboy mentioned.
In the boot, check the floor then peel the carpet back from both sides. There is a bolt head on each side. This holds the top link for the rear suspension. If the area around these is rusted, they need to be repaired as the handling gets very interesting if these break away.
Open the rear doors and check around the D post and the channel holding the door seal rubbers. Lift the rear seat squab as CB says above. Then in front of this, you can get to the rear of the inner sill. Run your hand down this to where it joins the floor, and push into the sill with your fingertips. It should be solid, and dry. If it gives and shows signs of rust, then this is quite a complicated repair.
Open the front doors and pull the front carpets up as much as you can. Check the inner sills in the same way as the rear bits, and make sure there is no wetness there.
My car was rust free and never been welded
- check this out.
Sparky's winter/spring/summer/autumn work
Don't let this scare you though as the P6 is fairly easy to work on, as all of the panels, including the roof, unbolt. Also my car would have roadworthy with less than half of that lot, I just went a bit over the top
I hope this helps.