Body preservation works

The bottom of the car

Car care plays an essential role in the fight against corrosion, especially in winter, when salt is scattered on the roads. Salt and street dirt should not linger in the corners and edges of the bottom of the machine for a long time, as they attract moisture. The already poorly accessible corners do not dry out at all, which contributes to the appearance of corrosion. Pay special attention to the following places:

• front fenders above the headlights;
• flanging of all four wheel niches;
• wheel niches;
• the area of the arches of the rear wheels;
• fuel lines in the rear right wheel arch.

Checking the protective layer of the bottom

The protective layer of the bottom of the machine should be carefully checked. If necessary, additional processing is required.

Thoroughly rinse the bottom of the machine.

Light the entire lower part of the machine with a lamp and identify damaged areas

Clean damaged areas in the protective layer of the base to a shine with a spatula. wire brush and scraper.

Coat cleaned surfaces with a layer of anti-corrosion agent (For example. "Rostprimer" or "Bleimennigc").

Flat large surfaces are treated with a special soft substance.

For hard-to-reach corners and joints, it is more convenient to use a protective agent in an aerosol can.

Cleaning the water outlets

None of the welds are so sealed that water cannot penetrate. Therefore, all hollow profiles in the machine have water outlets. If these holes are clogged with dirt or anti-corrosion agent, the infiltrated water cannot flow out. The accumulation of water accelerates the formation of rust from the inside. This is especially dangerous for the longitudinal elements of the body.


Clean holes periodically.

If the car is equipped with a sunroof, the roof drain holes must be additionally checked.

The drain holes are located at the front at the height of the upper door hinges: at the rear they are brought out of the wheel arch on the right and left.

For the cleaning (top front, bottom back) the cable of the old speedometer shaft fits.

Cavity preservation

Preservation of cavities, carried out under industrial conditions, lasts only a limited time. In addition, during processing, not all metal surfaces are coated with a protective agent. Full coverage has only been achieved in new models of machines where the hot pouring method has been applied. In the workshop, you can determine whether it is profitable or not to further process your car. If there is no rust in the cavities yet, additional processing is worth doing. But this work should be done by a workshop with special equipment. This is how special probes and high operating pressures are used. Aerosol cans are only beneficial if you want to treat a well-accessible cavity, such as a door.

Instruction. If the metal is badly rusted, even the best preservative won't help. Only welding works will help.

Rusted places

In older models "Volkswagen" there are characteristic places where rust eats through the metal. Removable fenders, doors and trunk lid are no problem. Difficulties are associated with the so-called load-bearing parts, which must be welded, which makes repairs expensive to a large extent. If you bought a used car, you need to check the following places indicated in the picture below.


Support surfaces of the wings, right and left in the engine compartment.

Rear wheel arches.

Pillar at the bottom between the window opening and the surface near the windshield.

Thresholds outside and inside (covered with rugs).

The longitudinal beam of the frame at the bottom of the machine in the places where the rear axle is attached.

Instruction. If the rear axle mounting points are rusted, in most cases the entire bodywork is already so rusted that repairs are no longer worthwhile.

Machine Repair Panels

If the car is still in good condition. rusted body panels, this is not a reason to send the car to a landfill. There are special repair panels, they have the desired shape and size.

Panels are welded to replace damaged teapots. A well-done repair, with the replacement of a rusted sheet and the welding of new parts, is so expensive that it is unprofitable to carry out if the machine is old.