Bodywork and chassis repair
Finding the rot.
The biggest mistake made by people purchasing a 205 is by looking under the car at the floor pan, as Peugeot coated the floor pan with a thick rubber seal, any rot in these areas would be only viable from the other side under the carpet.
To correctly check a 205 or 309 for rot, the following items would be needed to be removed.
Headlights
Carpet
Washer bottle
Rear light clusters
Inner 3/4 plastic door panels
Here are the most common areas that can be affected by rot
- A and B lower pillars
- Under the rear seats
- Bulkhead/floor pan seam
- door edge and front panel
- Boot floor
- Floor pan around seating bolts
- Roof panel
- Around and under windscreen
- Lower rear quarter panels
- Rear chassis legs panels around fuel tank
- Rear quarter panel behind rear cluster
- Headlight panel and front chassis legs
To see these areas more in detail click on this link
Thankfully some of the panels are still available and for those that aren’t, PRD can fabricate from fresh.
Please note I don’t use slices/cuts or whatever the internet term is for cutting 30 year steel from other donor vehicles.
For rust prevention, I like to use aqua steel, this is a rust converter/inhibitor but with the added benefit of sealing the surface from further moisture. I’ve used this for 12 years and it has been faultless I have never seen any rust work its self back through, the next protective coat is an etch zinc primer to ensure a proper long-lasting adhesion. To bond on panels or to seal seams I use tiger seal and for chassis protection, either Raptor or Gravitex.
Other than the front panels or any other general engine bay repairs via welding, all other repairs will require fuel tank and interior (carpet, under lay, seats and plastic trim) in the affected areas to be removed.
Rot/corrosion happens in area where moisture or heavy wetting areas happens, vehicles fitted with a sunroof are the most affected, due to the sunroof fitted with the 4 rubber tubes to allow trapped water to escape perishing, these run down the A and C pillars and so leak water in the chassis rails behind the rear light clusters.
The interior heater matrix is also a culprit to leak, which leads to rotting of the soundproofing and also bulkhead to floor pan seam.
If you require any further details please give me call