Rusty Roof

[SHIFT_]

Hi,
Recently my A32 has gotten more rusty spots on the roof, what could be the cause? Is this costly to repair?

Thanks.

 

[sb3]

Probably the previous owner had some accident repairs on the roof but the repairer had used the wrong type of weld and bonding material...(look at the ole wira roof)

 

[SHIFT_]

Probably the previous owner had some accident repairs on the roof but the repairer had used the wrong type of weld and bonding material...(look at the ole wira roof)

Thanks. Any idea where to repair and what's the process & cost?

 

[sb3]

The roof needs some scrapping job again . Try not to weld again but apply good quality fiber and bonding to seal up the joints.. Go to any reputable auto body repairer and insist on not using welds on the roof . Sometimes you also pay a higher cost for a professional repair job.. just my 2 cents.

 

[loose_end]

My solution was = Sticker / Carbon Fiber Sticker

 

[SHIFT_]

My solution was = Sticker / Carbon Fiber Sticker

Hi, care to elaborate further?... thanks.

 

[sb3]

He just paste some stickers on top of the rusted roof..hehe

 

[Mohd Neo]

Replace the whole roof with new 1. Don't use silicone for bonding purpose. It will eat your anti rust primer slowly. Spotweld + anti-rust primer should be better. Just my 46 cent..

 

[dream.tent]

Send the car to a good paint shop.
Grind down to the metal layer where it pops up or going to rust! (They'll know where)

They will patch it back with some anti-rust paint .. filler then paint it back.
If only the roof, i think it would be a 2~3days job and might cost up to 400~500 depending on paint type too.

The shop i normally go for paint job is in Puchong Jaya...let me know if you need the contact.

 

[sb3]

PM me if you want a proper job done.

 

[loose_end]

Hi, care to elaborate further?... thanks.

He just paste some stickers on top of the rusted roof..hehe

Yeah , but before I paste the sticker . I scrap the rusty part , paint it with anti-rust paint , and stick cf sticker . Haha

 

[weikee]

Depend which year, i know the local nissan some years manufacturing suffer from this problem especially the early batch of b14 sentra, and I have not heard of A32 had this problem maybe it does but only small quantity.

What i heard TCM get cheapskate and use some cheapo sealer between the roof and the roof structure and causing lots of problem with some year of B14. What really need to be done take out the internal roof cover, scrap all the seal, sand it, paint primer inside and reapply good sealer on the roof structure. This problem if same as B14 need to be fix inside out for future problem free.

 

[seizai]

1st batch (96,97,98) will hv this problem.

mine repair 2 times, it still pop up.

replace roof is d only solution

 

[SHIFT_]

mine is 2001, last batch?

 

[seizai]

check ur car birthday (not register date)

 

[weikee]

If you change the glue it will be fix permanent. My friend B14 had it, fix it and no problem for so many years.

 

[sb3]

I think weikee has the best solution method but it won't be cheap. It is also time consuming as you have to dismantle the pillar and roof carpet. But if done properly , you can say goodbye to rusty roof.

 

[Veloc]

I had this problem once on my wira. I had a few friends including one who is an auto spray shop owner told me... It is useless to scrub off the rust, cement and repaint. The longest it will last is 6 months before is comes back.

The rust is caused by corrosion of the silicone glue used to glue the roof to the top frame of the car. This happened to a particular batch or wira because our beloved car manufacturer used cheap silicone glue that is acidic. The proper glue should cost around RM 80 or so per tube.

So what he recommended is 2 options:

i. From the interior, removed the ceiling fabric wrap to expose the top frame. Then scrub off the cheap silicone glue previously used on ALL spots. The reglue it back with the high quality ones. the rewrap the ceiling fabric. Then the exterior work starts which is scrubbing off the rust, cement, then paint.

ii. Cut off the old roof, get a new roof fixed and be sure to use GOOD glue.

Option i is cheaper as yo do not need to pay for the new roof. But not advisable if the rust is already very serious and have many spots. Also, there is a small risk of the rust coming back IF the worker accidentally missed scrubbing all the old glue off.
Option ii is more expensive because you need to pay for the roof. Can get it cheap from a chop shop though. But if you pan to continue using the car for long, it is advisable because it is safer. All the old glue will be scrubbed off. And if you plan to continue using it for long, better pay the little bit extra and it will last you a lot longer time.

---------- Post added at 01:46 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 01:43 AM ----------

Oh yea...Preferrably don't use welding instead of glue. Most paint/bodywork shops will discourage you anyways. Because it is less tolerable to bends, twist, and flex in which any car will experience slightly when cornering and this will caused certain parts to stress and in the long run tear.

And welding will be so much more trouble to removed in case the roof needs to be removed for any future repairs, modification etc...

 

[weikee]

FYI, changing roof is illegal, unless is done by proper professional.

 

[sb3]

Cutting off the old roof and replacing a new one will make the whole car unstable hence illegal, will not get pass puspakom inspection if you need to see them for other purpose unless they fail to detect this flaw.