Promised a few pictures on the rust situation on Neb. As most of you know, I've owned this car for nine years since new in 2002. I used to pamper it with frequent Zaino applications, etc., but I probably haven't done so in two years. I always try to keep it clean though, using the pressure wash (only -- no brush) at the local self-wash in the winter and driveway in the summer. I wouldn't say I've subjected Neb to anything ridiculous, although most of you don't drive through winter which will spare you this. I've been driving through winters for five years now, and most of you know I'm pretty hard core about top-downing in the cold Usually, though, I don't take Neb if the roads are bad -- the 2-ton, AWD Volvo with skinny snowies is far better for that duty!:

Here's the bubble on the passenger rear fender panel:



Here's chip and spreading spot on the passenger door panel recess:



And yet, here's the inside of the engine compartment -- no sign of rust in here... not bad for almost 9 years of daily driving! Did I mention I love this car?!

 

thats winter for you. put her on a lift and check the chassic. my focus has all surface rust so far all the nuts and bolts i had to remove have come off easy. yea my S is 6 years old and no rust at all. chassic looks brand new.

but its a honda and its going to last. just keep it up taking care of her.

 

I think a trip to the body shop should be in your near future. Still not too bad considering you drive it year round.
Levi

 

I could see that you would want to attend to that right quick.

Mine Is still really clean but you probably have 3X the miles and Mine rarely sees anything worse than a rain shower.

How many miles you got on it now Chaz?

I have to get my E430 cleaned up this year. It's got signs of rust around the sills between the fenders and bumpers.

 

Thanks, folks! Yeah, I do think a body shop visit this year will probably happen.

Jer, 106K+

 

Oh, I forgot to mention another thing... For you top-down crazies (am I the only one?) rust has formed on the unprotected lowest crossbars for the softtop (the ones you never see unless you look at the infrastructure when the top is half down) for quite a while now. No problem operating the thing, but that's a concern too. No pix of that.

 

Im still so suprised at this, My 03 has taken numerous tours of duty in winters and is still super clean rust wise. I guess im just one of those lucky ones. This is the first picture ive ever seen of a rusted rear quarter on an s2k.

 

s2krally, it's highly likely you'll see some rust if you drive in enough salt/sand around here. I'm a little harder-core than most, perhaps, but it seems inevitable.

Again, my friend with an '01 had a few spots on his (driven through winters too) before he sold it last year. His was pretty high mileage (over 150K) if I recall, driving from Sturbridge to Maynard on regular basis!

 

you have to be meticulous about paint chips to get them cleaned and covered as soon as you notice them, rust spreads like mad.

The rear quarter area looks like typical Honda rust , it happens on most Hondas in that area. Do you still have the rubber protectors on the upper rear wheel well arches ?, those are sources of rust and can lead to rear quarter panel rusting. If I drove in winter I'd take off the rubber protectors, my car has never had them as the previous owner removed them and I don't have a spec of rust anywhere on the wheel well arches.

 

Interesting. Yes, I do have those rubber protectors...

The fenders, particularly the ridge (in an unrolled fender like mine) are notorious for holding on to crap. I'm not exactly sure where the weak spot (if any) is that started the bubble where I have it, but I think it's just getting a lot of salt/sand thrown at it from the tire...