512TR rust/corrosion an issue or not? Areas to check?

I have a '95 F512M, it has been inspected with a fine tooth comb and I see zero evidence of rust/corrosion. So I have no hands on experience to add to this. So I need the communities help...

Here is the thing, my father is now in the market. He is looking for a 512 TR. I have not really heard about this being an issue on these cars, any more then any other modern car if taken care of. But with that being said, are there any areas to check that could be a potential issue on these cars? All I really could fine by searching was an area inside the wheel well that should be inspected for possible damage, ring a bell to anyone?

Also, what kind of preventive measures did Ferrari take on these cars? I assume the steel parts were galvanized and such. What about the chassis, was anything else done to it? I thought I heard some of the cars were undercoated, true or not?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

My neighbor has a '92 512TR, has had it for over 15 years. There is not a spec of rust on it, and it is shown in all sorts of car shows. I don't recall even the older Testarossas having any real issues with this if the car is properly taken care of.

My advise would be don't drive it in salty conditions, keep it in the garage (I'm sure this would be the case anyway), don't drive it in the rain often (most F cars aren't anyway), if it does get wet, chamois it off well, don't put it away wet, and finally wax it at least once a year and you should be fine.

 

correct me if I'm wrong but,

All Testarossa's are Aluminum..
All Frame members should be black rust preventitive coated.
The only rust I have ever encountered is on the outer flange of the ferrous Disc brake rotor..
Also the wheel bolts may pitt and rust.

Various hose connectors , ie snake clamps and hardware do show rust after time..
IMO...
The last thing you should worry about on these cars is " Rust"

 

They are made of aluminum, except the roof and doors (made out of steel for safety)

 

There is a thread somewhere here. It showed rust on the doors from water pooling up inside of the door.

 

exactly this problem I have
on the driver door

 

I see your profile says you have three of these cars, no issues on any of them I gather? If so, that is great to hear.

 

Humm, didn't see that one. Was it from leak holes that weren't checked and got filled with debris? IMO any of these cars should at least once a year be put on a lift and looked over as preventative maintenance...plus it is a good time to clean under there. This is what I do to mine.

EDIT: See this thread, post #3. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/208146-tr-years-pros-cons.html
Seems the leak holes getting plugged up with stuff is the cause as the doors (and roof) are steel not aluminum and fiberglass like the rest. So...if these holes are routinely checked, this should not me an issue in my eyes. Plus, if the car isn't driven in foul weather and parked under trees and such those holes shouldn't really ever get plugged up IMO.

 

Member 'carguy' gives a more in depth description of problem areas in post 7 of this thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/143328-testarossas-rust.html

My theory is that TR's are fairly rust resistant. They fall prey to areas of the country that are not friendly to any car and or cars that get washed frequently. Thus I try to keep the washing to only a couple times a year and blow dry with a leaf blower. The rest of the year I just wipe it down.

 

I agree, nearly any car in the right conditions can rust. It is just a matter or taking care of it correctly so it doesn't. My neighbor daily drove his 512 TR for 5 years and about 50,000 miles with no issues. This was in FL, so no snow, but he got caught in many storms. He just as mentioned before, never put it away wet. Blow off, and wipe off any water before you park it. If you wash it, take it for a brisk drive and then wipe off what's left. Keep it waxed and garaged, and I see no issues. I follow this regiment for all my cars, yes it takes more time, but it is worth it in the end!

 

A friend of mine found serious rust issues with a TR (88' I think) he purchased (no PPI). I believe it had to due with tubular parts of the frame. He took it in for a service and when the mech put it up on the lift it was discovered. Mech said he didn't even want it on the lift because he doubted the structural integrity....not a call you want to get. They figured the car was in a minor flood or the owner drove it in winter weather once then just parked it. The repairs were over $10K.

 

How much over 10K? Sounds like the initial assessment was exaggerated.

 

Just telling the story as remember it as this was almost 10 years ago. I'm assuming the concern was areas of the frame where the load/stress shifted direction while the car was in the air. Point is a TR can have rust damage.

 

I have very little corrosion on my 45K mile '88. It's a Northern California car and it does get wet here but they don't use salt. As stated above, a lot of what I see on other F-cars is the white powdery corrosion on un-coated zinc parts (clamps, brackets, etc.)...but that's how it is supposed to work--zinc plating is sacrificial. And like many others I have removed as much of the unsightly Dinol rust preventative coating (the gold waxy stuff) as possible because it looks so much better without, so I'm actually creating a better environment for rust

There is a thread started by Melvok that deals with his efforts to re-apply rustproofing to his 512TR per the procedures in the Workshop Manual--that may provide some insight. Mel is not afraid to drive in any weather and his part of Europe gets plenty of rain--he and Turbo-Joe are the most frequent Euro-contributors here on the forum, I'm sure they can help. Robert Hayden (uzz32soarer) has a couple of UK cars imported to Australia, he also has a thorough thread on how he addressed rust on doors and sills (maybe the one above, I didn't open it).

Over the years I've found a lot of evidence that F did a pretty good job with their rustproofing methods on all gens of the TR.

Best of luck to you/your Dad on your hunt, please share the results with us!!

 

Thanx Tim ..... and SO correct !

Rust eats also tesrataossa cars .... look here for the Austarlian report.

And mine on preservations ... not difficult and remember WHY did the Factory write about it ?

 

Sorry for the above spelling guys ... I was too hasty/quick ...

 

So in post #18, that shows the spraying being done.

1- Is this done by the factory?

2- How often do they recommend to re-do this? I gather it depends on where you live and how you drive your car...

 

Illustration is showing factory procedure. Many shops have similar/same equipment to apply or re-apply the same or similar liquid treatments (at least in UK where I lived). The procedure is shown on pages L5-L7 of the Workshop Manual. As described, the Tuff-Kote/Dinol treatment is actually two different products: a penetrating type oil and a heavier waxy product which many of us have partially removed over time. Recommended frequency from WSM:

11 to 13 months (after delivery to 1st owner): General checking and partial Tuff-Kote treatment, if necessary
29 to 31 months: as above
47 to 49 months: Complete Tuff-Kote treatment
65 to 67 months: General checking and partial Tuff-Kote treatment, if necessary
83 to 85 months: As above
101 to 103 months: Complete Tuff-Kote treatment
119 to 121 months: General checking and partial Tuff-Kote treatment, if necessary

After a crash or in the event of partial or total painting a general check should be carried out together with second Tuff-Kote treatment

I didn't cross-check the 512TR WSM but I suspect it is similar (Mel's illustration is 512TR).

I know I don't follow the above schedule due to my location and driving frequency, and I do agree, it depends on the individual owners situation--use good judgement.

 

This sounds very much like what I have heard as well. In all honesty the Tuff Kote stuff is pretty decent and where you can't see it it works very well if maintained, which is relatively easy to do. Not to mention that most owners environments and use will make it much easier to maintain then the above recommended procedure.

But as you said, I have removed the stuff from some visual areas being that it doesn't necessarily look so great. I just keep a thin coat of WD40 on those areas and it protects them and makes them look much better. I also am lucky that the car is only driven a few thousand miles a year, is always garaged and I do not live in an area that snows.

 

Agreed. I think Ferrari paid more attention to rust than Detroit did on your Boss...

 

We have seen that sills can rust through and what a dissaster that can give you ....

I wonder WHO has already waxed his sills ... as I did ... anyone here ... please helps us all here

 

My car is rust free and never sees snow or rain though, I am debating it. I am sure it was sprayed by the factory in there, but by now a re-spray couldn't hurt.

But that cars issue seems to stem from the hole/damage in the wheel well. Hence why the other side was rust free.

 

Well I don't think anything was done in 1970. Since the restoration the car has never, and will never see inclement weather. So no worries there, that's what daily drivers are for!

 

Absolutely--enjoy it!!

 

And sills!

P