Just removed the tunnel undertray and found the only bit of rust I have seen. The flexible line from the clutch master cylinder to the front juntion block looked like this..... Maybe next time your car is on a hoist it may be worth dropping the undertray and having a look? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Almost looks like the fitting has mig wire attached to it. Maybe there was a leak, and someone took it off and welded on it?
By the look of it, my theory would be that, when the end was originally crimped on in the factory there was a very slight weep that over ithe last 16 years of life caused this. The undertray does not look like it has been off in the life of the car so has just sat there and festered. If it was a bad batch from the factory there may be others out there so that was the reason for the post. This is the only bit of rust on the car (other than a little surface rust around the radiator overflow) so .... no, I don't think this has been driven on the beach.....
