This is on the '85 QV I bought a couple of months ago. I believe the car had always been in California/Arizona. Anyway, I've been planning my DIY engine major and was poking into all the nooks and crannies to see what will be involved in dropping the engine, replacing suspension bushings, etc. As I was looking on the passenger (Right side) I saw this area that looked a little suspect. Sure enough, that's a hole and a screw driver confirmed that the area is rusty. I'll fix it when I drop the engine. The rest of the car seems very solid. Has anyone else seen rust in this area? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Bill, can you go a bit wider with the shot as I can't quite make out where you are? All the best, Bell.
Will do later today. That is the right rear break hose you see in the picture. You can see the right halfshaft on the bottom right of the picture. The tan colored "blob" is the muffler.
Yeah, that doesn't look good and definitely want to repair that. You might also want to replace your brake hoses while you are at it. That one right there doesn't look great, and the rest are likely the same. It is hard not to get hit with "Shipwright's disease" when you start an engine out project, but while it's out, now is the time to change all of the hoses, coolant and fuel. You especially want to change the two hoses in the cross-over pipe between the bottoms of the two gas tanks. You will need to drain the tanks to do it, but well worth the effort. Also, change the filler neck hose, if you haven't done so already. And, while you are in there, you might want to replace the hoses that run to the front of the car as well. It is much easier with the driver's side gas tank out, which you can do with the engine out and the fuel drained. Just a thought.
Ah yes I see. Mine is fine round there, no corrosion at all but that's because a previous owner had it Waxoyled all round the suspension areas. You will need to weld that fore sure.
I have recently dropped the engine and subframe of my Euro Mondial 3.2. Overall I've been impressed with the low levels of corrosion on the subframe. However the rear cross member of the subframe which takes the anti-roll bars was very badly corroded and has needed a strengthening piece welded in. This was completely invisible (to me at least) when the engine was in place and the strengthening would have been impossible without dropping the engine.
Looks like a victim of trapped water. Not uncommon on tube frame cars that get too much washing and not enough driving.
For those who have pulled the engine, does that part of the assembly come out when the engine is pulled or does it remain in the car?
It all comes out on the subframe. I personally would replace that entire tube and not patch it up, but het that's me, if I see any corrosion I cut it ALL out, ha ha My car has a curved tube which is more difficult to fabricate than yours, mine as you can see is perfect on both sides. Since it's a rear suspension mounting tube and it takes a lot of load with the weight of the engine etc, I really would cut that tube out and put in a new one, then it will be as good as new as a patch no matter how its welded will not match the strength of the original. Also it's harder to put in a patch That's the great thing about a tubular chassis, corroded tubes can be removed one at a time and substituted without upsetting the geometry. Countaches have a massivley strong triangulated sill area of tubes, quite complex as compared to the Ferrari but the wheels chuck stones at them and then they can rot to nothing. Anyway here is a picture of mine, it's lovely!!.... Image Unavailable, Please Login
