I've recently seen quite a few Focus facelift models (2001 on) with quite a bit of rust on the sills, rear wheel arches and the supporting piece of the rear trailing arms.

Therefore if you own a Focus (and especially a late Mk1), I suggest you take the front and rear inner wheel liners off and clean and dry out the area behind. You might wanna get rid out of the insulation foam liner behind aswell as that acts just like a sponge, keeping the A pillar and front sill area wet at nearly all times. That's also the reason why the front rings seem to rot extremely badly at the bottom.

Also, be sure the waxoil the inner and outer sill (inside and out) and put a protective layer around the rear trailing arm support.


Rotten front wing due to stupid "sponge" behind front wheel liner




Superficial rust on sill



Rear trailing arm support (being treated with rust converter)

 

seen a ton of these and later cars patched in these areas.

Jordan

 

Sad fact is... its a Ford - it will rust.
The mk1 Focus is been around awhile now (14years iirc) and even the RS' are knocking 10years old now. couple that with our damp climate, salted roads & Ford not being the best for underbody treatment and its a recipe for a rusty car.
Im not saying its only Fords that rust, nor im I saying they will all be bad. But its is worth a nosey and a poke around if you have one or are looking to buy one.

 

Exactly, hence the heads up.

 

Just been through this on my MK1 pre-facelift with the plastic sill covers.

Mine is 1999 TDDI Ghia 5 door. All the below is on the passenger side, strangely the drivers side seems ok but I need to have a better look knowing what I now know about the passenger side!

Rear of passenger sill with sill partly cut away.


Look from back towards the front of the car, again passenger side, sill part cut away.


What greeted me when I took the plastic sill cover off.

 

Passenger side is nearly always worse than drivers as passenger side is curb side meaning more water/dirt.

Jordan

 

my sills
always cleaned with brush..and give them a little coating of see through Tectyl wax oil..

 

I'd eat my dinner off those. Good work.

Sadly most get used and abused. Just look at the downstand seams on my pics where the car has been roughly jacked up along the years, a complete mess.

 

ive welded many a mk1 focus as far back as 8-9 years ago ive even done a sill on a mk2 focus

 

cheeers mate

i guess the word "used" is quite universal

but of course..if you use it all year..in salty wintery conditions..then its bound to go bad after some time..especially if you dont keep the car clean regulary

my car is never driven in the winter...only summer use...but still i drive it alot...driven it 16000 km...about 10 000 miles from april til mid october

love it

 

That's lovely indeed lowman... Wanna swap?

I have a Saff Cossie that has lived all his life in sunny Italy and it's absolute minty fresh.

 

Thank you very much mate
hehehe loooove cossies..and always will....but actually do not miss the cossi aslong as the focus rs is around

but of course i would love have a cossi in my possession again

do you have pictures of your cosworth?