I've got quite a few tiny spots of rust round the sunroof area and 2 slightly bigger spots nearer the windscreen and wondered if anyone has had to treat rust on the roof before

Any ideas the best way to get rid?

Cheers

 

typical rs mate, to get rid of it properly u need to treat it from the inside!, take the sunroof out of hoover all the shit out, and waxoil it all up!

 

If the rust is under the paint (paint will show bubbles that break open in the end), the rust comes from the inside and is therefore difficult to treat.
This is because the roof is rusting from the inside.

The sunroof construction is kind of a metal box above the roof lining.
This box is not vented well and therefore after some years (if not waxoiled when the car was new), this area could get rusty.

The other day I had a look inside my sunroof "box" after taking the sunroof out and......

 

new roof is the only way!

 

This is a serious problem with the S1/S2 my S1 roof under neath is fucked although this hasn't come through to the exterior surface....yet! Will take a pic underneath later to show you the extent. Very bad design what where ford thinking!
I would love to re-skin my roof but Ford do not sell the skins anymore and I haven't yet found a pattern part company that do them either.
May have to roof chop a mk3/4 escort in the scrappies

 

sounds exactly the same as mine mate...you can guess what aprils pay packet is being spent on!!!

let me know if you get any good advice before i spend loads of wonga on the ol gal!

 

Yep there all the same , mines has goot a tiny bit at endge of sunroof

 

Mines got aload beside the sun roof too. Its coming from the inside aswell. Been like that since ive owned the car. Ive seen it alot of RS's wiv the same problem....common as muck.

 

my s2 has a couple of rust bubbles on sun roof to need to get it fixed rabmc2loving those 3 door cossie alloys on yer motor m8 it looks the nuts....

 

rust on the roof is all thats stoppin me buyin a 80 year old grannys rs not far from me

if i could get it fixed right i'd have it but i doubt its worth doin for the value of the car even if it is a 1 owner (80 year old woman)

 

You should all take your sunroof out and take a look with a torch into the roof cavity, that wont be a pretty sight, almost guaranteed.

Then take a look on the firewall, above the pedal cluster (the underneath of the bit that the Wiper Motor sits on.

It REALLY sucks.

Enjoy them while you have them!

 

i was told that theres a pipe wot go's from s/roof down the pillar (next to the windowscreen),and this gets blocked up,hence the sunroof cancer all the s2 ave got!!!!
THORTS???????

 

I take it the easy way would be to sand it down and paint it instead of leaving it to get worse??

Although you might need to do this regularly

 

thoughts?

doubt it mate
its a fairly wide pipe for the trickle that would go down it
its the reason the sills rot more on high spec cars tho

the sun roofs go cos its hard to get em coated in manufacture

1 of them nooks that dont get what its needs in the rust proofin room

 

clean out your channel with long pipe cleaners,blow all the muck out at the forecourt airline,then mix 75%white spirit to 25% waxoyl ,and use one of them presurized garden sprayers,to innitiate a full coating of the area,it is messy and stinks ,sheet up well too,this should slow the natural rusting down enough to get you home before the whole car collapses in a brown heap ,

remember,the stuff has to exit somewhere,!dont smoke ! dont use washing up liquid to wash your car!it contains salt!

last nibbit of info- soap powder carries a form of ecolie,this eats away the dirt particles when combined with warm water!dont eat bold.

 

akito-man, you're just a fountain of knowledge

 

Shit always use fairy washing up liquid DOHH !!!

 

Tell me your joking?

 

In my S1 I noticed rust flakes to fall out of the roof whenever I opened the sunroof. So I new trouble was coming up. The sunroof was taken out, a torch lit and....what a mess.

As far as I could see there was only superficial rust.
I took a small steel brush and attached that to a stick. Then I rubbed down all of the interior of the sunroof cavity. What a ridiculous construction by the way, no ventilation at all, so such an area is prone to rust.

After that I hoovered all the rust flakes out. Next step was to treat the cavity with Fertan, a product that turns rust into a neutral black surface. This was after I covered the interior with an old bedsheet, you never know if there's a leak somewhere.

After that dried, I put in a nice layer of waxoil and lets hope that's it for a while.
With the waxoil dripping to the floor out of the tubes in the back of the roof, I knew these were open.

Not a nice job was putting back the sunroof, first cover the roof laquer, otherwise you will end up with scratches!!

Cheers.

 

How *exactly* does the sunroof come out - could you give a point by point run-through - it would certainly help others..

Thanks,

Kieron.

 

It is some time ago, but I will try:

first you remove the fixing screws of the glass panel, you might have to tilt it to get to the screws. If I remember well, there are 6 screws for this action.

Then remove the screws holding the roof mechanism, I believe 4 or 6 in the front part (black) and another 6 in the metal rails.

Next step is to remove the sliding mechanism carefully out of the roof forward (up), just over the roof. Cover the roof paintwork!!

Try to keep this rails "system" in 1 piece, it will enlighten the putting back.

Do whatever you need to do to the inside of the roof cavity.

Put the sun roof back in reverse order.
Remember that the back end of the sliding rails need to fit in a metal fixing in the roof cavity. I couldn't get my roof back in and it took me quit some time to figure out what was wrong, and after that it took even more time to get the rails in the right position

Also take care in putting back the sunlight cover in the right position, if not placed correctly, it might prevent the roof from sliding good.

I think this is all.

Cheers.

 

you can buy a pressurised can of "preventative "wax from most car product shops too!not cheap tho!

m/c chain wax does the same,none fling and smells no-bad!man!

 

Great stuff. Many thanks.