Front Arch Trailing Edge Protection Strip...?

slimjim

slimjim

A3 170 Quattro Sport 2.0 TDi '56
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Hey guys,

Taking my new addition to the paint shop to bring her back up to a great standard.
Few dinks and scratches here an there, as you would expect for an eight year old motor.

But the worst is the paint loss on the bottom trailing corner of the front arches,
Both are back to the bare metal. About 5-8cm, starting on the very bottom edge, next to the front doors and working up the arches.
Both have rust, no more bubbling but they need sorting.

My painter has suggested it will be the shape of the car and they are probably prone to it.

SO.... does anyone know if there is a clear/black protector strip (3M or other) I can buy that is specially made for the job of stopping it happening after I have this work done? Or shall I just make something myself?

:blackrs4:
 
slimjim said:
Cheeky bump for a wet bank holiday.... Any ideas guys?
Click to expand...


Some pics would help.

If it's where I think you're referring to, that's unusual.

P

ETA I see it's a new addition, could a previous life have been spent (hooned) on gravel roads?
 
I've got those, they're the right ones. I'd never have a car without mudflaps!
 
perazzi said:
Some pics would help.

If it's where I think you're referring to, that's unusual.

P

ETA I see it's a new addition, could a previous life have been spent (hooned) on gravel roads?
Click to expand...
Fair point. Yup, new to me, so I guess it could have been hooned around country roads.
Full Audi history on it, so I'd hope the two previous owners would have been slightly more responsible but you never know!


fangio said:
I've got those, they're the right ones. I'd never have a car without mudflaps!
Click to expand...
Perfect, thanks for that. Will get some ordered. :cool:

Will wait till my wife gets home from work in it and take some snaps of the problem areas and get the posted up ASAP.

Thanks again peeps.:icon thumright:
 
OK, so I was taking this from memory, I got it slightly wrong... :oops:

Both sides look like this... and all ready have the trailing arch mud flaps.

Arch_Rust.jpg


No further bubbling round the effected area and it seems to only be surface rust.
(Think that they are galvanised?)

My painter has suggested that we have some clear 3M cut to cover the area after it is painted.
He also said quite a few other cars have a similar problem, sighting the KA as an example! :puke:


Heard there may be a 12 year paint warranty on the Audi's... any truth in this?
Going to Audi tomorrow for a free 30min 'health check' so will check with them.

Anyone else had rust like this? Anyone have any suggestions for a prevention measure?
 
That sort of damage can come from stone chips that are left untreated. Bit like your pic where above the main rusty bit there another bit chipped. I doubt Audi will cover this but, you don't get if you don't ask.
 
pluves1 said:
That sort of damage can come from stone chips that are left untreated. Bit like your pic where above the main rusty bit there another bit chipped. I doubt Audi will cover this but, you don't get if you don't ask.
Click to expand...

Yes, pretty sure they will just say "Normal wear and tear"...
Friend of mine just had his passenger door replaced and bonnet resprayed by BMW on his 2006 Z4, as it was bubbling and rusty. So these things DO happen. Then again, they are "non wear" areas.

This rust is in what even "I" would call a 'high risk' area.

No-one else had this then?
 
My brothers are bare metal there too and mine had a few chips before I gave them a bit of treatment, I have a silver car and being the trailing edge and very low down I decided I would see what I had in the shed. It turned out that smooth silver hammerite is near identical colour and I heavily coated the edging with it as it is a really strong paint. I haven't got a chip since (yet anyway) and you could never tell that there's anything different about it
 
tell them you had mud guards fitted and upon removing them this is what you found , that way you should be covered by there anti corrosion warranty
 
audi upgrades
hollow said:
tell them you had mud guards fitted and upon removing them this is what you found , that way you should be covered by there anti corrosion warranty
Click to expand...

Ha! Good idea in theory.
Problem is, the damage is quite clearly above where the flap is.

Plus, the paint has a 3 year cover and corrosion is 12 years. But as it has not bubbled from the inside (I.e. Not corrosion) it's not covered.

Ohh well, was worth asking. :)
 
I take it Audi weren't playing ball then? It's amazing how quickly a stone chip can bubble up. We had it happen on the front pillar and as we couldn't get a touch up pen from Audi (they don't or didn't do a Sprint Blue one!) I forgot about ours until it had bubbled and then needed repair. Wasn't cheap either!
 
You'll have to get some hammerite and some lava grey and mix them to the right colour ;)
 
pluves1 said:
I take it Audi weren't playing ball then? It's amazing how quickly a stone chip can bubble up. We had it happen on the front pillar and as we couldn't get a touch up pen from Audi (they don't or didn't do a Sprint Blue one!) I forgot about ours until it had bubbled and then needed repair. Wasn't cheap either!
Click to expand...
Yes, you need to keep on top of them or they soon bubble up.
We are having a few dinks and scratches taken out, while my local guy goes it.
It is an 8 year old car, so you expect there to be marks. Although the most annoying thing is all the chips on the edge of the drivers door. Must have slammed the seatbelt buckle in it a few times :(
Going to be around £800... but we got it for a decent enough price, so we budgeted for paintwork. The low mileage and mint interior was worth the trade off for the external issues.

Also ordered £200's worth of parts from Audi. Front fog grill, drivers door card arm rest, door window scraper (for each side, due to bubbling)
Again, all budgeted for in the original price we paid. So not a big deal really.

Lukeyb said:
You'll have to get some hammerite and some lava grey and mix them to the right colour ;)
Click to expand...
he he he ... going to ask my painter what he advice is. Might lay a tough layer first and paint over it with the matched colour, or may just have it as is and put some 3M over the top.
Which ever we do, I will report back and let you guys know. :cool:
 
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