Will2
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2020
- Threads
- 25
- Messages
- 287
- Reaction score
- 216
- Location
- California
- Vehicle(s)
- '26 Mustang GT
- Thread starter
- #1
Barely visible hints of rust on the bottom of frame rails/pinch welds--should I even care?
Dealers lift these cars (during PDI?) on the frame rails in front of the official lift points. This is what I've deduced from 3 new S650s I purchased, all different dealers. One had a plastic rocker front edge curled up from lifting, 2 had minor scraped/flaking paint on the frame rails in the front, 1 had a tiny bit of rust on each side.
I've sanded down any flaking paint/visible rust/seam sealant boogers, cleaned with alcohol, and touch-up painted. However, I will be lifting the car--always with rubber lift pads--but even those can rub paint off the pinch welds, or the car cuts through the rubber pad and contacts the jack causing minor scrapes. Lift adapters aren't deep enough and still cause metal contact between pinch weld and the adapter, similarly risking the paint along the bottom of the pinch welds. (Jacking rails can trap water/debris between them and the body and in the crevices where they interface with seam sealant, etc. so I see that as just additional weight, complication, and liability)
Is any tiny amount of paint breakage/rust in these areas even worth caring about? Or am I overthinking it, probably the rust would not progress beyond surface rust extending up 1/2" in a decade of ownership? Dry climate
Dealers lift these cars (during PDI?) on the frame rails in front of the official lift points. This is what I've deduced from 3 new S650s I purchased, all different dealers. One had a plastic rocker front edge curled up from lifting, 2 had minor scraped/flaking paint on the frame rails in the front, 1 had a tiny bit of rust on each side.
I've sanded down any flaking paint/visible rust/seam sealant boogers, cleaned with alcohol, and touch-up painted. However, I will be lifting the car--always with rubber lift pads--but even those can rub paint off the pinch welds, or the car cuts through the rubber pad and contacts the jack causing minor scrapes. Lift adapters aren't deep enough and still cause metal contact between pinch weld and the adapter, similarly risking the paint along the bottom of the pinch welds. (Jacking rails can trap water/debris between them and the body and in the crevices where they interface with seam sealant, etc. so I see that as just additional weight, complication, and liability)
Is any tiny amount of paint breakage/rust in these areas even worth caring about? Or am I overthinking it, probably the rust would not progress beyond surface rust extending up 1/2" in a decade of ownership? Dry climate
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