Rusty floor in 2004 XK8, why does Jaguar install that water and grit trap right by the front wheel splash area.


Last night while waiting for the transmission to drain, I looked around the bottom of the car a bit and noticed a little bit of rust on the end of sealing plugs that stick through that double pad near the "A" posts just below the pedals. The area is well protected with undercoat and inside the car has the thick sound deadener, so it seemed solid. Before I was done poking around with a screw driver this is what that little 1/4 inch rusty clip was the indicator of. Oh well, sping still not here in Canada so I know what I get to do this weekend. More TLC. I have read about this problem on the site, but was really surprised at how good it looked and ended up being this bad.

 

You are not alone !!


A common problem in countries where there's rain and snow (and therefore salt) on the roads during winter. It's a stupid design which, apparently, is something to do with the assembly process, and has no structural value at all.
Not sure what the shipping costs would be, and I guess it's not that difficult to get a piece of steel welded over the hole, but there's a guy in the UK who makes new panels to the correct shape and size.
Photo shows mine from underneath with the outer skin of the double panel cut away. The "yellow" is the underside of the carpet.
If one side is like that, you can be pretty sure the other is the same - maybe worse !!

 

I work in an automotive stamping plant, so I'll just grab some scraps of a galvanized High Strength steel, I will make a pattern and one of the guys in prototye will probably whip me up a repair panel for a free coffee. I will pop rivet it in and use an new metal panel joint sealer we use now. I really don't want to start up a torch around all that wiring that is ther on the side kick panel.

 

Sounds like you've got it under control !
My panels cost a lot more than a cup of coffee :-)

 

From personal experience, and with a mind to your own safety, I might be tempted to have a look and check behind the top front wishbone mounting points. You can just about poke it with a screwdriver behind the front subframe once the wheel is off. In my case there was an alarming lack of strength when all three layers were found to be absent. I'm not sure a front end shunt would have been absorbed very well.

In my case the floors weren't quite as bad as yours, but the front chassis rails needed a 6" square patch to give them strength. My repair panels were exchanged for doughnuts, but clearly coffee is your chosen currency in Canada. See pics here...
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-133402/page2/

Good luck...

 

oddjob2000 - I have followed (and been full of admiration for) your thread on your XK8 restoration. Mine had been well looked after, and the "usual" front and rear problem areas are in good condition - I have a couple of tiny rust bubbles towards the rear of the sills which will be sorted this spring.
My car had been treated with (I think) Dinitrol or similar, so on first glance, the underside looked extremely good. But - that stupid "double skin" area just collects water & mud, and once I had cut the outer layer away, the full extent of the corrosion was revealed.
Whoever was responsible for allowing that "feature" to get through should be sealed in a suit of (mild steel) armour and immersed in salt water for six months - then he/she might think twice before doing the same thing again !

 

Doubtless the same person who thought plastic 'Norma' quick-fits would be a good way to facilitate some assembly process - and arranged for one to sit just above the RHS cat



M

 

I'll have a word. My son now works as a design engineer at JLR, in the chassis team... :-)

 

All of the other places that are mentioned as possible rust areas, arches and suspension points etc. on my car are as solid as new, that is why this hole in the floor was such a surprise.