How bad is this chassis!!???

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

Hi I have a 1999 TD5 I’m thinking of buying the car has 113k warranted mileage.
The car is in good condition however it hasn’t been waxoyled or under sealed for a year.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me more about the condition of the chassis.
It looks more like surface rust but I’m looking to get iy under sealed very soon.
Outriggers and cross member are good there’s no cracks in the chassis from what I can see. The mot recently came up with some surface corrosion on chassis.

Opinins would be greatly appreciated. Alittle welding I don’t mind but wouldn’t want to replace the entire chassis.

kind regards
Adam

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

Just wondering will sanding and fully waxoyling be sufficient

lynall · May 1, 2022

The pics dont show much chassis.
Common spots are the rear crossmember (no pic) and the front of the chassis outside face.
I would say that has not been treated for at least 2 maybe 3 plus years.
Waxoyl is crap, do some research on bilt hamber and other systems on here.

Check the bulkhead top corner near the door hinges, then have a crawl underneath to check the footwells (incl lift any mats) and the bulkhead where it meets the chassis outrigger.

Turboman · May 1, 2022

Howhardgerrard said:
Hi I have a 1999 TD5 I’m thinking of buying the car has 113k warranted mileage.
The car is in good condition however it hasn’t been waxoyled or under sealed for a year.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me more about the condition of the chassis.
It looks more like surface rust but I’m looking to get iy under sealed very soon.
Outriggers and cross member are good there’s no cracks in the chassis from what I can see. The mot recently came up with some surface corrosion on chassis.

Opinins would be greatly appreciated. Alittle welding I don’t mind but wouldn’t want to replace the entire chassis.

kind regards
Adam

Very dry, and some evidence in the pictures of pitting.
As above^^^^^^^, there are no pics of the known trouble spots on the chassis.
I also think a couple of cracks may be visible, but one of them is concealed by underseal.

I would go over that with a scraper, see what you can remove, and what you can see after removal.
And test any problem areas for strength with a small hammer.

tottot · May 1, 2022

As above, going around with scraper and tapping with little hammer, nice metal ring good, dull thunk bad.
Do not underseal or wax oil, looks good to start but hides continuing corrosion underneath. Other anti rust treatments are much better or even just spraying with engine oil diesel mix every year.

lightning · May 1, 2022

The chassis will generally need attention at about 15 years if not protected.

As this one is 23 years old it needs careful inspection

lt depends on how it's been looked after, if it's been undersealed properly at some time in the past the main chassis should be sound.

lt may need a rear crossmember replacement which will cost £1,000 if you take it in to get it done.

There's lots of other things to check such as the front floors. lf you are not familiar with Defenders it will be worth paying for an inspection.

123-eddy09 · May 1, 2022

Another area to check is the rear A frame crossmember where the gussets are on the chassis rails, it’s a proper moisture/dirt trap.

after doing 2 chassis changes it opens your eyes to how bad the chassis get when you have them fully stripped down.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · May 1, 2022

Might be me but there looks like rot and a hole behind the front brake pipe? I could be mistaken though. So inspect the rest carefully

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Might be me but there looks like rot and a hole behind the front brake pipe? I could be mistaken though. So inspect the rest carefully

I need to check for this hole again , if it is a hole can it be patched ?

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

Which bilt hamber product is best please ?

lynall said:
The pics dont show much chassis.
Common spots are the rear crossmember (no pic) and the front of the chassis outside face.
I would say that has not been treated for at least 2 maybe 3 plus years.
Waxoyl is crap, do some research on bilt hamber and other systems on here.

Check the bulkhead top corner near the door hinges, then have a crawl underneath to check the footwells (incl lift any mats) and the bulkhead where it meets the chassis outrigger.

lightning · May 1, 2022

Howhardgerrard said:
I need to check for this hole again , if it is a hole can it be patched ?

Anything can be repaired. But don't forget it's a 23 year old vehicle and has already outlasted most new cars from 1999 when it was made. lt's not unusual for an old Defender to need some work.

Most cars that were made in the 1990's have by now been recycled into drinks cans.

Have a look at the MOT history which will highlight any issues it's had in the past.

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

It’s a TD5 mate 1999 114k miles
Bodywork clean generally , has documents and everything

lightning said:
Anything can be repaired. But it needs to be reflected in the price, don't forget it's a 23 year old vehicle and has already outlasted most new cars from 1999 when it was made.

Most cars that were made in the 1990's are now recycled into drinks cans

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

Howhardgerrard said:
It’s a TD5 mate 1999 114k miles
Bodywork clean generally , has documents and everything

Hes asking for 7k but won’t budge a penny

Howhardgerrard · May 1, 2022

Only advisory from 2020 onwards is

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced (6.1.1 (c) (i))

lightning said:
Anything can be repaired. But don't forget it's a 23 year old vehicle and has already outlasted most new cars from 1999 when it was made. lt's not unusual for an old Defender to need some work.

Most cars that were made in the 1990's have by now been recycled into drinks cans.

Have a look at the MOT history which will highlight any issues it's had in the past.

Dr Strangeglove · May 1, 2022

My chassis is going on 30 years old. I have already replaced rear tubular outriggers. I have the bulkhead outriggers in the garage ready to do -these have already been replaced in the past. I think my rear crossmember needs replacing - again this has already been replaced. My dumb irons need tidying up. I am sure people will say do a galv chassis swap, and to be honest I would agree, but funds wouldn't!

As I can weld and fabricate, these things will take my time and probably about £300 for the bits (dependant on how I do it).

I have tried to scrape the loose stuff off my chassis and I have sprayed it with Lanoguard so that I can keep my eye on it. When I have done the welding on the outriggers I will treat the inside (after cleaning inside first!).

ER1C · May 1, 2022

Howhardgerrard said:
Hi I have a 1999 TD5 I’m thinking of buying the car has 113k warranted mileage.
The car is in good condition however it hasn’t been waxoyled or under sealed for a year.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me more about the condition of the chassis.
It looks more like surface rust but I’m looking to get iy under sealed very soon.
Outriggers and cross member are good there’s no cracks in the chassis from what I can see. The mot recently came up with some surface corrosion on chassis.

Opinins would be greatly appreciated. Alittle welding I don’t mind but wouldn’t want to replace the entire chassis.

kind regards
Adam

That doesnt look too bad tbh on the bits shown.

doriz · May 1, 2022

Feel above the front outriggers and scrape away the dirt that collects between that and the body then check for any holes.

lightning · May 1, 2022

Howhardgerrard said:
Hes asking for 7k but won’t budge a penny

£7,000? lf it's clean with a current MOT thats a bargain in the current market, you'd struggle to get a TD5 for much less than that even if it had been pulled out of a lake.

Check all the numbers match, you don't want the rozzers to turn up at your house in three months to inform you that it's a ringer.

Ian M in France · May 1, 2022

tottot said:
As above, going around with scraper and tapping with little hammer, nice metal ring good, dull thunk bad.
Do not underseal or wax oil, looks good to start but hides continuing corrosion underneath. Other anti rust treatments are much better or even just spraying with engine oil diesel mix every year.

My discovery has a system that sprays the bottom of the car with a diesel/ used engine oil mix as I drive along

frog hopper · May 1, 2022

These days I would be tempted to have a look inside the chassis. Endoscope/boroscope cameras that plug into a smart phone are so cheap these days, be carefull though, the inside of a chassis rail is quite often the worse bit.

How bad is this chassis!!???

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