Is it expensive to sort the buttress out if thay are corroding?
No, they're probably just cracked due to stress, any decent body shop should be able to sort it out fairly cheaply (cost dependent on colour, and how easy the paint is to match up / fade in)
Is it a lasting repair or is it a fundamental problem that will return? Not that it is a concern for a 308 owner but this is a known issue and I am just curious.
It's pretty much fundamental, its caused by the stress's going through the bodywork around the join between the roof/butress's and the rest of the car, its the sort of thing that typically needs to be done every 3-4 years
So the service manual should read - Every 3 years: cambelts & butresses... If you didn't love 'em - you wouldn't bother. Can you imagine the uproar if Porsche had this sort of issue?
Porsche did with the 964 & 993 door check strap welds cracking......puts a lovely crease in the door when it goes
Thanks for that - just crossing Porsche off my shopping list. Can you imagine if good British companies such as TVR & Lotus had these sorts of issues - there would be uproar... ...down boy, leave it
just had my 355 done about 3 weeks ago it was done just over a year ago but the proper sealant wasnt used and the cracks appeared again. took it to CHIPS AWAY and they sorted it out. looks much better if the roof is done aswell so that u r not trying to blend the new paint in on the a pillars. also got the front bumper done aswell because of the ****ty state of our roads!!!!!
didnt last very long i can notice the hairline crack reapearing with a few small blisters aswell, chips away said they will fix it again and use a different sealant this time, total pain in the arse!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry but what do you expect,Chips Away repair stone chips.A job like that needs to be done properly by a proper bodyshop.
the franchise in glasgow have the facilities to overhaul and fully respray any vehicle, they were recomended to me by a friend who had a full paint job done and it looks gr8 , "therefor they are a proper body shop" maybe not the ones you know of!!!!!
not sure if that's what was used originaly, but it would certainly be the best thing for a long term repair......Only thing is very few people know how to lead load properly....SteveW of course being one
Well,they may have the facilities,but if the repair has lasted only 3 weeks they obviously don't know how to use them.
Not sure if they have lead in the joints or not,but leading is very old school and there are not many who can do it nowadays.I must admit that I,personally can't do it but my panel beaters can.
The bodyshop I used said the correct way to sort this problem out is to cut out the the rusted section of the buttress and weld in a new one, But this can cost a bit, So the other alternative was to treat the rust and use a flexible filler and lead, This means the flexible filler will flex with the stress area of the buttress and stop it from cracking.
