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Good morning all! Long time no see, but I'm sure my topic will get some interest from owners from our much loved, but aging, 993.
Last year, I noticed by luck that my floor was severely rusted (993 4S) on the driver side, front and rear of the seat.
I removed everything from that side to clean it.
Then I eliminated the rust and treated the surface with zinc based product
I investigated also the under body protection layer which seemed to be damaged at some places:
at the end, I brought the car to a specialized bodyshop to deal with those holes and respray a 2 layers protection with identical products that Porsches uses.
The origin of the water was difficult to find, and seing the pics I'm sure you'll understand why. Nevertheless, the windscreen was inspected, the left rear window, the sunroof drains, and nothing seemed to be the cause. We then deducted that it was probably a chip damage behind the front left wheel where I found that the plastic cover was broken, and exposed the body part.
until.... after a very rainy drive in Germany, I checked the floor... soaking wet!!!!
So the origin of the problem was still not cured. But this time it was much easier to trace, and after half an hour search, having removed the plastic protection on the left sill, I noticed rust on the welding between the body and the floor, right behind the AC plumbing that runs from the engine compartment to the front along the sill:
... took a seringue and injected water straight to that area... and this is what appeared inside:
( cannot load the pictures?!?!) water was visible at one point along the junction between the body and the floor panel!
I'm now sure of what will be my next winter project :-( , but at least this will solve the problem for a long time... I hope!
I know Belgium is a wet country, and I look with envy to you guys who live in dry states, but is there somebody who ever had that same origin of water sneaking its way into the car? As soon as I'll figure out why my last picture doesn't up load, I'll post it.
I have never seen rust on the floorboard in any of the 993s I've owned. The rust/corrosion on the rear sub-frame behind all the tin is very common. Most owners don't even know they have rust there, until you start taking things apart. BTW, your car looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic job on the restoration. The rust on the floor on the inside is, as you now know, the result of water ingress into the cabin. When I first got my 993, I took the seats out and found the padding under the carpet on the drivers side, both front and back was water-logged. I quickly dried it out, but if left that would have caused rust issues for sure. I found out that the water was coming in from rain on the roads somehow. I have seen numerous threads here about water in the cabin, so it is clearly a common issue (and a design fault), but I have yet to see any definitive answer as to the path it is taking to get inside. Your work here I think helps to pinpoint it.
Luckily it doesn't rain in South Carolina as much as it does in Belgium (I know since I lived in Antwerp for a year ), so might explain why your water issue translated to so much rust.
Great write up and repair. After many attempts to solve a leaky sunroof I had it deleted, no regrets and no soggy carpets. The rear soundproofing held about 2 pints of water when I stripped it and you could see water dripping down the passenger b-pillar. The floor had just started to rust, POR to the rescue.
I think there are two potential sources of water in the cabin - one is sunroof and gutter drain related, and the other is coming up from the road via the sills. I soaked my sunroof with a hose for an hour with not a drop inside, then went for a 5 min ride on a west road and had water coming in..
nice work toga.
my 97 has the same issue but on the passenger side. last time I had to drive in the wet I removed everything from the pass side and taped paper towels to find the leak. the water seems to come from that exact seam in your last picture. from underneath the car it all looks tight and sealed so I haven't found the leak yet. but as deekay pointed out, 5 minutes on a wet road and water is coming in.
~ The Eagle ~
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'96 Polar Silver/Black C4S, manual, litronics, LED's in the positioning lights, alu/leather shifter & handbrake,
silver face gauges with alu rings, hardback sport seats, full leather interior, motor sound airbox, stainless door sills,
valve caps Porsche crested brushed alloy, front protection bar, with split rear grill and layered with Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax
__________________
'92 Carrera 2 (Sold)
'89 Carrera 3.2 (Sold)
that's exactly it deekay911 and k.
I'm back from a Porsche approved body shop. What they say is that under sill area is sprayed by water as soon as the road is wet, even if the plastics are in good condition. After years the rust may attack the edge of the metal and move its way between the 2 metal parts that a point welded. The rust lift slightly the metal, and gives an open way for water to the inside...
I'll remove the AC tubes when I have time to investigate more. If this is what I find, then they recommend a rust inhibitor from outside and inside, then a silicone and a layer of under body protection.
I'll keep you updated.
By the way why is my picture upload not possible anymore? is there a limit in the number of pics or volume?
Here is Toga's photo of where the water appeared on the inside after squirting water at the weld seam from the outside. Conclusive evidence of how and where the water enters from a wet road. I'll be digging into mine and applying some sealant for sure..this should finally cure the wet carpet issue!! Thanks Toga!
that pic is the same area mine leaks. I'll try spraying water directly at the seam and see if I can find the hole.
interesting the body shop says the sill is sprayed with water since the entire area is protected by the side skirt and wheel well liner. but here I am with a wet tub on the passenger side.
09-15-2014, 04:31 AM
993 4S rust on the floor!!
), so might explain why your water issue translated to so much rust.
