19 replies to this topic

[rhodieee]

Why does the roof rust on a lot of models for the RVR?

[Miniman_alis]

Also happens on the cc lancer.
I think it had something to do with the glue or something like that on the rails.

[evo-gsr]

The glue mitsubishi used on the ribs/bows was found to attract moisture (they found this after the sold many cars with it)
There was a recall done way back for some of the affected cars.

[Benzo4gT]

I haven't seen much roof rust in a HSG-R, but they were 1997 models so they may have changed the glue by then.

[evo-gsr]

Yes they did ^ from memory it was late 1994/ early 95 onwards.

[Benzo4gT]

HSGR is a 1997 only model, last of that shape and had a few subtle chassis/wiring/engine ancillaries differences to an SG or SSG.

 

My 1994 RVR parts car has rust and every RVR SG, or SSG I have seen has rust in the roof with the exception of a Sept 1996 SSG I stripped out for parts. My 1997 HSGR has none, and I haven't seen many/any with rust, just my observation. Might be coincidence, but there were 2 getting around my area, plus mine, Mo's and Ian's and none had rust......but they were white.

 

It makes me wonder if they changed the glue around mid 1996 which is about the time the Evo 4 was built. Maybe Haruto the glue boy had been slapped in the side of the head by then and a new formula mixed.

[evo-gsr]

I know the white cars werent as susceptible to the issue also.

[Benzo4gT]

↑ Interesting. Glad mine's white. Clay's is black and from memory his has roof issues and now that I think of it the '96 rvr I stripped had been repainted so it could have had issues prior.

 

So the darks develop marks, but the white's are alright.

[Parabola]

I've had several black, greens and whites (rvr's) and all of them except for the whites had roof rust. Also had several gsr's. Grey, red & white. They only one to have roof rust was the red.

[evo-gsr]

Generally...yes.
From what I have seen and read about.

[Django]

If I ever got another HSG even if it was white with no rust bubbles, I'd still at the least, pull the roof lining off and get all the glue I could off, blast it and redo it. If I was dedicated to the car, I'd get the whole roof sheet cut off and get every bit blasted properly because it's really difficult to get into the rear and front sections to do the glue. It's a much harder job to do if it's got holes already but worth doing if you're gonna keep the car for a long time. By the time you can see bubbles on the roof, it's really bad.

 

You can always check how bad it is before buying by pulling the interior light off and shining a torch in there. Most white HSG I've seen don't have rust but that doesn't rule them out, I still see a fair few that have bubbles. Just because it hasn't worn through the sheet, doesn't mean it hasn't started on the inside.

 

It's a crying shame because Mitsubishi brought out some fantastic cars in this era. The HSG is one of my favorites but I can't justify all that work for a standard one. An evo, for sure.

 

For Benzo, cause you know what's happening and I know you'll get curious at some stage, The sika has cracks in it by now (or should?) and you can give a small piece a hit or pick, knock it out to get a better idea by scratching the sheet with a screwdriver or whatever. I'm also curious...

Edited by Django, 26 November 2015 - 12:13 PM.

[BYBY5L]

Just went through the b-s of cleaning and repairing mine (black hsg) while it wasn't visible anywhere on the outside besides the aerial, being a tad ocd I decided to have a look to fix it... 2 hour job soon turned into 2 days,
now the timers on to see how long till it returns...

[something_wild]

My black 97 hsg was full of the roof cancer....did my head in as I'd bought it not knowing about the issue, and it had a resprayed roof (i thought it was just due to Sun fade or something). Took about 6 months for the bubbling to start....by the time I sold it (3 years later) it was bubbling hard most of the roof

[Jeewiz]

Ive seen 96 ce lancers with it and my 96 evo 4 had it. so it safe to say somewhere inbetween 97 - 98 they changed it.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Edited by Jeewiz, 24 April 2016 - 09:45 AM.

[Evo-00x]

Everything from CC Lancers, RVR's, FTO's, CE Lancers, UF Nimbus etc got the roof rust issue.

The recalls were kept on the quiet.

The glue was in use from 1993 to 1998. Same thing happens to Proton M21 coupes which were made til the year 2000.

The problem is, it rusts under your headlining. By the time you see it bubble on the top of your roof it is already too late.

Remove your headlining and prepared to say FUCK YOU MITSUBISHI!!!   

If it hasn't happened yet, it will happen. Heat, condensation, condensation from the interior light on cold mornings etc creates moisture. On the underside of our headlinings we have a spongey foam that absorbs water and stays soaking wet forever which also doesnt help. The glue used was shit and had some kind of chemical reaction to it which corroded the metal too.

It was a BIG Mitsubishi fuck up.

My advice to anybody who hasn't got roof rust yet is to check it out anyway sooner rather than later. Its a bit of a delicate operation so as not to deform your headlining when removing it. Get inside there and check. Then spray the hell out of it with Tectyl spray. Inside all the holes in the ribbings, where the front and rear windscreens are, everywhere. Make sure you have a plastic sheet or tarp underneath to protect your interior from any drips. It's going to smell for months but it's worth it in the long run.

My white 1993 GL CC Lancer coupe doesnt have roof rust, but then again its lived most of its life inside a garage. A few years ago I didn't take any chances so I got up under there and painted it with fuel tank sealer paint first to create a hard glass-like sealant, then tectyled the hell out of it. It looks like shit but you wont ever see it again [hopefully]. 

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[TBOWGN]

Wow, nice job.... Ive got 2 cars to do that to :/ Sigggh

[60dsp]

Mine too... Mine was ment to be done... But no.. Maybe a convertible is in order...

[warbo]

White hsg's are not immune from roof rust. Just sold mine for scrap value because of that issue. I didn't even bother pulling the roof lining off after it bubbled through the outer paint. Not sure if coincidence or not, but rust started after being parked for prolonged time in very humid storage in Darwin with occasional poor storm water drainage. White fluffy mold also grew on the seats. In hind sight, I should have placed some of those cheap chemical dehumidifier tubs from Dollars and Sense inside the vehicle to keep the interior "dry", but I didn't, game over. Won't make the same mistake with my cc gsr!

[CLuTZ]

It's also an issue on JDM Mirages/Lancers from '88-'90. As mentioned above it's the darker coloured cars that develop the rust quicker than lighter cars

[penngwyne]

So in the pics the clear stuff along the ribs is the fuel tank sealant?

Won't that stop the rust preventer from getting in there?

There is still contact between the glue and the roof if that is where the rot starts

 

(This looks like one more thing to do when I get the BMW running)