rust at bottom of window runner

Fionadilston · Post by **Fionadilston** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 9:09 am

my mate replaced the window runner on the drivers door as it was seriously gone ...now noticed on the passenger door that I have the same prob ie rut at the bottom where it joins the door ...methinks this is a weakspot for rust on the polo....any ideas on the best way to deal with this short of dissassembling the door which I AM NOT in the least confident about doing ....want to preserve the car as essentially the bodywork tho not immaculate is verrrry solid and we are moving to a coastal area of Scotland next year so want nowhere where the rust can get in and wreak havoc ...btw we are talking 1990 polo cl early mk3 facelift model ....all advice gratefully accepted tia Fiona x

ps just spent Â£275 on big/full service plus water pump and timing belt soo would like to do this on the cheap

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 10:08 pm

aye the servicing dont come cheap

as for the runners i wouldnt bother too much about them unless you're really really worried about it or want it looking nice... mine have always been knackered, both. Just sanded it back a bit, slathered it in Kurust de-oxygenator treatment (makes the rusty bits sort-of metal again) including working it into all the cracks, then masked it off and painted it up. Still looks a bit hokey but better than having a nice brown patch edging the quarterlights.

have enquired with martyn of vagparts about replacements before, they're quasi-affordable but certainly not "cheap". If you really want to do it on the skint side, find a good scrappy and hunt out some that are still immaculate.

dont know if it's a weak point for rust (the car doesnt have many, but those it have require definate investigation), might be... maybe we both got unlucky in the same way (let me guess - its never been garaged?). Seen enough rolling around WITHOUT rusty runners, so some should be up for grabs somewhere - the doors tend to get sold without them..

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 11:52 pm

Yeah, the bottom of those runners do tend to be a bit prone to rust. I would at least treat it with rust treatment and make sure damp isn't being trapped there, because otherwise you get great big holes in the top of the door where the rust spreads. There are plenty out there in scrapyards with perfectly servicable runners, so give that a try. Mine are just starting to rust after 19 years, I just plan to strip back the paint, use rust proofer and respray it. Should last the rest of the life of the car..

I think the runner is fairly easy to remove. There's a phillips head bolt at the top, I think it's just a case of removing this and pulling it out although I've never done it so that's just a guess. Probably something holding it in behind the doorcard as well. I'm sure haynes manual will tell you exactly how to do it..

Fionadilston · Post by **Fionadilston** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:11 pm

thankyou both ....gonna have a car care day verrrry soon ...also found rusty bits on the tailgate at the bottom on the inside corner areas ...is it a huge job to replace a tailgate should I need to ...just looked at an N reg parked next to my polo and the paintwork on that was not impressive ...are they less durable the younger they get ?? looks like it to me
thanks again ...will be perusing me Haynes manual and off to get some of the kurust stuff cheers love Fiona x

Gareth_GT_Hatch · Post by **Gareth_GT_Hatch** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:54 pm

i think durability wise the early mk2s are the best as long as they are kept clean in the right areas (around the fuel filler pipe) Then mk3s and then late mk2s. Mk4s probably reside somewbere between mk3s and late mk2s but its too early to tell yet really.