My wife has that exact model NC 2008. It was 7 years old with only 6800 miles on it when she bought it. It wasn't ever used in winter before she got it and was clean as a whistle underneath. Before it got into that state I dinitroled it including taking all of the arch liners out and doing behind them and all of the box sections. In November december this year tried to talk her into changing it as the rear subframe was getting a bit crusty. The car is 17 years old now with only 39,000 miles. She said she wanted to keep it. So I dropped the rear subframe wire brushed and treated any surface rust with dinitrol RC 900 then hammerited it and then covered the surface in bilt hamber UB then sprayed everything in dinitrol 4942. Five fecken weeks on and off it took me.
That looks like a cover up job. Also the rear deck has been sprayed. It's not unusual as if you leave the PHRT cars out in the frost the composite material is a bit porus and the absorbed water pops the paint off. It can be corrected but requires the parts to be oven baked BEFORE they are painted if not then the pox comes back. FWIW, mechanically they are simple and easy to work on (though changing the oil is a pain in the ass as its behind a chassis member fine if you have the right cup wrench but you can't do it without hot oil down your arm) .
Couple of pics of the arse of the wifes car..for comparison.
Bad picture but make sure that the two tie straps from the chassis to the sub frame are in decent order. I was able to take them off to drop the subframe to see what lay beneath (nothing horrible) but if the area they bolt onto on the chassis is corroded its a world of pain.
If you can ask to get the rear nearside wheel off and remove the wheel liner. These are made of fibre (WTF) and retain water and the bottom of the arch inner sill and outer sill can rot (you can't see this as its behind the plastic cover you've shown).
There are lots of them about so if in any doubt run away. Also don't think the newer ND's are any better. My sister has had one from new and asked me to Dinitrol it before its first winter. The factory corrosion protection was shite on it as well.
I haven't a clue why my missus likes hers so much. If you do a run with the roof down at motorway speeds FFS wear earplugs as the wind noise will deafen you. They are grand for a quick squirt round the lanes but for distance travel I'd far rather be on the bike. She wants to do another run round Connemara and Kerry in it this summer and I'm seriously looking at putting two old autocom headsets into two pairs of ear defenders and communicating like that.
That looks like a cover up job. Also the rear deck has been sprayed. It's not unusual as if you leave the PHRT cars out in the frost the composite material is a bit porus and the absorbed water pops the paint off. It can be corrected but requires the parts to be oven baked BEFORE they are painted if not then the pox comes back. FWIW, mechanically they are simple and easy to work on (though changing the oil is a pain in the ass as its behind a chassis member fine if you have the right cup wrench but you can't do it without hot oil down your arm) .
Couple of pics of the arse of the wifes car..for comparison.
Bad picture but make sure that the two tie straps from the chassis to the sub frame are in decent order. I was able to take them off to drop the subframe to see what lay beneath (nothing horrible) but if the area they bolt onto on the chassis is corroded its a world of pain.
If you can ask to get the rear nearside wheel off and remove the wheel liner. These are made of fibre (WTF) and retain water and the bottom of the arch inner sill and outer sill can rot (you can't see this as its behind the plastic cover you've shown).
There are lots of them about so if in any doubt run away. Also don't think the newer ND's are any better. My sister has had one from new and asked me to Dinitrol it before its first winter. The factory corrosion protection was shite on it as well.
I haven't a clue why my missus likes hers so much. If you do a run with the roof down at motorway speeds FFS wear earplugs as the wind noise will deafen you. They are grand for a quick squirt round the lanes but for distance travel I'd far rather be on the bike. She wants to do another run round Connemara and Kerry in it this summer and I'm seriously looking at putting two old autocom headsets into two pairs of ear defenders and communicating like that.
