Hello all, 

I have recently bought a mk4 fiesta 1999 1.25 (very cheap) I really want to rescue this motor and have it forever. There seems to be some rust issues (attached pictures) it also looks like it has had some welding already, based on the pictures would anyone know if this is repairable im willing to spend a couple of thousand pounds on it. I appreciate this is rust that I can see and haven't done any further digging, thanks guys 🙏 

Edited April 11, 20215 yr by Steven1992
Added pictures

So sorry it won't let me upload the pictures, if anybody has a keen interest and would like to help i could always email them across, much appreciated guys 

If your budgets big enough then all rust is technically repairable.

The sills are pretty easy, I'd imagine you can get replacements online you can weld in. Around the windscreen is a big job. I'd imagine that would need to be a custom fab. The inside of the door seal just looks like surface rust, that's easily treatable.

The problem with this is you'll just end up chasing your tail fixing all the rust. You'll sort that out now and in a few years the other side will be just as bad.

If you truly want to do it properly, then strip the car back to bare metal and see what you're left with. Then you can see every rust spot and treat it properly before doing a full respray and underseal. If the rest of the body is pretty rust free then I'd take a very rough guess at £5000. Being an old Fiesta, I imagine it'll be like a can of worms once you start stripping the paint off and could even end up doubling the cost if you pay someone decent to do the work.

"I bought a very cheap 22 year old rust bucket and I want to spend ten times what it is worth to patch it up." Don't. It is a very stupid thing to do.

You would spend much more, always be racing against its age and it would be at best a £400 banger.

Run it until it runs out of ticket and weigh it in for scrap. Spend £2k on something better.

It may have been cheap but in the end it will be a very expensive car.   You would be better off running it into the ground and buying something decent.

hi as said any rust is repairable! but the cost is something else especially if you cant weld yourself, the window panel repair will be costly for sure, it may be better to fully check it underneath and check all the key rust spots and also what does it need mechanically? 

its nice to see someone that wants to save an older fiesta but from experience it isn’t cheap, i have a 2001 on a y reg,was a good example when bought has mot but spent ALLOT just keeping it on road and keeping up with mechanical bits modding them as i change them, the body isn’t to bad needs slight work on the ns sill, most other bits have been done but im 8 yrs in so aint stopping now lol and always bought it with the intention of a long term keeper