Battery tray rust, i mean RUST.
 

A little over a month ago i became owner of a rhd 1990 T2 blaze red coupe.
car is overall pretty immaculate, minimal undercarriage rust, even pinch welds are in great condition.

I bought the car knowing it didn’t have great compression, about 6.3 average. So im in the process of pulling the engine.

some pics of the car:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...eb5209f0c.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fc9e543a8.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9c83f54c2.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4c30df93f.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...356504fe8.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...51744e009.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c449e21ad.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...da0cc5e1e.jpeg


So i started removing my radiator, oil cooler, intake, fan and shroud and battery.
what i found beneath the battery absolutely broke my heart 😅


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6b34c4fb2.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fffbbf9d7.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ba0d001ac.jpeg

So yea, some serious damage.
Seeing its in front of the strut tower it doesn’t look like a structural problem. But it’s not pretty none the less.

my question: how would i go about replacing this? I have a s4 t2 coupe shell available for cutting and grinding, but i don’t know if the frame rails are the same on the S5.
anyone clarify this?

it’s also a pretty intricate place to grind and weld so i will probably have to cut up a big portion.
so far it looks like the wheel well next to it has been saved.
the middle reinforcement bar is welded on it, and i will probably have to cut it out to for replacement.

thanks in advance, Arne

Must have had a nasty battery leak at one point when the car was stored and was never cleaned properly. I've never seen one do that. With that said, you have the right idea when you say you plan to weld in new metal. If you are not confident in the repair, you may want to seek out a professional welder. That can be cut out and a new portion welded in. I believe both the S4 and S5 have the same battery mounting.

I found the exact same rust damage on my spare 87 shell. Definately not the easiest spot to cut out but I dont think it's impossible. Milwaukee makes a small 12v cutting wheel that I'm going to pick up to try and cut mine out.