1995 306 rotten rear arch

[Orbit Motors]

No doubt this issue has raised its head in the past but I am struggling to find much apart from similar stories to mine.

I recently saved a very tidy looking 1995 Peugeot 306 XLd from a scrap yard which was given to them by an old gent who was giving up driving, and it had recently failed an MOT, but only on an exhaust leak.

I since found out that the place that did the MOT must employ Stevie Wonder as a tester, as there were a couple of areas of serious corrosion that they failed to spot. One of these was the dreaded nearside rear seatbelt anchor which was completely detached and the reel was hanging freely inside the arch. Currently weighing up my options for what action to take with the MOT centre but that's another story.

Anyway, I am confident enough with a welder to carry out a repair, however as the rot is so advanced in that specific area, constructing a suitable shaped repair section with steel sheet is quite a complex task. Is there anywhere that has created a suitable shaped repair panel that can be grafted in to place? I usually work on buses where we make anything like this in-house, normally out of rather simple shapes.

On the whole it is a surprisingly tidy car, where the previous owner unfortunately gave too much attention to the very clean visible parts and didn't pay enough attention to some other bits. And I think they need to find a different garage!

Thanks in advance

[CitroJim]

I'm shocked the MoT tester failed to spot the extent of the rot! They clearly did not test the seat belts...

It's such a shame these cars are starting to rot so badly as they are otherwise a brilliant car... Possibly one of the best Pugs ever...

Definitely worth saving. I've seen a few YouTube videos (via Facebook) detailing quite extensive repairs in this area so a good old search of the 'Tube may help...

As for repair panels, I'm wondering if there's any French or other EU-based Peugeot specialists producing them? The problem won't be unique to the UK and it was an incredibly popular car everywhere...

All good luck with this and please do keep us informed of progress...

[Dormouse]

No doubt this issue has raised its head in the past but I am struggling to find much apart from similar stories to mine.

I recently saved a very tidy looking 1995 Peugeot 306 XLd from a scrap yard which was given to them by an old gent who was giving up driving, and it had recently failed an MOT, but only on an exhaust leak.

I since found out that the place that did the MOT must employ Stevie Wonder as a tester, as there were a couple of areas of serious corrosion that they failed to spot. One of these was the dreaded nearside rear seatbelt anchor which was completely detached and the reel was hanging freely inside the arch. Currently weighing up my options for what action to take with the MOT centre but that's another story.

Anyway, I am confident enough with a welder to carry out a repair, however as the rot is so advanced in that specific area, constructing a suitable shaped repair section with steel sheet is quite a complex task. Is there anywhere that has created a suitable shaped repair panel that can be grafted in to place? I usually work on buses where we make anything like this in-house, normally out of rather simple shapes.

On the whole it is a surprisingly tidy car, where the previous owner unfortunately gave too much attention to the very clean visible parts and didn't pay enough attention to some other bits. And I think they need to find a different garage!

Thanks in advance

Shouldn't be a story up for dithering. That was a safety critical issue. Just put your loved ones in that situation when something goes wrong. You can't wind back the clock after a serious event. Sorry, no brainer!!!!

[MattBLancs]

Some scary images here:

https://www.306oc.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=24786

viewtopic.php?t=29373

[Orbit Motors]

Speaking of scary images...!

This is the car in question.

Bearing in mind of course that there is no arch liner on that side so when you shone a torch up there from outside you could see the seatbelt inertia reel and its bolt hanging there freely! And when doing a proper seatbelt check of course you could hear and feel it was loose. Hopefully the previous owner didn't ever carry anyone there, in a front end collision you may as well not have had a belt on.

[CitroJim]

Given that it's not uncommon, you'd have thought all MoT testers would have been well aware...

There must be quite a mud trap up there to cause such a devastating amount of serious corrosion... Is it generally localised and does it only affect one or both sides?

Going by where the Saxo loves to rust, this is not unique to the 306 family...

[Ross_K]

Speaking of scary images...!

Wow that's bad Anything's repairable if you have enough time I suppose, but that'd be a "straight to the crusher" one for me.

Given that it's not uncommon, you'd have thought all MoT testers would have been well aware...

Not so many 306s around anymore. Unless you're going to a Pug specialist they probably won't be aware of the places that need extra attention.

More of the same from a French forum, by the way:
https://www.306inside.com/forum/viewtop ... c&start=60

And that guy's rust is nothing like this...

[CitroJim]

Given that it's not uncommon, you'd have thought all MoT testers would have been well aware...

Not so many 306s around anymore. Unless you're going to a Pug specialist they probably won't be aware of the places that need extra attention.

I'm surprised in these well-connected days that MoT testers don't have some kind of social-media type network where common fails and things to watch out for are shared...

[Gibbo2286]

Get in touch with 'Car SOS' and tell them it belongs to your ailing granny.

Try here but it's quite a while since I used them. http://www.middletonpanelsandpaint.co.u ... ls/404320

[MattBLancs]

Someone's fix of this area with repairs made piecemeal and very functional welding:

https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/john- ... 629/page-2

I've a 306 I (am overly attached to having covered 100,000 miles in it and so feel that I) need to fix - fairly significant big holes in both inner wings and another in the bulkhead. Going to have to check this area very closely too!

[Ross_K]

I'm surprised in these well-connected days that MoT testers don't have some kind of social-media type network where common fails and things to watch out for are shared...

They're probably all on TikTok these days Jim

[Orbit Motors]

A quick update on this (as promised)...

It's being repaired!

Nominated a local workshop to undertake the work, as although I can MIG weld, this is an extremely complex job and as for the underside jobs I simply am not set up for doing welding with the car overhead.

Wheel arch is pretty much done, just the other areas such as the inner sill to continue with next week. The rear shock absorbers look absolutely awful but didn't fail the MOT as they weren't leaking and are still just about damping as they should, but I have ordered a pair of TRW replacements to compliment the rest of the work being done.

It had been parked up for a couple of weeks under a tree, and as soon as I got back in to it to take it the short journey to the workshop I immediately got the feeling back of wanting to drive it. Might even daily it for a bit when it is ready... fear not little Peugeot, it's not your time to die just yet!

[MattBLancs]

A quick update on this (as promised)...

Wheel arch is pretty much done, just the other areas such as the inner sill to continue with next week. The rear shock absorbers look absolutely awful but didn't fail the MOT as they weren't leaking and are still just about damping as they should, but I have ordered a pair of TRW replacements to compliment the rest of the work being done.

It had been parked up for a couple of weeks under a tree, and as soon as I got back in to it to take it the short journey to the workshop I immediately got the feeling back of wanting to drive it. Might even daily it for a bit when it is ready... fear not little Peugeot, it's not your time to die just yet!

Excellent news! Glad to hear it'll live to fight another day!

I think the 306 is a great car and loved driving mine (first was a sedan STDT, took from 98,000 to about 165000. Few years later got my HDi "dturbo" - took from 122,000 to 229,000 miles in my ownership. That is the one parked up waiting for me to get around to fixing it) they do get under your skin I think! Always thought could do with a bit more power than the 92 / 90 BHP of mine, so I might not have been quite as taken with the non turbo. (Read with interest of folks swapping in the 2.1 XUD11TE diesel but never pursued that actively. Have got a HDi 110 inlet manifold "in stock" for a potential front mount intercooler addition to my HDi)



I'd be tempted to add a couple of brackets and a shaped piece of plastic to add a wheel arch liner / protection of what's clearly a very vulnerable area on the 306 when completing your repair - save having to do the job again in another 27 years time!

[CitroJim]

Fantastic news

Read with interest of folks swapping in the 2.1 XUD11TE diesel but never pursued that actively.

As much as I love the 2.1 XUD11 Matt, I'm really not sure it's a good choice for a 306. It's a bit of a low-revving torque monster and not, on the face of it, a good match to the character of the 306 which just loves to be driven with a bit of enthusiasm... The 2.1 is great if you just want to plod along and get massive economy but due to its heavy pistons and overall design it's not keen to rev and is all done by about 3500rpm...

I had a 2.1TD Xantia for several years... A tremendous load-lugger and towcar but not very exciting and totally unwilling to make you smile - except when filling up with diesel and resetting the trip after seeing it having recorded an astronomic number of miles...

The 110HDi on the other hand is perfect. It has all the revvy and fun nature of the 1.9TD and all the low-down torque of the 2.1TD. The Xantias I've had with the 110HDi were pretty good fun to drive and still very frugal...

[MattBLancs]

Fantastic news ]

As much as I love the 2.1 XUD11 Matt, I'm really not sure it's a good choice for a 306. It's a bit of a low-revving torque monster and not, on the face of it, a good match to the character of the 306 which just loves to be driven with a bit of enthusiasm... The 2.1 is great if you just want to plod along and get massive economy but due to its heavy pistons and overall design it's not keen to rev and is all done by about 3500rpm...

I had a 2.1TD Xantia for several years... A tremendous load-lugger and towcar but not very exciting and totally unwilling to make you smile - except when filling up with diesel and resetting the trip after seeing it having recorded an astronomic number of miles...

The 110HDi on the other hand is perfect. It has all the revvy and fun nature of the 1.9TD and all the low-down torque of the 2.1TD. The Xantias I've had with the 110HDi were pretty good fun to drive and still very frugal...

Ah, that is interesting to know! No direct experience of the XUD11, I thought with its 12 valve head it'd rev well, not be a low reving thing!

If we're sticking to the HDi, I read of a 2.2 DW12 into a 205 and thought same in a 306 would entertain - again a big cast steel block upsetting the balance a touch (at which point the all alloy 16v DV6 looks like a decent upgrade - 110 bhp and light - and very revvy indeed.

Many a hypothetical engine swap gone through my head, can you tell!?