Nissan Silvia: Structural rust and hidden crash/drift repair in the S-body shell
Structural rust and hidden crash/drift repair in the S-body shell is a very common body & rust fault on the Nissan Silvia on the 1993–2002 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 10 documented faults on the Nissan Silvia.
- Vehicle
- Nissan Silvia
- Years
- 1993–2002
- Fuel
- petrol
- System
- Body & Rust
What you are looking at
No photograph available
What goes wrong
Rust is the single biggest threat to a Silvia and kills more of them than anything mechanical. The boot floor rots because water gets under a poorly fitting boot seal, and corrosion is common in the inner and outer sills, front and rear wheel arches, strut towers, front chassis rails, front crossmember, rear boot pockets and subframe mounting points. Because so many cars have been drifted or crashed and repaired, many carry poor-quality patch panels and filler that hide continuing corrosion, plus kinked rails, mismatched panel gaps, overspray and cracked strut towers from hard impacts. Structural rust and unsafe repairs in these areas will fail a NZ WoF and can be expensive or uneconomic to put right and certify, so ten minutes underneath on a hoist is worth more than any auction sheet.
What you would notice
- Bubbling paint or flaking along sills, arches and boot lip
- Damp boot floor or rust visible when the boot carpet is lifted
- Soft or crunchy sills when probed with a screwdriver
- Mismatched panel gaps, overspray or fresh underseal hiding repairs
- Cracks or distortion around the strut towers and front rails
How to check it
Where to look. Boot floor and seal, inner/outer sills, front and rear wheel arches, strut towers, front chassis rails, crossmember and subframe mounts
Inspect the car on a hoist and probe the inner and outer sills, floor pans (lift the carpets), boot floor and rear pockets, strut towers, front chassis rails and crossmember for rust, filler or patch repairs.
Check for kinked rails, weld marks, fresh underseal, overspray and uneven panel gaps that point to prior crash or drift repair, and confirm the shell is straight and would pass a WoF before purchase.
What it costs to put right
$800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “Can I see the car on a hoist before I buy it?”
- “Has it ever been crashed, drifted into a wall, or had panel/chassis repairs?”
- “Is there any rust in the sills, floor, boot floor or strut towers?”
- “Does it currently hold a WoF, and can I see the last inspection?”
Now check the Nissan Silvia you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
Nissan Silvia buyer questions
Is structural rust and hidden crash/drift repair in the s-body shell serious on a Nissan Silvia?
We rate it major and very common on the Nissan Silvia. Rust is the single biggest threat to a Silvia and kills more of them than anything mechanical. The boot floor rots because water gets under a poorly fitting boot seal, and corrosion is common in the inner and outer sills, front and rear wheel arches, strut towers, front chassis rails, front crossmember, rear boot pockets and subframe mounting points. Because so many cars have been drifted or crashed and repaired, many carry poor-quality patch panels and filler that hide continuing corrosion, plus kinked rails, mismatched panel gaps, overspray and cracked strut towers from hard impacts. Structural rust and unsafe repairs in these areas will fail a NZ WoF and can be expensive or uneconomic to put right and certify, so ten minutes underneath on a hoist is worth more than any auction sheet.
How much does it cost to fix on a Nissan Silvia?
$800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which Nissan Silvia years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 1993–2002 Nissan Silvia. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
Inspect the car on a hoist and probe the inner and outer sills, floor pans (lift the carpets), boot floor and rear pockets, strut towers, front chassis rails and crossmember for rust, filler or patch repairs. Check for kinked rails, weld marks, fresh underseal, overspray and uneven panel gaps that point to prior crash or drift repair, and confirm the shell is straight and would pass a WoF before purchase. Look here: Boot floor and seal, inner/outer sills, front and rear wheel arches, strut towers, front chassis rails, crossmember and subframe mounts