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Firstly check VIN # > History of where it was owned. If it came from anywhere on the north island of Hokkaido (ie names like Kushiro, Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Muroran etc) the chances of rust are huge.

Where? As mad082 said^^^, and also struts, rails, door hinges, wheel well...

there is one more spot. dont forget to look around the boot brake light, it can get rust around there, mine has a little bit atm.

That is indeed the most common arear for rust. I've seen a lot of new imports with rust just below the brake lens, including my old GTT.

  • 3 months later...

It is very common - but not something to worry about because it's one area where the rust is quite visible; and thus, most people attend to it quickly.

After washing the car, you'll notice that water likes to sit beneath the lens; so it pays to soak it up.

After it's fixed, it won't tend to recur under Australian conditions because in Japan, where there's salt in coastal areas, salting of roads in Hokkaido, SO2 & SO3 gasses (emitted by lots of cars in crowded cities where many drivers don't drive very far) which mixed with moist air > H2SO4 (sulphuric acid).

It is very common - but not something to worry about because it's one area where the rust is quite visible; and thus, most people attend to it quickly.

After washing the car, you'll notice that water likes to sit beneath the lens; so it pays to soak it up.

After it's fixed, it won't tend to recur under Australian conditions because in Japan, where there's salt in coastal areas, salting of roads in Hokkaido, SO2 & SO3 gasses (emitted by lots of cars in crowded cities where many drivers don't drive very far) which mixed with moist air > H2SO4 (sulphuric acid).

Cheers Terry, thanks for the fast response and clarification! ;) Any other known potential rust trouble spots that should be checked apart from around the spoiler base and around the windows?

Thanks again mate!

Edited by KR4-GTR

The most common area I see from freshly imported cars into our workshop is the underbody. Mostly it's light surface rust from the salt used in snow regions which can be removed. But on some occassions I see quite substantial rust which obviously is a lot more difficult to remove.

Those salty roads are the pits.

Talking on Nissan 4x4 forum to a guy in Ireland who bought a low mileage 2nd hand Patrol but she's got an engine oil leak.

Turned out the sump has rusted through.

Piece of foam material between bellhousing and sump had absorbed the brine and rusted right through the sump.

Wondering about the rest of the underbody?

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