Rear subframe question - from future F-type owner

[Yoshuey]

Hey all

So I see there's rust issues which have been covered on the posts.

A couple of questions really.

1. Did Jag use a better quality protection on 2017 types vs 2014-2016 ftypes?
2. If not - are all F-types plagued with rust on subframe?
3. Was it resolved on the 2020 facelift models?
4. Is there a permanent solution to the sub frame issue - or do Jag essentially remedy this with a the same part - meaning issue re-appears?
5. If I'm buying a car with the sub-frame issue not resolved and is out of warranty - what kind of cost would I be looking at to fix permanently.
6. If it;s never going to be a permanent fix - how often does this need looking at - meaning how quickly does the rust re-appear to a level where it has to be fixed?
7. How much is a new rear subframe? ballpark
8. How much is labour ballpark? for a specialist Jag

thanks all

 

[Steveglenlee]

Mate, I haven't a clue.
None of your questions crossed my mind when I brought mine. Don't over complicate things. If you want an F Type just buy one.

 

[mickjaguar]

1. Did Jag use a better quality protection on 2017 types vs 2014-2016 ftypes? Revised braces were introduced (at some point pre-2018 ish) which had better nickel-zinc coating under the paint. An improvement but not necessarily rust-proof.

2. If not - are all F-types plagued with rust on subframe? Depends on how the car has been used. A car with winter use on salty wet roads could fare badly vs a summer use car. We know of early cars that are in good shape and those that are a bit rusty. Treating the braces periodically can make a big difference.

3. Was it resolved on the 2020 facelift models? The parts changed a couple of years earlier than that..

4. Is there a permanent solution to the sub frame issue - or do Jag essentially remedy this with a the same part - meaning issue re-appears? Treat the braces with anti-corrosion coatings (ACF50 etc is one of many).

5. If I'm buying a car with the sub-frame issue not resolved and is out of warranty - what kind of cost would I be looking at to fix permanently. New braces were £650 incl VAT when I last looked them up a while back. Circa 1.5. hours to remove.

6. If it;s never going to be a permanent fix - how often does this need looking at - meaning how quickly does the rust re-appear to a level where it has to be fixed? Get them re-treated periodically, when it's serviced.

7. How much is a new rear subframe? ballpark. Circa £650 for all of them. They are braces not subframes. The rear axle/gearbox isn't going to end up on the floor, like it does with say an Aston, or some other makes, that can suffer from corroded structural subframes.

8. How much is labour ballpark? for a specialist Jag. This is probably discussed in some previos threads if you search for cross braces.

This tends to get a bit overblown on the interweb. The earliest cars are 12 years old and we're still not seeing spates of MOT failures occurring. Many cars will have some surface corrosion which usually looks much worse that it is. If it's a car with very rusty braces, you could factor that into the price, or just look for one where the previous owner has done something, rather than be worried.

 

[cj10jeeper]

This tends to get a bit overblown on the interweb. The earliest cars are 12 years old and we're still not seeing spates of MOT failures occurring. Many cars will have some surface corrosion which usually looks much worse that it is. If it's a car with very rusty braces, you could factor that into the price, or just look for one where the previous owner has done something, rather than be worried.

+1 for this point.
Focus on forums invariably is on things that go wrong and becomes off putting when read in isolation. Braces, coolant pipes, water pumps, supercharger pulley, etc. etc.
My F Type is now over 12 years old with >60k. It's never had a single advisory aside 2 for tyre wear. I changed the water pump when the aux belts were due as most of the labour was already done. I treated the rear brace with Hammerite about 5 years ago and never touched it since. Can't recall any issues in my 8 years of ownership.
I'd stop worrying about every aspect and buy a car to enjoy.

 

[Yoshuey]

Thanks guys for the info - defo helps.

I didn't think it was overblown tbh - but I just had no idea on expense... like Porsche 997.1 - scored bores ends up being a 12k job - just want to get into an F-type with my eyes open thats all.

Good to know it's the brace as opposed to the sub frame...

I know around 60k miles - various bits need replacing, it's just making sure it's a car I afford to run an daily

 

[RPSN]

Good to know it's the brace as opposed to the sub frame...

As well as the braces, the rear subframe can also suffer from severe corrosion issues. One tip I’ll give you....If you’re going to purchase an F-Type have the car put up onto a ramp so you can inspect those components. If you feel they need refurbishment use it to lower the price you pay.
To give you an idea, this recent topic ‘Front A Frame corrosion options / advice’ https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=9510 explains that the member is having underbody corrosion treatment (includes subframe) and he mentions...."The corrosion treatment costs £343+VAT so £400 + hopefully not too much labour"

It’s very unlikely that you’d have to replace the rear subframe so don’t let this put you off. So that you know, a new one from JLR costs around £2,277 inc VAT as shown here https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.com/parts/index/part/id/152.1068.2397.11227/brand/jaguar/ and that’s without labour charges! You could probably pick up a good condition second-hand one much cheaper.

 

[Yoshuey]

thats useful to know - yeh so I'm thinking about going to see a V8 - but it had the sub-frame highlighted as having corrosion. If I did buy own, I wouldn't mind getting a proper fix - like maybe triple coating it, so its done once and for all - if that's something that can even work

Thanks for the info. I'm defo leaning towards a V8R coupe... I guess my main issue now is do I spend a chunk more and go for 2017 car or save some money for a early car

 

[RPSN]

Decisions decisions!

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I had the 3 removable braces powder coated for £80, actually got them off and back on whilst it was on axle stands (plus extra support blocks), bit of a squeeze but very doable.

 

[Jimmyrn85]

Good to know you can get them off yourself with a bit of squeezing. Is there a guide somewhere?

 

[mik380awd]

Probably an obvious point, but don't forget the change in VED from April 1st 2017 in the UK! For the auto V8, it's £760 before and £195 after.... Also, the manuals can be higher tax than the auto before 2017, if it pushes the car into the next VED bracket. Autotrader shows the VED cost under "running costs".

I've seen cars registered on 31st March 2017, bet the owners were annoyed if they'd just waited 24 hours it would have saved a load of money!

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Before and after photos

 

[Yoshuey]

nice! I wonder if anyones attempted same - and then PPF'd it for an additional layer of protection.

Yeh the exactly why I'd prefer to blow some extra cash on a post April 2017 V8... but all depends on cost - 10 year of ownership would be £close to £6k extra in VED... but I see post 2017 April cars are a lot lot more