Range Rover Classic tailgate corrosion Expert advice and readers’ tips
I’m looking at what is best for my 1993 Range Rover’s tailgate. It is the lower tailgate that is getting rusty. Can I do anything to stop the corrosion spreading? Fred Packham, Barnsley
ALISDAIR CUSICK ADVISES: Being steel, the lower tailgate on all Range Rovers has an unbelievable will to corrode. Corrosion doesn’t sleep, and what you can see will be the tip of the iceberg. There are a few options, depending on how far yours has gone.
Small weld repairs are possible, but they rarely last. Commonly, the welds themselves corrode unless they are well protected with suitable paint, which isn’t always easy on the internal sections. Weld heat can also cause the outer tailgate skin to distort, and the distortion will be made more noticeable when gloss paint is applied later.
Replacement outer skins are available as a part and as a fitting service from Machinor (machinorltd.com). They are a
Typical lower tailgate corrosion on a Range Rover. It may look light on this side, but there will be more inside which cannot be reached by mechanical abrasive cleaning
DIY prospect if you have competent metalwork skills. Fitting involves removing the outer section from the inner, so this offers the neatest solution because it gives you a chance to fully repair, then protect, the internal face of the tailgate skin before you refit the new outer panels. It is a neat job, if you do it correctly, and assuming your tailgate internal panel isn’t totally rotten.
In terms of protection, it is possible to get the panel dipped and re-coated with electrophoretic paint (e-coat). In this process the panel is dipped through
After stripping treatments, all corrosion has been chemically removed and then the e-coat applied. It’s 30 microns thick and adheres to every surface, including blind areas
multiple baths where an electrical charge is passed, causing the paint to stick to the cathode (which is the tailgate) in the process. E-coat is used widely in automotive manufacturing – Land Rover used it in building your Range Rover in 1993. E-coating is often preceded by corrosion removal baths.
If your tailgate is in good shape, a straight corrosion dip followed by the e-coat process will remove any corrosion and re-protect the panel. This process is also suitable for Range Rover steel bonnets and Land Rover bulkheads: anything steel, in fact. It is still important, however, to use cavity protection on e-coated panels.
Replacement lower tailgates are available if yours is too far gone. Famous Four accurately reproduces lower tailgates for various models (rangerovertailgates.com).
When I restored my car in 2011, the lower tailgate and bonnet were in good order with relatively minor corrosion, so I sent both for corrosion dip and e-coat. After e-coat and subsequent painting, I used cavity protection inside the tailgate and under the bonnet joints. A decade later, the bonnet is still perfect, and I’ve only the smallest hint of tailgate corrosion on the lower edge.