How To Prevent Rust On Your Own Car - Ford Focus Mk1 LR

Stop Rust on your car. This how-to video will show you the best rust prevention method to make sure rust stays away from your car. This is especially useful for salty environments where rust forms on metal car panels easily. Just a few simple tricks that will keep you rust-free for many years to come. I’ll also show you the water repellent I use for keeping moisture away from metal. This is a simple job that you will only need to do once a year - if that!
I hope you like the video.
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Disclaimer:
This video is made to entertain and guide you in your car journey. I hope you’ve learnt something new like I have by watching this video. Please note however that you are solely responsible for trying the techniques displayed. Please follow proper safety practices and understand that this channel is not responsible for any damage caused to you or your property when following along with the channel’s content.

[@petar5987]

Just bought this car as my first car at 18yo, your videos help me a lot with maintaining it . Big fan of your videos😄

[@Horus_Works]

Welcome to the Focus Mk1 community, and great choice for a first car! Super reliable if taken care of, and fun to drive. Enjoy the videos my friend, I love seeing people using them to fix their own cars at home. 😀

[@person.X.]

I love MK1 Focuses especially the three door. Credit to you for looking after a lovely car so nicely.

[@Horus_Works]

Much appreciated, and they are great cars!

[@ACDC1998Zippo]

In colder countries, with salt on the roads, snow, ice etc, people use stuff like waxoyl or cable grease to prevent rust. The advantage of those, especially cable grease, is that they don´t wash away very easily and last for years before needing reapplication.

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks for the input mate, I think people in colder countries will find that info very useful 👍

[@manoliblue]

10/10 Life saver thanks bro

[@Horus_Works]

Most welcome 👍

[@petertoth3477]

I drive a MK1 Focus as well and I just fought some rust earlier this year. In the dirt there were even some germs. I thought to myself, no-one can ever say my car wouldn't be environment friendly

[@Horus_Works]

As long as the germs were not Covid 😅

[@JoshuaEttery]

I'm loving these videos they are so helpful! I just bought myself a smokestone blue MK1 Focus hatchback 3 door here in the UK and i'm just in the process of getting it all cleaned up, it's my first car as well so I'm so glad I found your channel it's helping me discover and tackle every job I need for this car. Can't wait for more videos on the Focus, liked and subscribed :)

[@Horus_Works]

Great to hear Joshua! That's exactly why I make these vids!!

[@edmartindale8433]

Something I haven’t thought about but a good rust trap exposed and remede

[@Horus_Works]

Yeah it's worth doing Ed, go for it, it's a win win scenario.

[@lyndellfazekas1839]

I did not know all that would be in my car! Thanks for another great tip!

[@Horus_Works]

Get cleaning!

[@andrewh6034]

Wow! That's amazing just as well you got to it. Will have to check mine out now. The car is looking pretty nice.

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks a lot mate. Give it a try, it's easy to do an stops rust dead 👍

[@DRIV2HORIZON]

Good job mate 💪

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks 😀

[@Daz_Stap]

Great video! I've sorted the rear wheel Wells on my Focus. I guess I'd better look at the fronts this weekend!

[@Horus_Works]

Go for it!

[@mohammedfarooqui9358]

Replacing the driver's front wing over the weekend. A good excuse to do a little bit more. Thanks again H !!

[@Horus_Works]

You're welcome Mohammed. Good luck with your project. The wing is easy to take off, just a bunch of bolts to undo 👍

[@philtucker1224]

Thanks H, that is excellent advice, I have the Mk2 but I’m guessing it is basically the same, so many thanks. Yes, the local roads in my area (Berkshire UK) are constantly salted during the winter months so I’m going to take your advice and get mine done ASAP.....Stay well and prosper buddy 🖖🇬🇧

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks Phil, go for it mate, it's simple and cheap maintenance that will get you through an MOT every time! 😉

[@kendimyapabilirim9914]

Good job

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks a lot 😀👍

[@VAISHALI12L331]

Good job👍

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks, glad you liked it 😊

[@Nanozco]

Great works, im Argentina.

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks Mario! ¡Aprecio tu apoyo!

[@mihailkirilov6445]

Thanks men!

[@Horus_Works]

Happy to help

[@tonys78rpmrecords]

Great Video

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks Tony 👍

[@jakubpetricek5012]

On Focus Mk1, I also reccomend to get rid of the foam (probably noise isolation) under the plastic wheel arch. Bassically it works like a sponge, soaking water and thats also where the rust on the bottom of fenders comes from. I di not register any more level of noise in the cabin after i removed it. Also mk1 has really poor anti-rust protection in general. Esp. in rainy and snowy places, most of the Mk1 are rusty a lot.

[@Horus_Works]

Yes I believe you are right, the foam is there for noise insulation. It's probably best to remove it if rust is a problem where you live.

[@chayashida]

Hey everyone, please tighten your wheel bolts to the correct torque. (He edited that part of the video - you don't want your wheel wobbling off at speed)

[@Horus_Works]

Good call mate - I think it's 100NM from memory..

[@chayashida]

@@Horus_Works Sorry, we're so backwards here that I only know foot-pounds. 😊

[@davideyres955]

Absolutely. I forgot to do mine up and drove on it. Started making a noise and I took it to a mechanic only to be standing next to him when he put it up on the lift and then start to take the nuts off to have a look and they were all loose. Embarrassed and lesson learnt. Torque them up to spec and you won’t forget to do them up.

[@chayashida]

When I first saw the spider webs, I thought, "At least it's not Australia..." 😅

[@Horus_Works]

2 weeks after I cleaned it out, the spiders moved back in 😅

[@josemasflores1630]

Hola desde valencia España quería decirte q me gustan tus vídeos porque tengo un coche igual pero el mio diesel.Una pregunta ei mio tiene holgura en el selector del palanca de cambio del tiempo pues un casquillo de plástico sea perdido no podrías hacer un video de ese problema si tu coche lo tiene .Gracias

[@eddiejones.redvees]

My wife mark 1 focus 1.6 ebony is 20y old this year 67.000 miles she has had from new it has just passed the MOT to it is has light rust on the sub frames which is probably down to the salt put on are U.K. roads in the winter my car being a diesel is the work Horse it is a 1.6 diesel Vauxhall Astra and Averages 66 mpg

[@paulmckenzie3747]

nice wheels

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks - Ford MP3 wheels

[@Generalkenobi325]

Another great video , would you say that’s the best jacking point , I was also thinking of the box section being the strongest point for both the jack and axle stands

[@Horus_Works]

Yes absolutely 🙂 Try not to put your jack stands or jack on the pinch welds where the factory tyre jack goes, as you will crush it. This will then allow rust to form in that area. If yours are already crushed, clean it with a wire brush as much as possible, and then coat with an enamel paint to prevent rust forming there.

[@Generalkenobi325]

@@Horus_Works excellent thanks!! :))

[@pauldoherty8432]

Great series of videos mate , I’m currently improving a mk 1.5 facelift focus (2002) zetec Where do you jack the car up underneath? , I’ve been using the pinch welds but they’re getting a bit out of shape Thanks again

[@Horus_Works]

Hey Paul, I use the chassis rails further in... yeah don't use the pinch welds, they will get mangled eventually.

[@Ru556]

Just got back a Mk1 Focus Elle, rather like yours. Bought it new. Nice car, really. Leather seats, fairly zippy, but now looking at the rust underneath at the back. Rear sill/ skirt rotted - but looks to be just bolt on? Not structural. Will try filler on it. Yours looks a lovely as mine. :) The rear sub frame looks bad, too, but saveable if I act now, I think.

[@Horus_Works]

Welcome back to the Focus life Ray - great little cars to drive! Hope you sort the rust problems out... Spending a weekend morning, coating the problem areas once a year before winter will help 👍

[@soundseeker63]

In the UK, all our mud, leaves and crap are also combined with salt during the winter, making it a highly corrosive mixture. Nasty stuff, that sends many cars to an early grave. Unfortunately I only spotted this on my classic BMW after it was too late. Lots of welding needed now :-( I wish we didn't use so much damn salt on the roads in the UK! It is like chemical warfare against our cars.

[@Horus_Works]

Yeah, you guys have it bad over there with the damp climate combined with the frozen winters (salted roads) and the seaside climate (salted sea mist) all to contend with... A friend of mine over there does this rust prevention job every autumn on his 2016 Mustang to stop the rot setting in. So far so good...

[@SilverBullet93GT]

best way to prevent rust on your engine bay is to strategically remove the o-ring from the camshaft position sensor :)))))

[@Horus_Works]

Soooo true! 😅

[@turbo3492]

Once again an impressive job well done.Here in the UK and having worked on all marks of the Focus from MK1's to the latest versions I am of the opinion the only way to stop the Focus from premature rusting is don't buy one! Ford made the mistake calling the car Focus,it should have been named Ford Aqua.Most of the cars are issued with a boot full of water as a no cost extra,slight exaggeration? well maybe but the truth is UK Focus's are very prone to collecting water in the boot which is most often cause by the welded panels that make up the rear of the car not being sealed correctly,this applies to all marks.Secondly from the MK2's upwards there are air vents behind the rear bumper and because they are poorly sealed,they piss in water.The MK1's because of the ridiculous location of the cabin filter also piss in water for reasons I have already mentioned in an earlier comment.On a lighter note I suppose the water in the MK1's footwell helps to even out the ballast weight from the water in the boot.

[@Horus_Works]

😂 sorry to see all the negativity aimed at the Focus - I guess we're lucky here is Aus in that our winters are mild so no salt on the roads or heavy rain for most of the year. Having said that rust can and does form here as well, especially near the coast. I'm finding that preventative work can stop these cars from rusting, but I guess that's the type of work most owners aren't prepared to do year from year.

[@turbo3492]

@@Horus_Works The Focus and the Fiesta of all marks handle superbly well,I can think of no other car in their class that can come close to the handling qualities of the Focus and Fiesta.If I thought the Focus was really bad I would not have bought my Daughter a 2005 MK1 1.8 Ghia to ferry my Grandchildren around.This Ghia has less than 35000 miles on board it's in outstanding condition, none the less I have had to fix all the above water leaks.If you live in a predominantly dry country,it's the car to buy.If on the other hand you live in a country like the UK,you will need to check and fix these leaks.

[@Horus_Works]

@@turbo3492 completely agree Brian - great cars to drive for the price, nothing compares. I understand your frustration around the water leaks too. I guess getting on to 20 years old, things aren't as tight as they used to be.

[@TomDeWeerdt1]

@@turbo3492 Hi Brian. I noticed you mentioned the rust issues on the mk1 Focus and I've seen these points in other places online as well. I'm looking for a mk1 right now as my first car. Where do I specifically look to find the rust issues? At what point would you consider it to be so bad to walk away from the car? Also any other things to look out for? Thanks in advance. By the way, I live in the Netherlands so it's not a very rust-friendly country either.

[@spaceman9001]

I got lucky on my 2003. Mostly juet some surface rust getting a little bad on the rear end subframe and the doors...both of them are rotting right at the bottom in the middle. I sort of suspect thats a common issue with these having the drains get clogged up inside the panels. Other than that a few rock dings in the roof i really need to attend to but damn the rest of my paint is *mint*. Makes me sad to have to sand it up lol

[@Horus_Works]

Seems like you have a decent example on your hands 👍

[@danilobenitez142]

Jesus too late for me rocker panels are done 😔 good to know for when I replace the panels What's the wiring for the turn signal? Wanna see if there is a template to add to the US focus fenders

[@Horus_Works]

No problem mate, the video is here if you need it in the future. The turn signal is plug and play - no wiring required 👍 available on eBay

[@danilobenitez142]

@@Horus_Works plug and play for euro/ Australian not for United States focus I have to cut triangle and wire it lmao does it connect to turn signal?

[@danilobenitez142]

@@Horus_Works fogs not turn signal

[@matthijsjacob]

where dit you get the front lip? I own a ford focus station mk1 same color, cant find it anywhere..

[@Horus_Works]

It was a factory install by Ford back in 2002. Here in Australia you could chose it as an option.

[@minimumtrade]

Ford Australia made them. Featured on the ST170 and Zetec-R here.

[@wizzyonfire6922]

What are the wheels called i would like to buy them for my Focus aswell. And what size of tires does the wheels fit. Thank you

[@Horus_Works]

No probs at all. They are Focus Mk1 Mp3 Wheels. Came factory fitted mate. The tires are 215/45/17

[@wizzyonfire6922]

@@Horus_Works Thanks mate. I just got lucky and found OZ SUPERTURISMO WRC 7x17 4x108 wheels and picked them up for 200€ exactly the ones i wanted but couldnt find before. But still thanks dude your wheels are looking good aswell.

[@Horus_Works]

@@wizzyonfire6922 no probs mate, great find by the way!!

[@TOBLEROWAN123]

Blimey if that focus was in the uk it would be totalled by rust on your salty roads great job tho I pumped inside my sills with motor oil and people always comment on the lack of rust

[@Horus_Works]

Exactly! A little bit of preventative work goes a long way :)

[@einekleineente1]

Greetings from Germany :-) I do own the same car but never dared to work on it as much as you do. How did you learn all of this? Have a great day :)

[@Horus_Works]

I just started with small projects. Change wipers, change the oil, wash and detail the car. Then you get more and more confidence and the projects get bigger 😊 Enjoy your car, be patient when you work on it, and take your time. Thanks for your support ✌️

[@BigBoyMemer]

Hello, will this work if I try it on someone else's car?

[@Horus_Works]

Yes rust prevention should work on any car.

[@stefandragos29]

Hi, where did you buy the rear bumper extension?

[@Horus_Works]

They were fitted by the Ford factory when the car was new.

[@bjorndepauw4599]

I have the same trim level in Belgium it's called the Duval edition

[@stefandragos29]

@@bjorndepauw4599 I haven't seen anything like this in Romania, do you know where I can buy it from? I have st170

[@bjorndepauw4599]

@@stefandragos29 I have one Brand new.

[@hugospectrum4v]

bro, i need this body kit :D

[@Horus_Works]

Factory kit by Ford ;)

[@nigelbryant5932]

Great content 👍 does rust exist in Australia? You can keep your spiders. I'm going to strip my car out and see how bad it is.

[@Horus_Works]

Hey Nigel, thanks for the support mate. Yeah we have plenty of rust here but mostly on the coast due to the ocean mist. Mine's pretty good because I look after it - lot's of washes and preventative maintenance. Good luck, hope it's not too bad 😎👍

[@nigelbryant5932]

@@Horus_Works your car looks amazing. Credit to u ☺️

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks mate, they are great cars, and work keeping on the road 👍

[@traburg23]

Is the spider a black widow? :O :O :O

[@Horus_Works]

Sort-off, it's the Australian distant cousin - the Red Back Spider. They love cars here.

[@paulmckenzie3747]

what wheels are there you got on the focus

[@Horus_Works]

They are 17" Factory Ford MP3 Wheels

[@jimmarchant1056]

Focus mp3 wheels 😜

[@transporter1387]

What species were the spiders? Anything nasty :-o

[@Horus_Works]

A couple of Red Back spiders and the rest not sure... They are all in spider heaven now, lol

[@chrisbarlow2131]

Wax oil doesn't "creep" into crevices. I use Dinitrol. Far better as it is more mobile and "creeps" into thise areas that wax oil won't.

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks for the tip!

[@JmanRx81]

😲😲😲😲🤯

[@Horus_Works]

Glad you liked it!

[@dan_6915]

Should use only wax spray for coating. Any other type of oil/vaseline it becomes very sticky and gathers alot of the dirt.

[@Horus_Works]

Thanks Dan. I can confirm that fish oil is used by the auto industry here in Australia to stop rust. It dries completely and doesn't leave a mess.

[@dan_6915]

@@Horus_Works Never heard of that use in Europe. Doesnt smell ? 😂

[@Horus_Works]

@Dan _ Yeah they use it here all the time to restore rusty old cars especially. If you think about it, the best thing to keep salty water off anything is --- fish oil. Where do fish live? In salty water. I haven't seen a single rusty fish 😅 The cans they sell are completely deodorised - no smell at all 🙂👍

[@dan_6915]

@@Horus_Works I kinda doubt it's natural. If it doesnt smell it's probably a sintetic product.

[@Horus_Works]

@Dan _ not sure if it's natural or synthetic, but it works that's for sure 😀

[@brwserbold]

Nice video but fish oil will atract the weasels :)

[@Horus_Works]

Haha, lucky we don't have any of those over here :)

[@carlmodstv4644]

Are the ford focus mk1 a car that is well known for rust

[@Horus_Works]

Hey mate, they can rust in this area especially in wet countries like in northern Europe. They are not a bad car for rust though, pretty good actually.

[@carlmodstv4644]

Oh ok thanks

[@Horus_Works]

@Carmodsuk welcome 👍

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

mine has zero rust here is California. 2002 model.

[@brunosantos1973]

Only now I saw this video. I had an 🐜 colony on my car...

[@Horus_Works]

Oh no!

[@giocoto5511]

WD40 works.?

[@Horus_Works]

Use motor oil instead of WD40 - it won't evaporate as fast.

[@poljo7699]

A bit late for me

[@Horus_Works]

Sorry to hear it 2Jay - don't let it get any worse...

[@autobotavengerfireballxl5339]

Thats so cute but that ain't rust move to Canada in the rust belt....

[@Horus_Works]

😅 I hear you - you guys have it bad over there hehe - hopefully if you get onto it before it all sets in by doing this you won't have as much to deal with...

[@autobotavengerfireballxl5339]

@@Horus_Works nope most people around here let'em rot

[@Horus_Works]

@@autobotavengerfireballxl5339 that's a shame - it doesn't take long at all. A sunny weekend morning gets it done.

[@ivobiancucci4528]

and here I thought I had nothing to do this long weekend

[@Horus_Works]

@Ivo Biancucci 😅😂 do it! 👍