General description

The body is of welded steel construction available in 3 or 5-door Hatchback, 3 or 5- door Estate, soft-top Cabriolet, or Van configurations.

The body is of monocoque construction and is of energy-absorbing design.

Rust and corrosion protection is applied to all new vehicles and includes zinc phosphate dipping and wax injection of box sections and door interiors.

All body panels are welded, including the front wings, so it is recommended that major body damage repairs are left to your dealer.

    See also:

    Tailgate (Hatchback and Estate models) - removal and refitting
    Note: On Hatchback models made before 1990 with an integral heated rear window/radio aerial, note that the radio aerial lead is routed through different openings to that of other models in the rea ...

    Vacuum servo (conventional braking system) - removal and refitting
    Caution: Refer to the precautions in Section 1. Removal 1 To remove the servo, first remove the master cylinder. 2 Disconnect the vacuum hose from the servo (see illustration). 14.2 Servo vac ...

    Intensive maintenance
    If, from the time the vehicle is new, the routine maintenance schedule is followed closely and frequent checks are made of fluid levels and high wear items, as suggested throughout this manual, th ...