What is the purpose of the holes in the frame rails?

[Bmachine]

It seems there are at least one hole on the top of each frame rail in the engine bay. Water can obviously enter there very easily. But I don't remember seeing a drain hole on the bottom of the frame rails... So where does that water go? Does it get trapped in there?

And what is the purpose of these holes anyway...?

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

The holes are there so the rust monkeys can breath (and breed)

 

[Stevehose]

They catch critical nuts, bolts, and washers when making repairs.

 

[sfdon]

Csi wiring harness goes in the hole

 

[GolfBavaria]

Peter & Steve, thank you for the Thurs. humor, I needed that! Great answers!

 

[Bmachine]

Csi wiring harness goes in the hole

Thanks Don. Since none of those were officially imported in the US, was there ever a plug that was designed to close these holes? It seem that the inside holes had plugs to cover them...

 

[D-jetronic]

Here they are...

From a euro CS 1971, I dismantled years ago.

The square one is on the CS right rail
The smaller one, in the cabin, passenger front floor, where the beam ends underneath.





Marc

 

[Bmachine]

Thanks Djet. Those look like the ones from the interior. I was wondering about the ones in the engine bay where water ingress was more likely. The holes they are narrow and wide. (At least on my car)

 

[D-jetronic]

?

A pic for location ?

Marc.