Rust?

[MikeO996]

Probably a very stupid question but I've noticed some bubbling around the cross beam that runs just in front of the seats. I thought Caterhams were mainly aluminium and therefore shouldn't rust, or do you get some other sort of corrosion?

Another job for the winter I guess.

[Tango7]

The chassis is steel with a powdercoating covering. This beam often gets chipped or scrapped by people entering the car and standing on it

[ewenm]

Chassis is steel, skin is aluminium. You get corrosion where the two meet as the two metals react. Most common at the bottom of the sideskins at the back end of the footwells as grot gets caught down there and helps the reaction. I don't know if this is what you've got.

Edit: As above, too, if the chassis rails get chipped it can then rust.

Edited by ewenm on Sunday 29th August 20:48

[MikeO996]

Anything special you need to do to deal with corrosion on Alu? (it looks like it's on the floor rather than the cross beam itself)

[Eugene7]

Waxoil watered down with white spirit or WD40 to get into all you gaps and joints where skin meets chassis...

[Yellow 7]

Agreed.
I used my compressor and pressure mister thingy (can't remember what it's called) to blast a thinned mix of Waxoyl into all those crevices - Nice job and don't breath it in!
It certainly keeps corrosion at bay.

For chassis tubes not exposed to UV light POR 15 is the best paint avail to make good chipped / rusted off powder coat.

[MikeO996]

Okay - thinking about having a go at this now. I can't see any problem in rubbing down the floor and painting over it (although haven't tried anything like this before), but bit worried about the powdercoated chassis bar - there are some chips on it, how do I know what it's like underneath the bar(i.e. where it is sitting on the floor)? Will it be sufficient to be trying to pump in some waxoyl as others are suggesting or does it need cleaning out?
Anyone know a basic guide to bodywork renovation?

[MikeO996]

MikeO996 said:

Anyone know a basic guide to bodywork renovation?

Found this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodywork-Paintwork-Manual-...

and this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodywork-Repair-Manual-Ste...

If I was to go to a body shop, would anywhere do, or should I look for someone who knows Caterhams?

[Nicodema]

Hi Mike,

we had to get our R300 repaired after someone reversed into the back end in PCWorld car park, got Taylor's Foundry Motorsport to do it. Also got them to setup the diff. We can vouch for them. They're based in Haverhill. I can't remember if you said where you're based, but there's also the Seven Workshop and a few other specialists around the country.

I'd say do it yourself or get an expert to do it. Paying for a tin top generalist to "have a bash" seems like a waste of cash.

Martyn

PS. We had a great trackday last wednesday at Cadwell. Can heartily recommend it for the R300.

[MikeO996]

Nicodema said:

Hi Mike,

we had to get our R300 repaired after someone reversed into the back end in PCWorld car park, got Taylor's Foundry Motorsport to do it. Also got them to setup the diff. We can vouch for them. They're based in Haverhill. I can't remember if you said where you're based, but there's also the Seven Workshop and a few other specialists around the country.

I'd say do it yourself or get an expert to do it. Paying for a tin top generalist to "have a bash" seems like a waste of cash.

Martyn

PS. We had a great trackday last wednesday at Cadwell. Can heartily recommend it for the R300.

I'm based in Warwick.

I had a great day at Castle Combe last week - it was mainly a TVR owner's club day and mine was comfortably quicker than most of them, but there was a R300 race team there which put my puny efforts into context!