Hello and chasis protection
Discussion
I just thort id say Hi, I've just bought a 1998 Classic Mini Cooper MPI Sport Pack In a Dark Matalic Blue and is my first car. First impressions of it is a 3 letter word, FUN, I just can't stop smiling about it.
But after a month I found it needed new sills, subframe and other bits underneath, I've had this work done and had it waxoyled, but someone has mentioned to me to have it also sprayed with old engine oil, what do you think to this? Or is there a better way of protecting the underneath as it's my daily drive and so will have British weather to deal with.
But after a month I found it needed new sills, subframe and other bits underneath, I've had this work done and had it waxoyled, but someone has mentioned to me to have it also sprayed with old engine oil, what do you think to this? Or is there a better way of protecting the underneath as it's my daily drive and so will have British weather to deal with.
haynes said:
Do you chaps with racers, classics or dry weather only cars waxoyl them?
Isnt their a fire danger if you have to do some welding on a sill thats filled up with wax?
not really, it burns pretty slowlyIsnt their a fire danger if you have to do some welding on a sill thats filled up with wax?
the worse experience i had welding a mini sill, was one filled with the foam that they put in the very early cars - one whiff of the smoke from that and i thought i was going to die!
I'd never use engine oil - there are better/cleaner ways of preventing rust nowadays. The Mini has loads of water traps and the inside of some of the panels weren't even painted at the factory - just left bare steel!
I'd check the welding to make sure that the garage have sealed and painted the welds properly. Make sure you get plenty of waxyoil around the rear subframe mount at the heelboard/sill - you can access this through the companion bins. I'd also treat inside the rear valance closing panels and inside the scuttle closing panels at the top of each wing (you can access this from the engine bay).
Consider spraying a rust converter (e.g. Fe123 or Vactan) inside untreated panels before using waxyoil.
I've just restored a '77 GT and have tried to make it as rust resistant as possible. You get to know a bit about rust with a Mini! Have a look at my blog: Mini 1275GT Resto
I'd check the welding to make sure that the garage have sealed and painted the welds properly. Make sure you get plenty of waxyoil around the rear subframe mount at the heelboard/sill - you can access this through the companion bins. I'd also treat inside the rear valance closing panels and inside the scuttle closing panels at the top of each wing (you can access this from the engine bay).
Consider spraying a rust converter (e.g. Fe123 or Vactan) inside untreated panels before using waxyoil.
I've just restored a '77 GT and have tried to make it as rust resistant as possible. You get to know a bit about rust with a Mini! Have a look at my blog: Mini 1275GT Resto
Sorry guy`s but what a load of tosh "DONT USE OIL ENGINE OIL" is,We have had our 85 Mayfair now for over 19 years (It was 9 years old when we got it-A lifetime for a old mini)And,Since then annually before each test given the car a quick plaster over with old diesel oil (The more blacker the better)I also sprayed this in both sill`s and subframes at the time,The car is now 28 years old and never had either a subframe OR any sill`s..All origional wings,Floors ect...Yes,The oil does wash off in the wheelarch area`s during the winter months and a small top up with a paintbrush soon puts that right...
I used to do undersealing for people with my compressor and can deffo say-DO NOT USE WAX OIL if the car has any rust..The rust in my experiance will just creap under the waxoil and kill the pannel.
Waxoil is deffo excellent if there is no rust and the pannel is clean / New...The process of rusting begins with (AS we all know)Oxygen and water...But,What a lot of people dont realise is in box sections ...On a hot day the sun heats up the pannel and at the same time convection takes place...Steel when its rolled,Under magnification looks like a Blue ribband Buscuit all layers in minute form..When the sun heats up the pannels all these "Layers" Expand slightly and as mentioned any small damp patch of water at the bottom of the pannels gets drawn into a gas as it heats with the sun on the pannel and water vapour collects NOW at the top of the pannel (Ie-Top of sills,Door tops,Roof`s ect)And collects untill there is enough to make the water droplets now run to the bottom of the pannel and the process goes like this all day...Now,The pannel layers have expanded and the water has collected in the layers ..When the pannel contracts as the night temps lower the layers have collected and rust starts between in the steel and this goes on throughout the vehicles lifespan...Painting old engine oil stops this and gets between the layers like the water vapour would and stops the whole process full stop.
This is also why your cars should never ever be painted with anything that will set solid and the vibrations and expansion of the heat on the pannels crack open the paint and create minute cracks allowing moisture in there and then the oly way out is through the pannel...I have been using old diesel oil for over 30 years and never had to replace a pannel in all that time or a brakepipe either...
I must admit,Oiling the car is a messy job and would / could need a top up but i also have never had a bold broken OR a spring snap in 37 years of Other car ownership...Just my opinion guys..Thank you...Kev.
I used to do undersealing for people with my compressor and can deffo say-DO NOT USE WAX OIL if the car has any rust..The rust in my experiance will just creap under the waxoil and kill the pannel.
Waxoil is deffo excellent if there is no rust and the pannel is clean / New...The process of rusting begins with (AS we all know)Oxygen and water...But,What a lot of people dont realise is in box sections ...On a hot day the sun heats up the pannel and at the same time convection takes place...Steel when its rolled,Under magnification looks like a Blue ribband Buscuit all layers in minute form..When the sun heats up the pannels all these "Layers" Expand slightly and as mentioned any small damp patch of water at the bottom of the pannels gets drawn into a gas as it heats with the sun on the pannel and water vapour collects NOW at the top of the pannel (Ie-Top of sills,Door tops,Roof`s ect)And collects untill there is enough to make the water droplets now run to the bottom of the pannel and the process goes like this all day...Now,The pannel layers have expanded and the water has collected in the layers ..When the pannel contracts as the night temps lower the layers have collected and rust starts between in the steel and this goes on throughout the vehicles lifespan...Painting old engine oil stops this and gets between the layers like the water vapour would and stops the whole process full stop.
This is also why your cars should never ever be painted with anything that will set solid and the vibrations and expansion of the heat on the pannels crack open the paint and create minute cracks allowing moisture in there and then the oly way out is through the pannel...I have been using old diesel oil for over 30 years and never had to replace a pannel in all that time or a brakepipe either...
I must admit,Oiling the car is a messy job and would / could need a top up but i also have never had a bold broken OR a spring snap in 37 years of Other car ownership...Just my opinion guys..Thank you...Kev.
Gassing Station | Classic Minis | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff