Rust proofing the underside
Discussion
I have a mini on original sills with a pretty good underneath. I want to rust proof the underneath of the car and protect the sills etc as well as I can. A friend has recommended using wax oil, is it any good on mini's? Does anyone have any suggestions? I do not want to foam fill the sills.
Waxoil is superb for rust proofing inside cavities.
Just make sure you warm up the can by standing it in hot water for 10min before you use it as this will make it flow better into all those little gaps.
Remember other places like the battery tray, behined head lamps, valances and subframes etc.
Just make sure you warm up the can by standing it in hot water for 10min before you use it as this will make it flow better into all those little gaps.
Remember other places like the battery tray, behined head lamps, valances and subframes etc.
Whatever you do don't foam fill the sills. If you do, when they do need changing you'll need to wear breathing gear whilst grinding them off as the foam gives off very toxic fumes when it burns.
When Waxoyling it's a good idea to cut a 1" dia hole in the very front of the sill line under the wheel arch. Woxoyl into the sill under high pressure then fit a sealing plate over the hole with 2 self-tappers.In that way you can get access to re-waxoyl regularly. Alternatively, drill smaller holes in the door frame at the bottom and Waxoyl through there under high pressure. Fit a rubber grommet to cover the hole(s).
When Waxoyling it's a good idea to cut a 1" dia hole in the very front of the sill line under the wheel arch. Woxoyl into the sill under high pressure then fit a sealing plate over the hole with 2 self-tappers.In that way you can get access to re-waxoyl regularly. Alternatively, drill smaller holes in the door frame at the bottom and Waxoyl through there under high pressure. Fit a rubber grommet to cover the hole(s).
MR2Mike said:
Hammerite isn't ideal though, it gets very brittle when it's dried fully (which takes weeks!) and chips like crazy.
Ah well - i only use the car sparingly - and thats when it works! I put two or three coats on it so considering i dont drive in the rain its fine. Only problem is it gets scraped off the subframe rails by my jack!
Personally, I am a waxoyl sceptic, th rust tracks along underneath. I make a paste of grease and sump oil and paint that on, I then strip it off and re-do it. I oil my seams and the whole car is wiped off with an oily rag (not polished). My first mini died of tinworm and my 66 (second one) I bought as a restored shell. I am not going to allow it to develop one atom of rust. I give it a fortnightly spray in the vunerable areas with WD40 and use loads. IT IS NOT GOING TO RUST AND I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE. It isn't beautiful but it isn't rusty. It is in good condition. The only way to stop a mini rusting is by high maintenence, I don't believe there is a shortcut in a can.
IMO
IMO
love machine said:
Personally, I am a waxoyl sceptic, th rust tracks along underneath. I make a paste of grease and sump oil and paint that on, I then strip it off and re-do it. I oil my seams and the whole car is wiped off with an oily rag (not polished). My first mini died of tinworm and my 66 (second one) I bought as a restored shell. I am not going to allow it to develop one atom of rust. I give it a fortnightly spray in the vunerable areas with WD40 and use loads. IT IS NOT GOING TO RUST AND I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE. It isn't beautiful but it isn't rusty. It is in good condition. The only way to stop a mini rusting is by high maintenence, I don't believe there is a shortcut in a can.
IMO
Excellent post, LM, I use Waxoyl, but I always mix it with white spirit and get it nice and hot before spraying it on at relatively high pressure. I don't think those hand operated Waxoyl guns are much use into enclosed areas like sills. Maybe Dynatrol is better, but I've never used it. I do like your idea regarding using old sump oil and I've thought of blocking off the drain holes in the sills and drilling a hole in each door frame, then pouring old engine oil in until the sills are really quite full. I reckon maybe if you drove the car around for a couple of weeks, then removed the blocking in the drain holes and let all the old oil out the sills would never rust. Maybe I would not park it at home whilst doing this (now, who has annoyed me recently??)I might just try it on my red car which needs new sills now, not due to rust, but to several years of rally damage.
Has anyone else tried this?
tell me about rust , haha.
Ive just spent 3 weeks, on and off, welding up the rear section of the nearside front arch and the front of the nearside floor pan. Regarding waxOYL I have made sure Ive gotten it everywhere that gets wet. (no the girlfriend is safe
). Ive put 3 holes in the bottoms of each door and a hole at each end of the door steps. I have put some in the rear bins after I sprayed them. Loads in the doors through the inners. Im in the process of RErestoring the front inner arches and floor pans which are to be painted red and black and lathered in the good old WAXY OYL. Regarding the engine bay when I took the engine out I did find 2 small holes but these were plated over. One thing I have been recently thinging about is coating the lower half of the bulk head (below the bump) in waxoyl as, beleive it or not, mine, after an engine rebuild, has no oil leaks. Ive also thought about the previously mentioned idea of putting used engine oil in the sills but to be honest, with it being a show car, i think it would look messy and unprofessional if it were to leak oil on the trailer, ha ha. After replacing the battery box Ive given the rear end of the car a good smothering of the stuff and hopefully this will prevent any rust coming through in the future. When doing this make sure you get around the tops of the headlamp dishes inside the front wings, aswell as all around them. I dont think with an original mini there can be a moment when you say theres enough protection on it. Another tip refering back to the mentioned grease and oil I use it on customers cars at the garage and smother all the brake pipes in it. I did it to the work van when it was first bought ten years ago and they are all like new!!
Cheers Tom Tom
>> Edited by Twelve_75 on Saturday 5th March 16:20
Ive just spent 3 weeks, on and off, welding up the rear section of the nearside front arch and the front of the nearside floor pan. Regarding waxOYL I have made sure Ive gotten it everywhere that gets wet. (no the girlfriend is safe
). Ive put 3 holes in the bottoms of each door and a hole at each end of the door steps. I have put some in the rear bins after I sprayed them. Loads in the doors through the inners. Im in the process of RErestoring the front inner arches and floor pans which are to be painted red and black and lathered in the good old WAXY OYL. Regarding the engine bay when I took the engine out I did find 2 small holes but these were plated over. One thing I have been recently thinging about is coating the lower half of the bulk head (below the bump) in waxoyl as, beleive it or not, mine, after an engine rebuild, has no oil leaks. Ive also thought about the previously mentioned idea of putting used engine oil in the sills but to be honest, with it being a show car, i think it would look messy and unprofessional if it were to leak oil on the trailer, ha ha. After replacing the battery box Ive given the rear end of the car a good smothering of the stuff and hopefully this will prevent any rust coming through in the future. When doing this make sure you get around the tops of the headlamp dishes inside the front wings, aswell as all around them. I dont think with an original mini there can be a moment when you say theres enough protection on it. Another tip refering back to the mentioned grease and oil I use it on customers cars at the garage and smother all the brake pipes in it. I did it to the work van when it was first bought ten years ago and they are all like new!! Cheers Tom Tom
>> Edited by Twelve_75 on Saturday 5th March 16:20
Waxoyl is great stuff, I'm a firm beliver in it. My dad has one of the first Mk1 Metro Turbo's and he waxoyled it regularly with a high pressure gun. The only rust that broke out was on the rear valance where the waxoyl hadn't quite reached (though he did remove the stupid bits of foam in the front wings not long after he got it).
If you ever had dealings with early Metro's you'll know they are one of the few cars that actually rust quicker than a mini, and the Mk1 Turbo is now quite a rare site on the road.
Waxoyl also saved the rear arches on my 16vGTE from the fate that virtualy all Mk2/Mk3 Astra's suffered.
If you ever had dealings with early Metro's you'll know they are one of the few cars that actually rust quicker than a mini, and the Mk1 Turbo is now quite a rare site on the road.
Waxoyl also saved the rear arches on my 16vGTE from the fate that virtualy all Mk2/Mk3 Astra's suffered.
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