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 Post subject: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:22 am 
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Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:01 pm
Posts: 13
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I was wondering if any of you have rust proofed the underside of your car. I have been doing a job on my car recently and when I was under it the other day I thought it might be a good idea to do something to try and preserve it better, my car seems pretty tidy underneath apart from the sub frames which seem to be covered in surface rust. Is this something you would tackle your self, i don't have access to a ramp so can only get the car up as high as the axle stands go.
Would you tackle this job yourself or farm it out, or if you have done it yourself did you brush it on or spray it and what did you use.

Many thanks


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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:12 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:23 pm
Posts: 90
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When it comes to the ST205 I think cavity waxing is the most important preventative measure you can do. It's a summer job really as it needs to be warm so it creeps/flows into the seams properly. Key areas:

- Rear arches, especially the rear lower parts (accessible behind boot trim panels) & front parts (behind rear speaker trim)
- sills - remove the drain plugs from below
- doors along the bottom seam.
- any box sections accessible through those rubber hole plugs from underneath. Can't member exactly where they are - my past memories of doing this on several cars have mushed together -but I think in front of the rear subframe.

In addition to cavity wax:
If you have sill covers/rear spats, remove them & refit as they often hide rust/are the cause of rust as grit gets stuck between them & the body & compromises the paint, then rusts away in secret.
Remove the black plastic paint protector parts behind the rear wheels too; get all the stones out & touch up any chips.
Other areas to touch up - along bottom edge of doors

Clean out all the rain gutters & sunroof if you have one.

Remove all plastic wheel liners & clean out behind- IIRc the rear ones are different either side, & the front ones obviously. Clean all round the rear arch lip too.

Ideal world - Remove the front windscreen outer trim strip, clean it all out, touch up & replace with OEM. You can fix this bakc in place yourself with some urethane sealant.

With regards to surface rust on the subframes, I think this is less important to preserving the life of the car as they are fairly substantial. Having said that, angle grinder + wire wheel, followed by something like POR15 or Epoxy Mastic 121 will certainly prolong them - again a summer job really as they won't cure properly in these temperatures. Could always remove & send to a blasters, but then you will be replacing bushes etc & it will end up costing £££.


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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:44 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:01 pm
Posts: 13
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Thanks for the in depth reply I will save that job for the summer, I have had the car for approx 5 years and I am only the second owner and it has sat outside all the time I have owned it until recently, I have had a little bit of remedial bodywork done recently I would like to pro long the life of it as it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it, and in my car owning life up until now I have had quite a few quicker and better handling cars this the only one I have ever fancied hanging on to.
I am really surprised a 23 year old car has held together so well and will put quite a few modern cars to shame. They did really build them quite well.


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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 11:43 pm 
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Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:13 pm
Posts: 3679
Location: Bournemouth
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As above.
In my experience of these cars, most of the serious rust has come through from the inside. Sills seem to be the first to go. The exception being inner sills right at the back which seem to rust from the outside as well.

If undersealing, be very careful not to seal in rust, from my experience this just seems to make it rust through quicker. Always remove rust first and then undercoat with suitable rust killing layers before going for underseal at the end.

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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:14 am 
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Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:54 am
Posts: 105
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Hi fellas
old thread I know but I'm planning on doing this when I take the car off the road this autumn.
in the past I've always cavity waxed the inner sills doors bootlid etc and I've found that the rear is always the worse in particular around the fuel tank and under the spare wheel recess.
and it's been off road for almost two years this time and when I had it on the ramp recently I've noticed even though I had waxoiled this area it had dried out and starting to flake away due to rust under it so for me the waxoil claim to kill rust is just a myth.
So this time I'm looking at the different kinds of rust killer that are available this stuff uses some kind of acid either tannic or phosphoric that turns the rust into a hard stable form that can then be over painted or over sealed, how well they work I don't know.
Some of the best stuff I've had experience with is upol gravitex once the rust is removed I've sprayed it on and it's still there 7 years later with no sign of it re rusting through.
that said some of the nooks and crannies are impossible to get into to remove the rust hence me looking at the rust killer to apply after a hot blasting with a steam cleaner.
anyone have any experience or thoughts on the rust killer route
Regards Baz


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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:26 pm 
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Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:13 pm
Posts: 3679
Location: Bournemouth
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My own experience of the hammerite products (I believe waxoyl is the same manufacturer) has been very poor. The exception being Kurust converter which seems to work well.

I'm currently favouring kurust first, then red oxide primer, then whatever paint / underseal goes on top for the waterproofing function. For underseal I'm using a shultz gun with stonechip in the blast areas behind wheels then shutz over the whole lot.

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 Post subject: Re: Rust proofing
PostPosted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 9:05 am 
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Clubman

Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:54 am
Posts: 105
Car Model: None
Hi mate
I'm just looking at a product called aquasteel on amazon.
It gets a good write up and good reviews and comes In a 2.5ltr tub which can be brushed or sprayed on and is supposed to be developed for ships etc.
I'm going to get the four steamed blasted under it let it dry off (if the rain ever stops) then apply this stuff and see the results, if it works and converts as it's supposed to then coat in grey lead primer then the upol gravitex in black and see how that lot fairs.
the car is stored from late September to around April or may and it's also stored in a carcoon inside the garage.
These bags are fantastic and I've put the car away in it and when I've pulled it out there is no rust anywhere and not even surface rust on the brake disc's.
Back in 2017 when I had melted the piston it could not be put into its bag so was just garaged and the deterioration was terrible so it was worth the £450 I paid for the carcoon as it really does a great job.
Regards


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