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nige_w
Member
| Joined: | Thursday September 27th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 11 |
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Posted: Tuesday March 18th, 2008 05:40 pm |
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I expect this has come up before, but I've an MPI Cooper which is starting to accumulate a few rust points. I have a couple of options:
1. keep treating the rust and respraying each time it reappears, or
2. Look at a nice new paint job and have it all sorted and rust proofed.
If I go with option 2 is there any thing extra I can do to help avoid rust in the future, eg. would deseaming do any good by trying to minimise the usual rust areas where 2 panels meet. Maybe a fibre glass front end? Waxoyle it all or is there anything better. Cost is an issue but I'd like to make the car a long termer.
Any thoughts most welcome...
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hanlminiman
MCR Member
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Posted: Tuesday March 18th, 2008 07:26 pm |
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| Before I try to give a detailed answer may I ask where the rust points are?
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nige_w
Member
| Joined: | Thursday September 27th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 11 |
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Posted: Wednesday March 19th, 2008 02:23 pm |
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Yes, should have said: under the headlights - around the panel joins there, behind the front windscreen seal and along the top of the scuttle, around the left front seam near the door and on the rear 'lip' where the bumper attaches.
Mostly bubbling paintwork but the signs are starting to appear...
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hawaiianblue
Member
| Joined: | Saturday June 2nd, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 214 |
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Posted: Wednesday March 19th, 2008 04:16 pm |
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really it depends how bad it is and how many times youve had it repaired before.
As for the front seams, well once they've been done a couple of times the only cure is to replace the front wings, you can usually just getaway with new wings and clean up/repair the front panel.
Trouble is in the factory they didnt do such a good job of sealing the underside of the panels. If you have new wings fitted and ensure they're sealed correctly and then sprayed with stonechip guard underneath then they'll be rust free for a lot longer than the factory finshed cars.
As for the rust under the windscreen seal, this can be repaired but the key thing is to remove all the rust and ensure there is paint on both sides of the metal.
As fro deseaming, well it wont really make any difference to the rust problem as there will still be two peices of metal joined together, which will always create a rust point, but if it;s correctly sealed from the air and moisture steel cant rust.
Obviously a fibreglass front doesnt rust, period. Alhough you have to get a good quality moulding for it to fit well and it can still take a lot of fettling to get it right. Obviously once it's on there it will never rust. I beleive they do affect your insurance a lot though.
Waxoyl is good stuf, but it;s only really any good for preventing rust, there's not much point shutting the door after the horse has bolted. When you have a rust free car, you can blast the stuff all underneath, inside the doors, under the wings, inside the sills take the carpets out and cover the floor with the stuff etc etc The wash off areas need retreating once a year, rear subframe, wheel arches etc. You need a propper shultz gun for it though, their own sprayer kit isnt brilliant tbh. A cheap or used compressor and a shultz gun shouldnt cost much more than £50
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Graham Bichard
Member
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Posted: Thursday March 20th, 2008 08:46 am |
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Good advice hb, and it sounds like our cars are in a similar condition nige!
I must admit, I'm now of the opioion of preventing the rust from spreading further as much as possible, balanced against the cost. The cars coming up to 9 years old - if I can keep it looking/driving reasonably for the next 9 years I'll then look at a complete strip down/rebuild, longer if possible.
To give you an idea, I've had the bottom of both doors replaced, the roof repainted (scratched when I bought it) and most recently had the scuttle repaired (I thought this was worthwhile to prevent any rot spreading down the bulkhead). Now I have the rusty seams below the headlight (treated regularly now with K-Rust), I can see tiny rust spots around the roof gutters when I wash the car and the doors are starting to bubble up (not where I had them repaired!). As you say hb, I'll re-rustproof as necessary (I have some waxoyl left over!), but fear it really is a never ending battle (but worth it!  ).
Oh, and I don't think I'd go down the fibreglass front end path personally - now a well engineered steel flip-front, thats different!
Last edited on Thursday March 20th, 2008 08:47 am by Graham Bichard |
nige_w
Member
| Joined: | Thursday September 27th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 11 |
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Posted: Thursday March 20th, 2008 10:16 am |
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Thanks for both sets of advice. Does make me think that maybe I'll just accept that a policy of regular rust treatment for the moment as the best option. Maybe do like you suggest and look at a major revamp some years down the line. Give me time at least to plan something bespoke.
I should also have added it is over 7 years old and has had a new door skin and behind the windscreen resprayed already. Annoying thing is it all looks pretty good but things are afoot beneath the surface. Hadn't considered the insurance issue re a fibreglass front either.
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