DrivRich Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 Guys, Some advice please. I am in the process of building my 1600 K Roadsport and am at the Rear Axle stage. Before I start, I am contemplating the shiny underside of the car. I am not the "wash it every time you drive it" type and I will want to drive in the winter - although I will not do that many miles. I guess I will keep the car for some time, say a couple of years at least. Should I waxoil the whole underneath? Should i line every single "alluminium meets chasis" join with silicon gel - or will I end up trapping water in rather than keeping it out? Is it best to put the silicon on the top of the chasis bar against the alluminium, or on the underside of the chasis bar? How about spray paint the alluminium on the underside? *confused* Whats the thoughts please? Thank you, Dave Saw a 7 Hitched a ride in a 7 Ordering a 7 - Done that now ❗ Will Own a 7 😬 - First Week of 2003 - Got Her Now 😬 😬 Membership Number 6640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mav Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 Definately waxoil the underside ❗ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrivRich Posted February 16, 2003 Author Share Posted February 16, 2003 Thanks for the response Mav, Anyone out there a self build? Is there an optimum time to waxoil - I mean I heard it makes a real sticky mess so I am thinking get as much build done as possible before waxoil - but not so much that I make life hard for myself when it comes to putting it on. Anyone been there please? Dave Saw a 7 Hitched a ride in a 7 Ordering a 7 - Done that now ❗ Will Own a 7 😬 - First Week of 2003 - Got Her Now 😬 😬 Membership Number 6640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Woods Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 Rather than use silicone I'd be inclined to dribble some hot Waxoil thinned with white spirit down between all the "alluminium meets chassis" joints from the top. This is because it never really sets and will creep down the gap over time and repel any water that gets in. Then spray some more up from underneath. So long as you do it before the car gets wet it should keep the water out Nick P8MRA - Red and Black 1.6K supersport, back on the road at last. See pictures of it being rebuilt here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Woods Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 You can always brush it on rather than spray it, the main thing is to get it thin and hot Nick P8MRA - Red and Black 1.6K supersport, back on the road at last. See pictures of it being rebuilt here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 Just like the best girls..... Call a doctor, quick.... Present activities are not a good sign...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim Reaper Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Have you attached the front suspension yet?? If not,then it is possible to roll the chassis onto its side,supported by some bags of polystyrene chippings and spray it in this position. I did this during my build using Hammerite with Waxoyl underbody spray and it went on like a dream,just means that if you touch anything afterwards you get a black mark on whatever you touched it with. Spraying with the chassis on its side means the spray can is the right way up and it doesn't drip all over the floor/your clothes/your face while you're doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Woods Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Something else to consider is spraying WD40 between the skin and the tubing, its very thin and the capillary action will draw it further down into the gaps, whereas Waxoyl will cool and set more quickly. If you WD40 it and then follow it with some waxoyl a bit later you should have a fairly water resistant car I'm also weighing up the pros and cons of blocking off the gap between the sides of the footwells and the outer skin, in my experience dirt collects in there and this is where you will see a lot of corrosion bubbling start on the outside of the car. I'm thinking of using something removable like a soft foam and then spraying behind it with waxoyl , possibly leaving a small gap at the bottom to let any water drain out. By using something easily removable you can get behind it to clear out the mud every now and again. Nick P8MRA - Red and Black 1.6K supersport, back on the road at last. See pictures of it being rebuilt here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Haighton Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 I painted the undeside of the tub with a general purpose non-ferrous metal primer (not etch primer). No problems from that day (mid 1995) to this. No corrosion, not a messy job and no need to repeat. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Bishop Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 After recently bothering all sorts of really helpful people on this site with enquiries about non-functioning Waxoyl handsprays and whether it is safe to spray rubber hoses with the stuff, I finally spent several infuriating hours trying to get Waxoyl on my car, which I built about a year ago. I thought I'd start with the easy bit first - round the fuel tank - and work my way forwards. It was so messy, so cloggy, so definitely non-runny (probably not thinned enough, I know) that I was in despair of ever being able to do a decent job. And that was working downwards. I don't think there is anyway with a built car that you could do this properly on the undersurfaces, where you have to work upwards, especially along the transmission tunnel and the awkward corners of the engine bay. Net result, I have a mostly unused can of Waxoyl in the corner of my garage awaiting my next build project. The best advice I have ever read on this is to turn the pre-built chassis on its side and do it then. In the meantime, I just bought a couple of the biggest cans of WD-40 I could find and sprayed the stuff everywhere. The jet squirts a couple of feet and reaches places you could never get to with Waxoyl and a built car. I rubbed in where I could, and just squirted where I couldn't. It's not too expensive, and if I just make this part of my routine cleaning drill, I think it will have the desired effect on what is a garaged and generally dry-weather-run car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy couchman Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Our local Countrywide store (Bourton-on-the-Water, Glos) sells WD40 in big tins. I'm sure other places do it too but Bourton has a great motor museum which has just opened after its winter break and refurbishment (and it's where Brum lives!). I waxoyled my Landy Discovery and from memory that was easy to paint on unthinned - but it was a hot summer's day and I don't seem to recall too many of those recently... Andy Couchman Q831FDD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiF Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Anyone used silicon spray instead of WD40? My experiences are very good. Richard in France Chassis and other starter kits arrive next Friday, my Duratec 7 is getting very close 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 I polished and then sprayed the alloy underside of my car with a clear resin. The type car manufacturers use to seal in metallic finishes. The advantages are that it easy to wipe clean (and if you are sad like me, polish) it enables you to keep an eye on the condition of the underside, and unlike waxoyl does not attract dirt. after 10 years you can still see your face in my undersides! oops, pardon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotusandy Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Phil, When I built my 7 10 years ago, I avoided the Waxoyl spray kit, as I had experienced all the problems you have just had previously. I just used a combination of the Waxoyl aerosol for unassesable areas and painting it on unthinned on the underside etc. When I sold the car after 5 years it was all still intact. I will be applying in exactly the same way when I start to build my second Seven in May. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 I waxoyled inside my de-dion tube as I built it, but found it easy to apply the stuff everywhere else once the car was finished, but before I drove it. I personally wouldn't like to risk turning a brand new car on its side because you will feel a total arse if you cock up and damage something. I think the best advice is to waxoyl it and drive it but check underneath regularly and attend to any little chips and marks in the powder coat before they cause a problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Newson Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Try using fish oil. I have found that it has good capillary properties and dries with a similar finish to waxoyl. CUM B48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 WHEN my kit finally arrives I was considering suspending the front end from the engine crane and inverting the complete body by me lifting and twisting from the rear. Resting it on suitably padded axle stands and giving the entire underside a good undersealing/waxoiling in all its little nooks and crannies. Anybody else tried this? STILL waiting for my BRG SV kit. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bafty Crastard Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 Well, my opinion is you are all bonkers Waxoil all over a small car like a 7 is going to just going to be a complete mess, there's no baulkheads or cavities as in a normal car ! You'v just spent £400 on powder coating the engine bay etc, then you go and cover it in Waxoil *mad*There ain't many places you are going to get it into, so apply it with a bit of common sense bearing in mind that all the road muck etc is going to stick to it. The alternative, don't drive it in the rain 😳 R300 NUT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Grundy Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 Tony That sounds verrrrrrrrry risky. there is a real risk of twisting the chassis. Believe me there is no easier way that to get it high on axle stands, mask the sides of the bodywork and blast away. If the waxoyl is hot and runny enough it goes in everywhere. Bafty, if you refer to the hundreds of threads on this subject it is proven that a car that has been treated this way suffers very little rusting. Its cheap and convenient to do during the build so better safe than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Woods Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 Bafty, I'd second what Colin says. The powder coating process is much better than it used to be but there have still been threads on here saying its far from perfect. All it takes is a bit of powdercoat to come loose where the outer skin touches it and as soon as the steel starts to rust it will corrode the aluminium as well. Nick P8MRA - Red and Black 1.6K supersport, back on the road at last. See pictures of it being rebuilt here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bafty Crastard Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I was referreing to the alloy panels not the steel chassis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I would paint the underside with primer and topcoat given the choice, unless you are really anal about weight.If you waxoyl the underside it makes the car unpleasant to work on because it is so sticky. Then I'd Waxoyl all the junctions between steel and ally, and all the cavities. My '96 is showing a little corrosion at the ally/steel junctions, no surprise. Waxoyl 6 years ago would have stoped this. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiF Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 Anyone used the Hammerite floor paint that has waxoil in it? Does it dry? Richard in France Chassis and other starter kits arrive next Friday, my Duratec 7 is getting very close 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 No I don't fancy the sticky mess of waxoil either. I know waxoil is "easy" to apply, but I think it's intended for 'inside' areas, not subject to direct blasts of salt, water, carp etc. I'd willingly sacrifice the weight incease for the added corrosion protection. Lots of people think Aluminium alloy panels don't corrode! The mix of metals in the 7 chassis, plus moisture is a 'nice' cocktail. A cheap ticket for the metal to return to the holes in the ground from which they came. I fancy something which is easy to apply; brush on, and will give a non sticky surface and remain flexible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotusandy Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 I admit that Waxoyl is a real mess at the time of application, but after a couple of weeks when it has gone off properly, it dries relatively solidly. I the past I have applied it to external areas of cars that needed protection from the elements (even fish!)and it has remained intact for several years. For those considering using it, I notice that Lidl are selling an electric spray gun from next Thursday for 23 quid... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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