Internet Mailing List May 97
Yup, I've got a 92 Griff, garaged all it's life (as far as I know)
and has a nice layer of surface rust on most of the chasis arounf
the wheels and under the sill. Engine bay is pretty clean as are
areas around the drive shaft - probably protected by a layer of
oil. The rust is not worrying, in fact I'd expect a little on
a car this age.
Mark Elliott
Internet Mailing List Mar 97
. . . my latest experiences in chassis renovation of my 1988/116,000
mile old Wedge.
I have only had to have two weld repairs done on my car - the outboard rear outrigger plate (to which the body and seatbelt attach), and the rear subchassis which had holed at the front n/s corner. This was simply (and very economically) repaired by Wedge Automotives garage by plating over the hole, and then hammering it in slightly to clear the main chassis tube. The clearance is tight here, and I blame the dirt-trap for the corrosion, although the corresponding section of the main chassis has nothing worse than paint loss.
Richard Thorpe reckons that a lot of the corrosion was from within, and the bits which I shook out from the hole suggested same. The thinning of the tubes is such that I have been advised to replace the subchassis in the next year or two - cost indicated to be about £70 - £100. I am going to oil fill it prior to refitting - on this bit it is easy to drill holes in the flat end covers of the side tubes where they project from the channel section. This avoids the risk of welding fires and ensures complete oil cover of the welded bit. After emptying, the holes are plugged with grommits, stuck into position with silicon rubber external sealant.
On the paint front, I have used Miogard primer, which contains small iron particles and is used on commercial vehicle chassis. The iron particles give a fine surface roughness for the topcoat to key to. I use P-type enamel, black, which is really hard and glossy, such that dirt hardly sticks to it, and cleaning is easy. Both these materials are made in Derby by Joseph Mason Paints, and are also sold under the "Perfection" name through Tetrasill. I would recommend them, as the job is so labour intensive that it is worth using really good paint to maximise the time before having to do again!
My brother had used Hammerite (Smooth) on his kitcar chassis, and is very disappointed with how easily it chips - the P-type is very resistant to tool knocks and stonechips. The only area I don't use it is where I want Waxoyl to key (eg outriggers) - Waxoyl underbody seal is OK for this.
After removing all rust, I treat the tubes with Jenolite to stop further rusting, before priming. Care is needed with this as it is watery and drips, and burns skin and eyes, but a test on an exposed bolt with no further painting shows it works - no rust after two years on an exposed chassis location.
Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but this is clearly an important
subject for many of us!
Neil Porter
Internet Mailing List Mar 97
Have it shot blasted and repair any damage, then immediately prime
with a good primer such as Corroless or an etch primer. Then paint
with something tough. Hammerite is chipped easily - use Smoothrite
or an exterior paint such as the type suitable for drainpipes.
This is cheap and tough.
Andrew