under body rust prep.

[Mike the Founder]

Hi all
at some time i am gonna have to rejuvenate the Rocco GLS Vr6 & the 19 Cabrio amongst other stuff.
As we all know there are a million rust remedies and protectors on the market. so wondered about folks personal experiences. In an ideal world we would have the thing blasted - but thats not going to happen is it!

so what rust remedies / treatments / paints etc. have folk used and been happy with... or UNhappy with?
since we all have to deal with the dreaded rust - i hope to see quite a few personal experiences on here...

[Nate]

i've used a variety of rust eater type products, and never had that much luck. they are a stall at best. i'm given to understand that POR15 is the way forward

[PeteGLi]

Bilt Hamber products are good. Online ordering and delivery to your door.

[james butler]

only long term treatment for rust is to cut it out and replace with new metal, preferably slightly thicker guage and work out the cause in the first place, ie blocked drain holes? another idea that sprung to my mind the other day is to drill a hole in the inside of the sill that you can fit a grommit into and tetra shultz the inside to prevent more internal rust then insert gromit and paint over. this way you can do it every few years.

[MacColl]

There are so many ways of approaching this and I agree the above is always going to be the best in terms of knowing there can 't be any other rot lurking where you can't see it and rust is inevitable if there is nothing sealing it.

Some paints however are designed to adhere to pitted slightly rusty surfaces. Hammerite being the typical example, then Rustoleum and POR15 paints from Frost that is actually a mechanical paint! it locks into pitted surfaces and is very hard to remove but must be applied with the right process.

Then you've got rust converters that chemically convert rust into a solid surface. According to Practical Classics Magazine who are always testing rust related products Rustbuster and Bilt Hamber ones are the best. Check both their sites for various products.

Then there is a product like Bilt Hambers Deox Gel which I have used and is amazing. A gel that draws rust out like a poultice when you leave it with cling film covering it overnight. This leaves a metal surface for etch primer, seam seal and or stone chip depending what you are after. I've used this round an area that I have welded and on surface rust where there is integrity to the metal.

Then you have cavity waxes and under seals. Waxoil is a cavity wax that can be bought as an under seal (black goopy stuff) not to be confused with stone chip paints or seam sealers. On it's own as a clear liquid it can be injected into box sections. However like Hammerite paints there are far better products from Rustbuster and Bilt Hamber like dinitrol. I have used the Bilt Hamber wax that comes in a can with it's own probe. You can get the wax all the way up sills/box sections of boots etc and it seems to have great reviews. The wax displaces water away remaining sticky and absorbs into porous thin seems. Trouble with waxes if you don't get them everywhere you can displace the moisture to where you missed.

Then you can look at high zinc primers again check who I have mentioned. Primers that can be left for a long time and not absorb moisture. Chassis paints that come in colours as a finish etc etc..

It's a can of worms and actually preparing/grinding/wire brushing can be as important making sure you get a good surface for treatment, not butchering the metal too much. I'm no expert just read articles in Practical Classics and other forums.

Could you show us some pictures of the rust/areas you want to treat?

[Mike the Founder]

thanks all...
some excellent pointers here that will be useful to lots of folk i guess,,it is as you say having rebuilt cars over the years.. a minefield. I too have used lots of products to varying success - I can vouch for rustoleum paint... does everything that hammerite promises to do and doesnt... and can be watered down with spirit for rollering on - i got a reasonable finish on a luton van box - although its rust proofing properties will no doubt be reduced as its very thick pain normally.
I just thought that as my vehicles get older ( vans - cars the works) i cannot afford to replace the vans, they are all gonna want work. I am still hanging onto the the MK1 VR6 for dear life in the hope that one day i will have the money to run it again, also the old MCA sports in the hope that i may also get the time to fully rebuild it and of course the 19 Cabrio which also wants work.
So i have no specific photos - just old cars & vans that will need TLC underneath and in various other spots, as we all do, and not having found a specific thread on this - and it is something we all deal with - that one might be useful to all as well as me. As folks recomendations are always worth much more than any blurb on a product after all...
Never heard of Bilt Hamber... excellent name... lol... will have a look., and if anyone else has anything further to add please do.. threads like this i am sure will be very helpful to lots of folk.
ps.
hello to everyone.
its been a LONG time since i have been around.
Maybe one day i'll be back proper like..... still in touch with some old members on facebook and stuff ( even the original members from way back in 96 ) mostly all long left the scirocco fold... but one or two still have VW's..

cheers!

[Nate]

I can vouch for rustoleum paint...

wonderful stuff. you can paint a whole car with it for very little, and get a good result (apparently). if you haven't seen it before, check out the $50 paint job and be impressed