Waxoyl or equivalent?

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Thu 13 Sep 2018 13:12
Waxoyl or equivalent? - johnnyrev

This has almost certainly been asked before, but I can't find a recent response, so thought I would ask afresh! My mx5's wheels are off to be refurbished next week, so while they are off I want to apply some kind of rust protection at least in the wheelarches (where there is no plastic liner), and possibly the chassis. Any advice or recomendations?

I don't want to be doing it again next year so would like to do a decent job first time. And even though it lives in the garage and doesn't often go out in the rain, I'm very conscious that mx5's do rust. My last one went in the wheel arch and needed a bit of welding, so hopefully with a bit of prevention I can avoid such problems!

Another quick question, the alloys are being stripped and repainted, and could be painted in any colour. My first instinct is to stick with standard silver, but what do others think? Black? Bronze to match the car? Even white! (perhaps not white).

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Thu 13 Sep 2018 17:53
Waxoyl or equivalent? - gordonbennet

Bilt Hamber or Dinitrol, i used to be a waxolyer but since discovering BH, i'm a convert, far more expensive but losses are much less and it works.

I wouldn't argue which is the best product of the two, but for DIY use BH's large aerosols and spray probes have never once clogged up on me.

There are two main products you'll be wanting from BH, a soft cavity wax whch come with long probes so you can get right inside and into awkward places, and a harder underbody wax.

I'd be inclined to rub down and undercoat with Zinc paint first, (you could always try some rust neutralising preparation first but time is running out to do a thorugh job before the cold and wet weather arrives) and then paint the suspension and exposed subframe parts with hard chassis paint, then when dry go over with the BH waxes.

If you get say 4 or 5 750ml hard wax aerosols, and depending how serious you want to go about cavity waxing maybe 2 to 4 of the cavity stuff you should have enough to do a decent job, i reckon on £150 of product does a car that size reasonably well, if you get too much it won't go off for a long time so you have some for topping up and for any parts you think of proofing later.

You'll find everything you need on Bilt Hamber's website.

Preparation is everything, get it clean underneath before you do anything.

Wheels? bright silver.

Edited by gordonbennet on 13/09/2018 at 17:55

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Thu 13 Sep 2018 18:38
Waxoyl or equivalent? - carl233

Many people slate Waxoyl and I agree there are better but it is quite cheap to purchase if you shop around and buy in bulk. I mix with a little engine oil and my 21 year old vehicle is mostly corrosion free and I use it everyday and it is a Ford!

The Hammerite\Waxoyl underseal is suprisingly good and a coat I applied over a decade past has not cracked and it has not washed off and done its job above all expectations. I have had mixed results with Dinitrol some of the wax's are good but found the rust converter to be nearly useless, again just my findings.

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Fri 14 Sep 2018 03:34
Waxoyl or equivalent? - John F

Another thing which might help longevity of an infrequently used car is disconnecting the battery when not used. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this stops corroding microcurrents. I always (carefully) slip the positive lead on and off my 1980 TR7 - probably one of few unrestored TR7s with original sills. It has seen at least two generations of rust-prone MX5s pass from saleroom to scrapyard.

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Fri 14 Sep 2018 09:02
Waxoyl or equivalent? - craig-pd130

Another thing which might help longevity of an infrequently used car is disconnecting the battery when not used. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this stops corroding microcurrents. I always (carefully) slip the positive lead on and off my 1980 TR7 - probably one of few unrestored TR7s with original sills. It has seen at least two generations of rust-prone MX5s pass from saleroom to scrapyard.

Interesting point. Even though the currents involved with a connected battery will be tiny, it could accelerate the start of corrosion in areas that are damp and salty.

Your TR wasn't Ziebarted when it was new, was it? About 5 years ago I saw a very original Alfasud on a T-plate and wondered how on earth it had survived for over 30 years, as it was obviously patinated and unrestored. As I looked around it, I saw the curled and faded Ziebart sticker in the rear window, which answered the question!

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Fri 14 Sep 2018 19:12
Waxoyl or equivalent? - skidpan

Many people slate Waxoyl and I agree there are better but it is quite cheap to purchase if you shop around and buy in bulk. I mix with a little engine oil and my 21 year old vehicle is mostly corrosion free and I use it everyday and it is a Ford!

Why mix oil with Waxoyl. Its not needed. Waxoyl is perfectly good without it. Caterhams are alloy panels rivited onto steel tubles and corrode faster than a Land Rover if untreated. My Caterham is coming up 26 years old in February and was Waxoyled back in 1993 and is still perfect. No bubbling anywhere.

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Sat 15 Sep 2018 21:23
Waxoyl or equivalent? - John F

Interesting point. Even though the currents involved with a connected battery will be tiny, it could accelerate the start of corrosion in areas that are damp and salty.

Your TR wasn't Ziebarted when it was new, was it?

Yes. The most important thing is drilling holes to coat the interior of panels you just can't get at externally.

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Sat 15 Sep 2018 21:52
Waxoyl or equivalent? - gordonbennet

Yes. The most important thing is drilling holes to coat the interior of panels you just can't get at externally.

This is where the BH cavity aerosol probes win hands down, the probe is probably 18" long and probably 3mm external diameter, you can connect two together with the brass connector off one of the aerosols if a longer reach is required, but the icing on the cake is the spray nozzle, which a provides a really good powerful 360' spray pattern, and i have never once suffered a blockage...but if you don't have a spare probe and still have some cavity wax left over then try and flush the pipe and spray nozzle through with white spirit or it will solidify over the course of a few days.

If for example you are spraying inside the sills, you will find drain holes and rubber grommets dotted around (sometimes kick treads if removed reveal perfect access holes, you can normally access A and B pillars the same way), and you insert the probe full and spray as you withdraw it and you can hear the spray passing as you go, there may well be rubber grommets covering access holes to the sills in the rear wheel arches and possibly from behind the inner sill underneath, with doors and bootlid/tailgates, the drain holes are usually fine for access.

Wheel arch inside sections are usually accessible either from the boot, or if you remove the trim from beside the rear seat on a 4 seater car, front wings usually can be fully coated inside from under the bonnet, which itself is a doddle.

I've not had to drill a single hole in any of the vehicles i've rustproofed.

Rev, hope you've got some old clothes and a good hat, and preferably some goggles or safety glasses, oh and worth spreading a disposable sheet on the ground because no matter how careful you are there will be drips.

If you get some drops on your skin, and you will, then white spirit wipes it straight off, or wet wipes do a good job too.

Be warned, this is a mucky but oddly compelling job, once you start you'll see the next section you want to treat and on it goes, then you start thinking of the cavities...before you know it you'll be as compulsive as i am.:-)

One other benefit of BH's stuff, is that the smell though strong initially will be gone in a few days, the old stuff i used to use would stink for months,

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Sat 15 Sep 2018 13:44
Waxoyl or equivalent? - Cluedo

Totally agree with gb on the Bilthamber stuff.

All there products are excellent and i would highly recommend them. I have not found better than the Surfex, Korrosl, Auto Wheels and the double speed wax. Customer service and support is excellent as well.

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Sat 15 Sep 2018 16:15
Waxoyl or equivalent? - johnnyrev
Thanks everyone, I’ve got some Bilt Hamber aerosol was on the way and will at the very least get the wheelarches done this week (while the wheels are off) and try to do the rest over the next couple of weekends. Fingers crossed it doesn’t rain!

On the subject of disconnecting the battery, when the weather gets a lot colder, I tend to disconnect and attach a trickle charger. When I first got my previous mx5 the battery would flatten if left for a couple of weeks so I invested in a charger.

I’ve got a dust sheet too, because it’s amazing how dusty it gets just sat in the garage!
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Sat 15 Sep 2018 23:47
Waxoyl or equivalent? - bathtub tom

I don't know which model you've got, but are you aware the hood drains inside the car on earlier models and there's a drain that blocks just in front of the back wheels?

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Sun 16 Sep 2018 16:28
Waxoyl or equivalent? - rory

For what it's worth, years ago I had a MG Midget which I gave the once-over with firstly Hammerite on the inside of wiings and the wheelarches and then waxoyl in all the cavaties as well. Trick is to do it in warm/hot weather. The sills were especial fun.. I blocked off all the drainholes except 1 and sprayed the wjhole cavity ( used a nail into the end of the tube to increase the 360 gegree spray ) the sealed that hole and drove around for a while to ensure the stuff spead around. Got back home and unblocked the sill drainholes and collected the left-over waxoyl into jam jars. Had the car 7 years and not the slightes trace of rust

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Sun 16 Sep 2018 17:07
Waxoyl or equivalent? - liammcl

When covering wheel arches I use poundlands "151 roof and gutter repair"...
(not the 151 roof and gutter sealant!)

works an absolute treat..

Sometimes I paint over it with normal water based household paint....

I also, use the paint to cover the brake pipes etc

Easy peasy, cheap as chips..
dead easy to clean off hand etc

Been under the arches for 4 years so far no probs..
Liam

Edited by liammcl on 16/09/2018 at 17:10

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