Waxoyl question

[hornmeister2000]

I've got a question about Waxoyl. Basically, I've heard it's a good idea to scrape all the mud off the underside if the car and spray it with waxoyl before the winter. First question is: is this true?

The next question is how to do it. I've asked my garage and he quoted £200+VAT to do it, yet it doesn't appear to be very expensive in Halfrauds so is it a DIY job? My main concern is that it's messy, and what happens if I get it on the wrong bits (brake lines, differential, brakes, etc. Also, what happens if I then need some work doing, either bodywork or mechanical, under the car, and the bits that need doing are all covered in waxoyl? Is there a paint-on version rather than spraying? Anyone got any advice, or should I spend £200 at the garage?

[Gareth]

You can buy Waxoyl in a big tin which you spray on.
You can get it in aerosol, which is good for touching up little areas.
You can get it in a tin which yoy paint on, which is better for larger areas, althoug you'll ruin a perfectly good paintbrush!!

If you do the job properly, you ought to remove the old stuff (to make sure there's no dampness behind), and then check over the steel.

Any welding will need to be done now. Then you have to tape up all the brake lines, propshaft (especially this - it's balanced!!!) and the exhaust - pretty much all the running gear, and then spray the underside of the car.

I think the London Minor Centre do a full underbody waxoyl treatment, including box sections &c. for around the 200 quid mark. Personally, I'd let them get filthy!!

[Kevin]

Also, what happens if I then need some work doing, either bodywork or mechanical, under the car, and the bits that need doing are all covered in waxoyl?

You are descibing the underneath of my Moggie and the short answer is you get mucky, I recently overhauled the front suspension including eyebolts and I went through a few pairs of gloves and rags, but the good thing is everthing seemed very sound where I had to scrape it off, and the aerosol did the trick for the areas that needed re- coating.

[Willie]

The ONLY parts which should not be waxoyled are the
prop shaft and the exhaust system(only because it
would stink)and the brakes. The brake pipes should
certainly be.Waxoyled. I dip every nut and bolt on the
underneath in it after a rebuild. It does no harm to rubber,
which softens when waxoyl wets it but returns to normal
when dry. It should be SPRAYED into box members and
rust prone cavities but brush painted on the underfloor
areas to avoid brake contamination. You can use the
same brush for years because it will be preserved by the
Waxoyl! I touch in any 'thin' areas once a year. Put a
generous helping into the door bottoms and the boot lid but DO have the windows UP when you do it.

[Chris Morley]

Going back to the beginning, the first thing to do is to pressure wash the underside - for best results do this at the start of a period of dry weather and put the rear of the car on ramps. The water pressure will blast away mud and loose underseal (great for impacted mud on the inner surface of the wings). Then leave the car to drip-dry for a day or so. Your job will then be easier and you'll get less filthy.

[hornmeister2000]

The ONLY parts which should not be waxoyled are the
prop shaft and the exhaust system(only because it
would stink)and the brakes. The brake pipes should
certainly be.Waxoyled. I dip every nut and bolt on the
underneath in it after a rebuild. It does no harm to rubber,
which softens when waxoyl wets it but returns to normal
when dry. It should be SPRAYED into box members and
rust prone cavities but brush painted on the underfloor
areas to avoid brake contamination. You can use the
same brush for years because it will be preserved by the
Waxoyl! I touch in any 'thin' areas once a year. Put a
generous helping into the door bottoms and the boot lid but DO have the windows UP when you do it.

Hi WIlie! Do you mean you actually put it on the back of the boot lid? In the boot? How about the boot floor? Also, if there's a bit of rust which I can't remove, can I spray over it? Will it stop the rust?

[Willie]

Good heavens NO, you should avoid getting it on anything
which shows because it is very hard to remove completely.
I meant get it into the inside areas of the boot lid where the
water collects inside the double skinned sections, this is the
usual area of rot on the boot lids, the bottom eight inches.
Regarding rusty areas, I would prefer to remove as much
as possible by all means at your disposal, then paint THICKLY
with Hammerite,then Waxoyl over it. It is these dark,hard
to reach areas, like the boot floor, which quietly rot away
and will drfinitely benefit from a dose of the waxy stuff.
Don't forget that the only reason that modern car sills
don't rot away as they used to is that they are sprayed with
wax based preservatives nowadays.