Cleaning and undersealing car.

[simona1]

Can someone help please I've started to clean off the dirt and dry flaky underseal from under the car and in certain places its rusty round the edges but no holes ive scrapped off what I can and used the wire brush to get flaky rust off is that enough to stop it coming back through once its painted? I was intending to paint the underneath with hammerite underseal or should I do it with black hammerite paint then underseal it.
Someone has suggested I should jet wash the underneath as well can I have some suggestions please.
Oh the car is mainly used in summer etc and very occassionally once or twice in winter but not much.

[Budgie]

personally i wouldn,t touch a power washer with a barge pole for underneath,you,l only be forceing water into places it wouldn,t normally get.Patience and elbow grease is what i would recomend,as well as a wire brush and when all is clean and as rust free as possible,coat with either dinitrol or waxoil.

[bmcecosse]

You really need more than a 'wire brush' - some kind of rotary brush or flap wheel in an electric drill - or more aggressively a knotted wire brush in an angle grinder (goggles and ear protection). Once back to bare metal you must immediately coat it with a rust killer - and then overcoat as soon as that dries with a zinc filled primer/undercoat. Then paint it - Hammerite is horrible stuff.........better with chassis black. It's then up to you whether you undercoat on top or not - there are arguments both ways. The best advice I can give is - DO NOT EVER take the car out in winter when there is the slightest chance of any salt on the road.....My car never leaves the garage between end October and end March......
Ohh - and do pump / spray Waxoyl into all the closed cavities - regularly.

[aupickup]

as mine is a daily driver i have to use it in the winter
its lasted 40 years with the original floors
keep checking the underside

[simona1]

I did start using the wire brush thingy on the drill but my god you get covered but it does a much better job i'll keep perservering with that. I didn't think it was a good idea to use jet wash either.
Thanks for your advice bmcecosse I think that'll do it cheers, my garage is so small and its very difficult to get into tightspaces but ill do it thanks again.

[bmcecosse]

I know the problem well - just tackle it bit by bit - and treat/prime as you go.

[aupickup]

use the cars as they were supposed to be used

[M25VAN]

Here here! Run 'em and repair 'em and keep the spares supply chain flowing......

[simona1]

The problem is I am at my limit just painting underneath of car so if it needs mechanical work or bodywork doing then I cant afford it I agree they are for using but mine is for pleasure mainly in the summer months, but I understand where your coming from.

[M25VAN]

Just keep at it bit by bit, the more you do the less there will be to do. It is a mucky job but very satisfying when it's done.

[mbo145]

Well yours sounds like mine was! Last summer I did the following on my 1956 seris 11 traveller,
I scraped off all the loose old underseal, wire brushed on a drill the rest, treated with "Crust" rust treatment. Then the bare metal bits I painted with black hammerite where needed and after that I gave it all 2 coats of Black underseal made by Waxoil. It has waxoil in it so you can re-coat it with wax oil later to re-soften it. All the products I bought from Halfords. As for not using hammerite, I did bits of the car in hammerite 24 years ago and they are still like the day I did it and as I use the car every day in all weathers (over 6,000 miles last year) then I can not fault it!
Waxoil is a must! As much as you can, in under and on any bodywork, my doors are still brilliant after 26 years too!
Hope this helps The first photo is after a good scrape and wire brush, the next is during applying crust!
Phil[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]