Morris Minor Owners Club

Anyone have any experience of Bilt Hamber de-ox gel and electrox coating as a rust treatment/protection base cost? I’m looking for something better than kurust.

As a side note my car is positive earth, so the cathodic protection afforded by the zinc wouldn’t come into play.

I used to use International Yacht Paints 2 pack self etch primer as a rust eater but that has been discontinued on H&S grounds. I now use Fertan (250ml size) and it is good.
https://www.fertan.co.uk/?product=fertan-rust-converter

De-ox gel is excellent if you follow the instructions to the letter. But if you can remove the components placing them in a citric acid bath is even better.
I use a product called Aquasteel on rusted surfaces awkward to get at. It's similar to Kurust but seems to be more effective and a lot cheaper. Check ebay for 1 litre bottles for under £20, I used loads of it on my Commers and the treated areas have lasted well over the years. No good for bodywork that needs a skim of filler though, when I've used it in that application the filler eventually lifts.

I've used hydrate 80 in the past but I'm not that convinced, I am using CORTANIN F at the moment which seems really good, Vactan has also been recommended to me which I may try next.


This is Cortanin painted over rust on my Range Rover bumper and exposed to the elements for a year, hydrate 80 was rusty again after a couple of months.

Thanks for the helpful replies gents. I’ve decided to use Fertan, with Bilt Hamber electrox primer. I’ll top that with stone chip and then something like dinitrol.

philthehill wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:27 pm I used to use International Yacht Paints 2 pack self etch primer as a rust eater but that has been discontinued on H&S grounds. I now use Fertan (250ml size) and it is good.
https://www.fertan.co.uk/?product=fertan-rust-converter

Does that fertan stuff always take days and days to dry (if not longer) in the cold weather?

Fertan should not be allowed to dry out but be kept damp to maximise the rust conversion. After 48hrs wipe with a damp cloth, let it dry and then paint.

I have been told citric acid powder (available from the likes of wilko) mixed with cornflour and applied to rust for a couple of days works well. This and all the gel type converters benefit from being covered in cling film to keep them damp as Phil mentions.

I tend to use spot blasting to get rid of rust on bodyshells and an electrolytic bath for components.