Is rustproofing an old car like mine worthwhile?

[Pueblo_Boy]

A little bit of a quandary - is paying out over £700 to get my car fully rustproofed at a respected specialist company really worthwhile?

My Tourer has done 156k miles, though I don't expect to do more than say 5k a year in future. In common with most owners in the Club, I have spent a few bob improving it here and there, and would dearly love to extend its useful life indefinitely. But ultimately, it is worth less that £1000, maybe a lot less, and perhaps I should sell it and buy another 75 with less miles on the clock and less rust underneath. Another possibility is to replace rusting subframes etc. with new, though I appreciate there are many other areas that need treatment.

I've already had the rear suspension mountings welded, and there is an advisory for surface corrosion to the underside. Is this the tip of the iceberg?

Many of you must be in a similar situation, or have had it resolved one way or another. I don't want to throw good money at it if I can achieve the same objective of a 'clean' car some other better way. I don't really need a tourer, a saloon would do me just as well, although the diesel engine with remap is something I am quite fond of...any advice/suggestions? Please keep in mind I am a poor OAP!

[COLVERT]

I simply bought four cans of under body spray and did it myself.

With an old car it doesn't seem justifiable to spend too much on it. The DIY will stop the rust in its tracks for quite a while.


Probably several years.----

[ZedTeeT]

I think your going to get every opinion possible with a question like that. As I see it, it's a choice only you and you alone can make. If you feel it's worth it, do it. If you doubt it, don't do it. It's quite a simple choice really.

Do what you want, nobody is in any position to criticise your choice.

[Pueblo_Boy]

I think I might buy a decent jack and axle stands so that somebody can rub it down and apply the spray can stuff. I don't have access to a garage unfortunately, and I'm too fat, lazy and unfit to be crawling under a car!

Sounds like the cheaper value for money option. I see Halfords do a 5 piece lifting kit for £52, but then the feedback says the jack doesn't even go to the minimum height of the axle stands! How much extra for a piece of wood! Or would ramps be a better buy?

[marinabrian]

Absolutely not, you are on a hiding to nothing with a car which has an advisory for underbody corrosion already, the damage is done.

I spent several weeks on my back under the old man's tourer removed the subframe, fuel tank and brake lines, then scraped off every last bit of factory applied underseal, treated the metal, then painted with first Bonda Primer ( the red stuff you saw the subframe painted with), then four coats of chassis black, stonechip, finally black waxoyle, and cavity wax to all box sections, before refitting the tank and completely overhauled rear suspension.

No commercial outfit would do that, it would be a pressure wash and a lash over with some "wonder" treatment, more than likely sealing in corrosion cells, and accelerating the tinworm.

I'm sure there will be someone else along in a jiffy to tell you how they had their car done for £30 and it was excellent............it won't be

Brian

[Pueblo_Boy]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Absolutely not, you are on a hiding to nothing with a car which has an advisory for underbody corrosion already, the damage is done.

I spent several weeks on my back under the old man's tourer removed the subframe, fuel tank and brake lines, then scraped off every last bit of factory applied underseal, treated the metal, then painted with first Bonda Primer ( the red stuff you saw the subframe painted with), then four coats of chassis black, stonechip, finally black waxoyle, and cavity wax to all box sections, before refitting the tank and completely overhauled rear suspension.

No commercial outfit would do that, it would be a pressure wash and a lash over with some "wonder" treatment, more than likely sealing in corrosion cells, and accelerating the tinworm.

I'm sure there will be someone else along in a jiffy to tell you how they had their car done for £30 and it was excellent............it won't be

Brian

Thanks for those salient words. I remember your posting showing the newly painted rear subframe, what a good job you did on it! A proper job, which would undoubtedly cost many more times the value of my car to do, but how satisfying was the feeling once completed!
Unfortunately, I cannot undertake such a mammoth task, so it's either a botch job with a few spray cans to ward off the MOT inspectors for now, or sell the car...

[COLVERT]

Go for the DIY job and get as much out of the car as you can.
Brian is a perfectionist but you can't be that and a pensioner at the same time.--( I KNOW cos I'm 83 this year. )

Best value for you is to run the car into the ground then get something small and economic to run.

Happy motoring.----

[macafee2]

I was wondering the same thing with surface rust, how is best to tackle it? With cars the ages of ours rust is going to rear it's ugly head.

I just don't know how to fight it

macafee2

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by macafee2

I was wondering the same thing with surface rust, how is best to tackle it? With cars the ages of ours rust is going to rear it's ugly head.

I just don't know how to fight it

macafee2

If it's only SURFACE rust then it's easy to deal with.

I had an advisory three MOT's ago. Passed every time since with no mention of rust. Our cars just don't have enough value for any major work. ( So easy to turn them into bottomless money pits if you're not careful. )




PS. MarinaBrian is VERY rich.--

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by COLVERT

If it's only SURFACE rust then it's easy to deal with.

I had an advisory three MOT's ago. Passed every time since with no mention of rust. Our cars just don't have enough value for any major work. ( So easy to turn them into bottomless money pits if you're not careful. )




PS. MarinaBrian is VERY rich.--

whats the best way to tackle it

macafee2