ClassicRangieLeigh Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hi all, I've owned my Range Rover Classic about 5 years now, and in that time I've done a lot to stop the dreaded rust bug from taking its life. I've had the axles off, along with all radius arms, steering bars, anti-roll bars etc and put them through an industrial shot blaster. I've had two new sills and rear wheel arches, and have painted the chassis numerous times. The trouble is, it seems that no paint is hard enough to withstand the the wet road salt and gatherings of mud. My Classic is mainly a road only vehicle, do its not like I'm abusing it. The products I have been using are: First: Hammerite rust killer. (in the tiny bottle) Second: Hammerite No More Rust (in a beige colour that shows up if chipped off) Final Coat: A thick layer of Hammerite Gloss Black put on with a paint brush and left thick. Guess what, the rust has come back. What do you guys use to stop the brown crumbs showing. What is the best paint, or anti-corrosion sealant. Cheers, Leigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big.Mike Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hmmm... I think you might be onto a loosing battle with hammerite. Personally I'd use a good primer and paint and just keep going over it. Or try zinc... Cheers, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Zinc rich primer is good as a start. Although it sounds unusual, the best, hardest wearing paint I've tried is floor-paint intended for concrete floors. I guess if it survives for a few years with fork trucks being driven over it, the chassis or underside of a vehicle is a walk in the park! I tried it by accident after the paint I was going to use on my chassis had leaked air through the lid seal and turned solid. Floor paint was all I had - so I gave it a shot. Several years on, it looks pretty good! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I've had success with several coats of the cheapest gloss-paint you can buy, applied thickly! Unlike Hammerite etc, it stays slightly soft and so deforms when hit by grit etc rather than chipping-off like a hard paint is prone to do. I don't see the point of painting thick things like axle-cases or steering/suspension parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big.Mike Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 The biggest problem you might have is getting the hammerite off. There is something in it that "normal" paint doesn't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Roberts Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 For underbody I've started using the epoxy kit from rust.co.uk. I then over paint that with brushable enamel followed by underseal. Only did it last winter so time will tell. I use grey epoxy overpainted in black enamel to make it easy to see if any comes off. I thinking of trying black epoxy for my axles etc. when I do it. I think it's quite flexible so resistant to damage...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Very hard to get real performance data on a lot of treatments as very few people treat their car with several different ones & then drive it for 20 years and report their findings. I'm more inclined to believe stuff sold industrially that comes with tech backup than miracle cures sold in Halfords. I got some very heavy high-zinc-content primer from NWE paints that seems like a good bet - a 2.5l tin of it weighs more than a 5L tin of regular chassis paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Roberts Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I tried Galvafroid on the Bobtail's fuel tank. It wasn't shot blasted first but I did clean it down to bear metal with wire brush in a 4.5 angle grinder. I was disappointed how easily the paint was damage when trying to get the tank back in through a very small orifice....and like FridgeFreezer's paint the bloody heavy for a small tin - all the zinc in the paint..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I use red oxide or Zinc 182 and then Hammerite Undershield on axles, suspension and under-body parts as it's soft and flexible with high wash resistance. A few layers of that works wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heath robinson Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I used some stuff that they use on oil rigs, got from someone on here (as it turned out at about 1/4 the list price... ), and as said above, it was unbelievably heavy! The 15l paint tub weighed about 35kg!!! I've also used the Teamac zinc-rich primer from a farm supplies shop, and that seems pretty good. It seems to be a hard and fast rule that good zinc primer = heavy (lots of zinc in it) = pricey. But hey, what's it worth to only do the job once? I've also used the Teamac zinc primer spray on bits of my Capri bodywork, and that has yet to show any signs of rust, and a Capri would rust in a vaccum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 tractor or lorry chassis paint on a zinc phosphate primer is very good for this as you apply it quite thick, its a glossy finish so easy to clean and it cures really quite hard. it doesent matter what you use when you scrape over rocks though, anything will come off, even galvanising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 The only two products I have personally foud to do what it says on the tin are............... Bilt Hamber Etchweld...........good for exhausts too except the manifolds, as long as they are rust free. Deproma. Which is hard to get here now. Comes from France. You really can paint it on damp and greasy metal, and IMO is the best EVER paint for chassis and underbody stuff. It is also a rust treatment. But of course at the end of the day, we are ultimately all fighting a losing battle...................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny777 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Zinc rich primer is good as a start. Although it sounds unusual, the best, hardest wearing paint I've tried is floor-paint intended for concrete floors. I guess if it survives for a few years with fork trucks being driven over it, the chassis or underside of a vehicle is a walk in the park! I tried it by accident after the paint I was going to use on my chassis had leaked air through the lid seal and turned solid. Floor paint was all I had - so I gave it a shot. Several years on, it looks pretty good! Si same here ive used floor paint on my s2 chassis and still looked good after years ,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggie Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Well Leigh, I have been doing a lot of research this last few months trying to solve the same problem. I owned my RRC now for about 7 years or so & done a fair few repairs only to see the same thing happen, the rust comes back. When I first got it I tried hammerite thinking it as miracle paint, well it isn't as you & I have found out. I then tried jenolite on any rust I couldn't cut or grind out followed by red oxide & then a brush on enamel & on sills & wheel arches etc then coated with underseal. Some areas seem ok but I can still see areas of corrosion coming back even less than 12 months later. So it got me thinking what about those people that restore classic cars & spent thousands on them? Surely they don't spent a small fortune only to be met with rust & another full body restore in just a couple of years. I then stumbled on epoxy mastic primers & this is what seems to be the winning product for car restorers. It's a 2pk primer that apparently bonds to the steel at a molecular level filling in the pores of the steel surface so no rust pockets can form again & it's super hard & flexible. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/28117/epoxy-mastic-rust-proofing-chassis-paint/ There is also this stuff called jotun jotamastic that is cheaper but the same if you want bigger quantities. I believe the epoxy mastic 121 is based on the same marine paint as the jotamastic. https://www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk/primers/two-pack/Jotamastic_range They are both 2pk brush on epoxy primers that is used on boats, oil rugs etc. Only thing is they are not UV stable meaning they go off colour & chalky looking if subjected to the sun so need a top coat. Read more about it here. https://www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk/epoxy I'm just modifying some tree sliders & have just bought some epoxy mastic 121 for its anti corrosion & toughness, I plan to use some hammerite smooth black for the top coat as its quite tough & should work ok as a top coat but that's about all I will ever use hammerite for again. Any more repairs in the future I will be using an epoxy mastic primer, it's supposed to so tough that it doesn't even need a top coat if not subjected to UV light & if it's needs a top coat like the tree sliders I'll just use some hammerite. People restoring cars are doing the whole bare shells in this stuff & using custom epoxy 421 on the body panels. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/32736/custom-421-epoxy-body-primer/ As a rust converter I have just bought this stuff. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/28125/fe-123-rust-converter/ Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I'm not particularly fastidious but have found that waxoil worked well on my sj and trailer. The arches and engine bay always came up well on the sj after a jet wash. I tried a few different paints under the trailer and and it always looked pretty bad after a year, now I waxoil it looks about the same from year to year. Cheap, easy to apply, obviously only good for underneath though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicRangieLeigh Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Well Leigh, I have been doing a lot of research this last few months trying to solve the same problem. I owned my RRC now for about 7 years or so & done a fair few repairs only to see the same thing happen, the rust comes back. When I first got it I tried hammerite thinking it as miracle paint, well it isn't as you & I have found out. I then tried jenolite on any rust I couldn't cut or grind out followed by red oxide & then a brush on enamel & on sills & wheel arches etc then coated with underseal. Some areas seem ok but I can still see areas of corrosion coming back even less than 12 months later. So it got me thinking what about those people that restore classic cars & spent thousands on them? Surely they don't spent a small fortune only to be met with rust & another full body restore in just a couple of years. I then stumbled on epoxy mastic primers & this is what seems to be the winning product for car restorers. It's a 2pk primer that apparently bonds to the steel at a molecular level filling in the pores of the steel surface so no rust pockets can form again & it's super hard & flexible. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/28117/epoxy-mastic-rust-proofing-chassis-paint/ There is also this stuff called jotun jotamastic that is cheaper but the same if you want bigger quantities. I believe the epoxy mastic 121 is based on the same marine paint as the jotamastic. https://www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk/primers/two-pack/Jotamastic_range They are both 2pk brush on epoxy primers that is used on boats, oil rugs etc. Only thing is they are not UV stable meaning they go off colour & chalky looking if subjected to the sun so need a top coat. Read more about it here. https://www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk/epoxy I'm just modifying some tree sliders & have just bought some epoxy mastic 121 for its anti corrosion & toughness, I plan to use some hammerite smooth black for the top coat as its quite tough & should work ok as a top coat but that's about all I will ever use hammerite for again. Any more repairs in the future I will be using an epoxy mastic primer, it's supposed to so tough that it doesn't even need a top coat if not subjected to UV light & if it's needs a top coat like the tree sliders I'll just use some hammerite. People restoring cars are doing the whole bare shells in this stuff & using custom epoxy 421 on the body panels. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/32736/custom-421-epoxy-body-primer/ As a rust converter I have just bought this stuff. http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/28125/fe-123-rust-converter/ Hope this helps. Very helpful reply, I'll investigate these websites. We've got to keep these Classics, and all Land Rovers alive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 various oil leaks from engine gearbox etc do well for some areas but otherwise I've used hammerite and underseal. If you've done weld repairs Underseal is great put onto cleaned and still hot metal, gets into all the welds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Roberts Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 As per Reggie, I've used the epoxy paint from rust.co.uk after welding up the sills on my classic. Used grey and hen overpainted with black brushable enamel from the paint man, so I can see when the top coat gets broken through. I used two coats of epoxy mastic, the black brushable enamel then had underseal on top. We'll have to wit and see how well it works. Git some rust on the front inner wings so that's the next port of call! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 various oil leaks from engine gearbox etc do well for some areas but otherwise I've used hammerite and underseal. If you've done weld repairs Underseal is great put onto cleaned and still hot metal, gets into all the welds when i strippes my old disco down at the end of its life the front crossmember which was covered in grease and oil and under all that the factory paint was perfect. Even with what looks like factory "paint pen" markinkgs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I've often thought that LR should have fitted a steering box every 18 inches along the chassis, they would all still be as new Back on topic, I had a small tin of Zinc 182 in stock which I acquired from god-knows-where, so I'm using it on the engine bay side of my replacement bulkhead. Time will tell whether it's any good at corrosion resistance, but I won't be buying any more because it was horrible to apply. It's so thick it was like painting treacle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 various oil leaks from engine gearbox etc do well for some areas but otherwise I've used hammerite and underseal. If you've done weld repairs Underseal is great put onto cleaned and still hot metal, gets into all the welds An old MoT tester recommended to me a 50/50 mix of new engine oil & grease. Applied with a paint brush. Works too. You just have to be careful working under the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 A friend of mine used to recommend old engine oil, I just couldn't bring myself to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quagmire Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Over on classicrover forum.net (mainly p6's) everyone seems to swear by "epoxy mastic 121" which I think is what is sold on the rust.co.UK website already mentioned above. From the pics it certainly looks quite nice. Historically I have used Tractol on the land rovers, its designed for plant and agricultural stuff so should be in its element. Holds up far far better than hammerite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyNissanPrairie Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Rustoleum - combicolour, brilliant stuff, used it on my 110 and my Transit. Hammer****e is rubbish nowadays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPLP Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 An old MoT tester recommended to me a 50/50 mix of new engine oil & grease. Applied with a paint brush. Works too. You just have to be careful working under the car! I use new engine oil/gear oil on my land rovers before putting them into storage. I wonder how hot you'd have to get the mixture to put it through a spray gun? H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.