Rustproofing for cars. Waxoyl? Dinitrol? Owatrol?

[barry2017]

Hello

I thought there are a lot of car restorers on this forum. So bear with me.

I have a Romahome. Fab little campervan, based on a Citroen C15 and made by the company that made bodies for Austin Healey on the Isle of Wight. I bought it years ago, and when the original van died had it transplanted onto a new van a couple of years ago. I don't drive it when there is salt on the roads, but the tin worm is still starting to get a grip.

It was Waxoyled years ago, but I'm long overdue a new treatment. I'm not going to Waxoyl again (I did the boat in it once, and was less than impressed with the results). But what else is out there? Dinitrol? Dynax? On boats, we used to use something based on fish oil called Owatrol. It is incredible stuff. I might get the trim off now (lots of water traps on those old Citroens), brush rust converter on the bad bits, then Owatrol, and something else when the weather gets warmer.

What would you do?

 

[legrandefromage]

Used engine oil, warmed up then sprayed on with a garden weed killer pump sprayer thingy.

 

[Cavalier]

A lot of rust-proofing should really be down to preparation. I remember some members of the Mercedes Benz club moaning about Waxoyl while admitting that they just sprayed it about under their cars, whereas, they should have spend a day or two cleaning and prepping the specific surfaces for treatment. A good friend of mine, who is a material scientist, likes Waxoyl but only when it it delivered with a high pressure but low volume spray. There are some other treatments that he has mentioned which I could ask him about if you like?

 

[MR OX]

Re:

I've heard alot of good things about buzzweld, it's very popular with the land rover guys

 

[barry2017]

Interesting, gentlemen. Thank you.

I only have one issue. And it is not to demonstrate my superior knowledge or be any kind of know all, so please don't take it personally.

Mark, please don't reuse old engine oil for anything. It's carcinogenic. My mum died a long, brutal death because of skin cancer. In the end, they took her face away, and you could see her skull. I still have nightmares about it now, and she died ten years ago.

Cavalier - I'd really appreciate you finding out some more. I might be being unfair to the Waxoyl, but the way I used it (coating a bare hull) was a bit pointless, it just dried out and cracked. I might as well not have bothered. The plan was to steam clean everything, let it dry out, then apply the treatment direct over the existing treatment. I will, of course, use something different if the consensus is that's better.

MR OX - that's a new one on me. Intriguing. I will have a look. Plus, it means I could justify buying a compressor....

 

[highlandsflyer]

Ach, everything in moderation.

Most good things will kill you.

 

[Cavalier]

Hello Chris,

I've sent an email and will pass on the reply when I receive it.

All the best,

Jon B

 

[Cavalier]

Well, my good chum Bruce Dance has got back to me with an answer. There's some good info regarding the wear and tear to any proofer that is worth considering as well as the location of application.

I was thinking again today that I know a man who runs a vintage mini restoration company (apparently the best in the country). If you like I'll ask him how he treats his minis - British Leyland - rust? - surely the two do not belong in the same sentence
His company link is:

http://www.cambridge-miniworks.co.uk/

I can pop along and ask him if you like?

Jon B

Hi Jon,
I've had a few instances of 'drying out' with clear waxoyl in recent years; it might be a QA issue, or it might be something else that allows the lower melting point components to flow away, leaving very little behind (the waxes start to soften at about 45-50C; an exposed metal surface like a boat hull can easily exceed that in direct sunshine).

These days I prefer to use black waxoyl, and I will modify the composition if I think it will do some good. In any event waxoyl isn't great in 'high wash' areas (like the inside of wheelarches) but then it isn't meant for that.

IME if you use waxoyl on the vulnerable parts on outside of a (winter bike) bike frame it will last a year or two before another application is required, and that is good enough for me.

There are lots of other products on the market; many of them look as if they are going to work OK to start with, but what you can't easily see is what corrosion inhibitors are in the mix, how well they fend off highly acidic conditions (that you get once rusting starts), and so forth. Few third-party tests will assess this very well either.

cheers

Bruce

Interesting, gentlemen. Thank you.

Cavalier - I'd really appreciate you finding out some more. I might be being unfair to the Waxoyl, but the way I used it (coating a bare hull) was a bit pointless, it just dried out and cracked. I might as well not have bothered. The plan was to steam clean everything, let it dry out, then apply the treatment direct over the existing treatment. I will, of course, use something different if the consensus is that's better.

 

[Adruzzz]

Dinitrol

 

[barry2017]

Interesting.

Jon, that is a thoughtful reply from your friend. In the application I used it for, the waxoyl was applied to the inside of the baseplate right below the waterline. It stank for ages because the white spirit never evaporated. It was really disappointing because I spent days degreasing and cleaning everything.

If you are seeing your mini restoring friend, that would be great. Another opinion from someone with real world knowledge would be great.

Andruzz, I am thinking Dinitrol is the one to go for.

I suppose with any sort of job involving a paint finish, the answer might be that preparation is everything, and there isn't that much between them. I have been very impressed with the way plain old WD40 has kept my 1951 Raleigh Lenton in check in a shed so leaky that untreated metal goes rusty very quickly.

It would be no good if the van was being driven, of course, but if it's just going to be trundled up and down the road a couple of times all winter perhaps it's a contender until the next hot weather, which you really need to apply Waxoyl/Dinitrol/anything car specific.

I could clean everything now, then squirt it around once a month until spring. I think that's what I'll do.

Ask me in the spring.