winter preps

[asmith88]

winters coming in and i was thinking of getting the e30 prepped. its my daily driver so will certainly be exposed to the elements.
few questions..

where needs protected? arches,sills,under mtech kit, anywhere else?
what should i use? bearing in mind under the body kit will still be on the paintwork?
last of all, theres a few small dots of bubbles appearing in the roof? any products to keey it at bay until i can afford to get it done?

cheers andy

[asmith88]

nobody? i thought this would be a good thread with winter approaching?

[gazzaraggi]

yes. my thoughts entirely!! im new to e30s and want to keep her looking sweet over winter. Arches definately need protected underneath especially when the gritters are about!!

[maz72]

i was thinking of getting mine waxed oiled as i live up in anglesey north wales and we suffer from alot of salt on the roads when they start gritting so advice would be great please

[grantfk10]

Regular washing, with plenty rinsing. Agood coat of polish and wax afterwards. Simple! By this time of year, you're probably too late to start all that waxoil stuff.

[gazzaraggi]

Why is it too late, surely some protection is better than no protection Also is waxoyl the best, i have heard it traps the dirt etc and in the long run may cause rust, or is this rubbish as long as you clean beforehand?

[AndrewB]

i used underseal on my MGB worked really well, polish will remove wax so stick to just the wax and as said before keep it clean, jet wash inside your arches keep them nice and clean just general practice really.

[maz72]

cheers guys any other things i should prepare for the cold weather from the coolent ?? like i said this car is new to me and i have alot to learn

[BEERBOY123]

Keep a bloody big torch in the boot and a blanket/towel/coat/hat/cagoule etc in case you break down.

Check wiper blades too, and replace as they're only cheap.

I give mine an Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection coat or three about now too.

[Tom7]

Don't use Waxoyl! If it sticks it sticks like the proverbial to a blanket. Most of the time it does not stick that well. It also doesn't 'creep' that well so if it becomes stonechipped water works its way behind and it can become a big rust trap. Quite often people apply rust preventatives to vehicles that wouldn't corrode or in areas that wouldn't corrode quickly and then swear by them!

If you want to apply an underseal then dry warm conditions are best. You can apply dinitrol to 'damp' (ie. not totally dry material) but do not apply it to damp materials. Never apply traditional wayoyl treatments to anything but totally bone dry materials. They cannot displace existing moisture well. despite advertising the ability to 'kill rust' many don't they may cope with a light surface corrosion but not heavily pitted or rusted steel. The flaky bits of steel act as a barrier between the rust and the underseal.

I would advise using Dinitrol 3125 cavity wax for any nooks and crannies, inside box sections and trailing arms, sills etc. Dinitrol 4941 is a good heavy duty black way. If applied to reasonably clean dry material it will cling really well and resist stonechips and is good for the underside and wheel arches of most vehicles. I don't like to underseal a really clean car so just keep it clean and use 3125 on any rot traps.

If you do find rust, grind it out as best you can. If you 'go through' then cut it all out and weld in fresh steel. Otherwise it will spread! Use zinc primer if you have to have an overlap of steel. Only apply seam sealer to perfectly clean steel.

You guys may think e30s rust, but I work for a Morris Minor Specialist!