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Rustproofing, updating methods and products.

My Lux is a 15 plate and very disapointing underneath. Not shocking, but disappointing. I've started spraying it with chain lube. Starting to look much much better.

I assume that the chain lube stops the (existing) rust getting any worse - or does it actually do something like a proper convertor?
 
I'm booked in at South West Rust Proofing in a couple of weeks for their Dinitrol treatment - it takes them a few days to complete, but apparently it's the great stuff. £880 all in.
 
Oh few days. at before n after, the site mentioned its full day treatment but then it will take about 2 weeks for the coat to fully dry.
 
Local body shop to me is looking at 4 days work on my Hilux - steam clean day one, wire brush chassis, etc, day two, treat and paint any bare metal day three and then waxoyl day four (other treatments available) - will finalise details shortly... As Chris said, mine isn't bad yet, its just getting a little crusty and I want to get on top of it. We've kept the 80 series 8 years (so far, and Jan has no intention of selling it) and I'm thinking the Hilux could also be a long-termer all being well, so its worth spending some time and money on it.
 
I had my campervan (LWB MB Sprinter) done at Before n After. I'd give it a bit of a lukewarm review. Whilst the visible underside was done very well I had to go ferreting around underneath and point out a few places that were tucked out of the way that hadn't been done. There were also a couple of big plastic blanking plugs on the inside of the sills that he hadn't done behind.

Once he'd done it, I think the fact that nearly 10 years later, albeit only with campervan levels of use and abuse, the underside is still pretty solid (whilst touching lots of wood) so it definitely works. I was slightly underwheled by the attention to detail.

He did give me one of those slighly bonkers Japanese cube shaped cars as a courtesy car and we visited the Midlands Air Museum and the car museum at Gaydon so it was quite a good, if expensive, day out.
 
Not really sure Chad. It says on the tin that it penetates rust etc etc. What I can say is it's smothered it in a very even film, gone super dark and in the wet, disperses moisture like a duck!
 
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I contacted Overland Cruisers for check up and service for my LC 200. He very kindly offered to collect the car and get the service. In the email he also mentioned about doing rust proofing. At that time I thought I would go and meet him personally. Later it went off my mind and ended up booking rust proofing with before n after. I have to visit Julian as well.
 
Where abouts are you based Raj? Julian is usually very busy, so be prepared for a wait.
 
Thanks Chris, I might give the underside of my 90 a good jet wash to get rid of any Winter salt residue and give it a once over with chain lube.
 
How do we jetwash underbody? do you take it to any special place to lift it safely? if we jet wash under the body are there any special precautions to be taken as there are many electrical and mechanical parts. I do polish and wax my other cars regularly but never touched anything technical
 
I just use a pressure washer underneath. Theres videos on youtube showing how to do it.

I don't use full pressure underneath, but just enough to do the job. You can use a garden hose if you want.

You dont necessarily need to lift it, obviously it might be easier if you can (but be careful - if you're not used to lifting cars it then its probably safer on the ground!!!)

Because LC's are high anyway, you can probably look underneath and hose underneath without jacking it up!
 
I usually just leave a garden hose with a cheap rotating sprinkler attachment under the car for 15/20 mins so that the underside gets really soaked and then just jet wash.

I usually just drive the front or rear up my pair of ramps, which gives adequate access.
 
Wow yes this might work, I will try these at home techniques. I noticed there is a height adjustment button and the car lifts up significantly so I ll try that button and just hose it underneath. Thank you Karl and Chadr. The forum is very helpful. Thank you every body for sharing knowledge and keeping up the land cruiser community spirit
 
I had my campervan (LWB MB Sprinter) done at Before n After. I'd give it a bit of a lukewarm review. Whilst the visible underside was done very well I had to go ferreting around underneath and point out a few places that were tucked out of the way that hadn't been done. There were also a couple of big plastic blanking plugs on the inside of the sills that he hadn't done behind.

Once he'd done it, I think the fact that nearly 10 years later, albeit only with campervan levels of use and abuse, the underside is still pretty solid (whilst touching lots of wood) so it definitely works.
To be fair, MB stuff is pretty good out of the factory - my 2003 Sprinter 4x4 is still very tidy underneath, I've never touched it, in 6 years, other than washing.... the upper body on the other hand, well they seem to rot for fun!
 
This wouldn't be a subject for discussion if Mr T had the foresight to galvanise the chassis in the first place.
There woudn't be any competition either because the other makes would have no customers once the market realised a LC bought in your 30's if maintained meticulously could see you out, even in Britain where we have a fetish for dumping millions of tons of aggressive salt daily on the roads every winter, when in practice its needed only a handful of winter days south of the border.

For best underbody washing results i usually wash under several times during the winter any to stop salt building up, then last week after driving through heavy rain i drove through a local ford several times and once back home finshed the job off with my pressure washer, to which i have an L shaped lance fitting that has a particularly wide spray pattern , as said above you don't want silly high pressures you want a high flow rate and plenty of water.

Just waiting now for the warmer weather so can get underneath and do this years proofing.
Altering my method a little this year, going to be a combination of grease over accessible surfaces and ACF50 spraying in the more awkward spots (would try chain lube but got 8 litres of ACF to use up), plus its time inside the chassis and sills etc were redone with the Bilt Hamber cavity probes.

Just out of interest, there is (assuming still in business) a place near Doncatser i think that does proofing, supposed to be pretty good at prep work and somewhat more reasonably priced than what we're seeing so far, i don't have details so its a case of look em up.

Dave_S, your bodyshop sounds like the proper full job, can i ask how much that's going to cost.

It would be interesting to see under my 57 plate Hilux again and compare with similar vehicles not treated when new, it was intended as a long termer meticulously overserviced and babied but found we had no need of it after 3.5 years and sold it on (depreciation was excellent), looking back should have kept it, a trader up Harrogate way bought it, whoever bought that motor from him got a really good truck, have watched the MOT history since not a mention of corrosion anywhere, couple of years ago advisory front headlight and/or lenses, whether sun or other damage is unknown.
 
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Bodyshop quoted my £800 + VAT - may change depending on if we agree on any specialist coatings - which I thought was reasonable given the work involved. I'll ask them for pictures during the process...
 
How do we jetwash underbody? do you take it to any special place to lift it safely? if we jet wash under the body are there any special precautions to be taken as there are many electrical and mechanical parts. I do polish and wax my other cars regularly but never touched anything technical
This is my method;
IMG_20201210_124701.jpg
 
As for pressure washing underside have a look for haulage companies in your area as some have ramps for their trucks and can charge a good drink for cash
 
Dave_S, yes i suspected that was the sort of cost involved, but from what you say its going to be a several stage very involved job so was never going to be a drink job, looking forward to the pics if you'd oblige us by sharing them please.
 
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