Introdction, and help in one thread!

[DeanR32]

Hi all

Just joined the forum after lurking for so long. Now I feel I can participate some and soak up some knowledge from you seasoned guys on here!

I've just picked up an old BMW 1602 in need of restoration and as you could imagine, it's got its fair share of rust which needs attention. I have a few questions but I'll start with the most novice one of them all!

The front panel on the car is completely covered in rust, but thank god it's only really surface stuff, although it looks pretty rough. What is my best method to clean it all down to clean metal, other than sand blasting as I want to do this myself? I'm thinking wire wheels on an angle grinder? Obviously there's areas that need leaning right back to show what needs cutting back and repairing but that's another question for another day!

And also, is there any reasonably priced aerosol products to coat the bare metals so it doesn't come back while I make my way around the car?

Sorry for the novice questions, but I'm sure I'll have a few more!

Looking forward to contributing to this forum more in the future.

Cheers
Dean

 

[Matt S]

Hi Dean,

You can use strip and clean discs on your angle grinder to remove everything apart from metal - just go carefully as they can wear out quickly on uneven surfaces/edges.

If the part is just bolt-on, you can drop it in a bath of bilt hamber deox-C, which will sort out any remaining rust after removing all the paint etc! I have been using this stuff to clean up parts and it works a treat, it takes a couple of days, and a few cycles of scrubbing with a scouring pad but i've found it works pretty well! But be warned it also takes off electroplating, as i found out with a couple of bolts i chucked in the bath!

For areas i want to protect i've been using bilt hamber etchweld, which keys into the metal and is also weldable (and supposedly non-porous), so it suited my needs, i think it was about a tenner for a pretty large aerosol from opie oils (online shop). You may want to consider a different one if you dont need to weld it, but i have been using it as an all purpose paint while i weld box sections, so the inside needs protecting.

I'm sure someone else will be along to give other views and welcome!

Matt

 

[DeanR32]

Thanks for the reply Matt.

I'll have to look into the bilt hamber gear, especially the weld over stuff. There's plenty to do on the whole car welding wise so that sounds the stuff I'll need.

I'm not sure I'd be patient enough to wait a few days for the bilt hamber stuff to work. Plus I'd need to strip the paint anyway. Most of the welding repairs will be local, so I'll look into them stripping discs.

So wouldn't the knotted wire wheels achieve what I'm looking for? I don't want to leave behind any rust in pitted metal.

Thanks again for your replies. I'm a complete novice at all this. Although I think I'll be fine with most jobs.

Where in Essex are you? I'm near Rayleigh but the car is near ilford. Anywhere near them two?

 

[jackjosh]

A 1602 will interest people on here, pictures please

 

[DeanR32]

Yeah sure mate.

I should have started this as a project thread.

Would it be ok if I started a new build thread?

 

[jackjosh]

I would certainly follow a new thread, they go pretty well on here and your car is interesting.

 

[DeanR32]

Cheers mate

Coming up in 20 mins

 

[Matt S]

Hi Dean,

I'm not far from you on both counts I live in snaresbrook and work in laindon for Ford

I'm not sure about the wire brush... I often read of people using twisted knot brushes but I haven't used them myself so can't really comment. I would have thought they would be a tad more abrasive on the metal though! Probably fine for what you're doing but as I say I can't comment from experience

Get a build thread up, everyone loves to read them

 

[Robotstar5]

Cheers mate

Coming up in 20 mins

Try to upload the pictures to the forum instead of using off-site hosts

 

[anjum]

A twisted knotted brush is fine, either the cup or the flatter version. But be careful and grip the angle grinder tightly as when you hit an edge the angle grinder will make a bid for freedom and may gash your arm!! Ask me how I know!!

Wear welders gloves and eye protection. The bristles that break off will pierce your clothes and sting BTW.

If it goes through the metal there wasn't much metal there anyway worth preserving!!

Whatever you use there will be pockets of rust which you will need to chemical treat with a rust remover or converter. I have not used a rust remover that works but have heard a lot about the deox c, I will buy that next and try it out. Rust converters are only good for the thinnest bits of rust as, IME, they do not penetrate, just convert the top layer.

If you are careful you can use a flapdisk to get to bare metal and then an etching wash.
I would then epoxy prime ( you can apply it with a brush for visually non important areas) and when you get back to it give it a sand with some 400 or so paper or scotchbrite pad before primer filler and paint.

I will also look at the Bilt hamber etchweld, as you say there's so many products out there claiming to be the answer to rust it's difficult to avoid the snake oil.

 

[DeanR32]

Excellent post Anjum, thanks

I'll definately be using wire wheels to strip back to bare metal just hope it's as effective as I hope it will be.

Says you're from London. East London by any chance?

I've started an actual build thread, so maybe we should use that one instead of here.

Cheers guys