Bargain Basement Motoring

[Huskyxantia]

Like that lower arm !

[myglaren]

I've just been varnishing a fork handle (not four candles). Found half a metric gallon of varnish in the dreaded cupboard under the stairs, must have been there for years, unopened.
For the final five coats I had dug out some wire wool (doesn't scratch like sandpaper and is better for curved surfaces) and discovered some that was like cotton wool, very fine and soft, that 'polishes' the varnish but leaves microscopic abrasions for a further coat to key to.
I imagine that that would be a possibility for cleaning glass/plastic lenses. I'll give it a go on my specs (not).

Daughter binned her Megane with the Milky Headlights so can't experiment on that.

Image - Wikipedia

No label on mine and haven't a clue where I bought it, or why, but it is probably 00# or 000#.

Used 2# to prepare it, mainly as I had been using it to prepare my shovel for painting.
Son took it a couple of years ago and meant to replace it. Finally did last week but the new one won't fit on the rack, so swapped them. Covered in rust an flaking. Scraped, wire-wooled and six coats of black Hammerite* later it might last a year or two (always outside).

*also lurking in the cupboard. A virtual Alladin's Cave but full of junk.

[NewcastleFalcon]

I havent yet tried the next stage of renovating the headlights yet, faffing about with that lower arm.
One of those very simple jobs which took the Autodoc guy all of 4 minutes without using an anglegrinder.

Anyway that came off and new one arrived Wednesday simple fitting job. Already took the you tube tip of having the driveshaft and hub in as horizontal a position as possible to get the arm into place. True enough easy.
Three bolts and nuts to fit, starting with the rearmost then the front-most long bolt which on the Micra goes through a subframe mounting link with a bush, before going through the bush in the arm.

Easy enough to line up the bush in the arm, but the subframe link I was finding frustratingly impossible. Abandoned it for a couple of days. Today I had a brainwave. Like a good boy I had mounted the car on an axle stand which I tend to place under the subframe as a matter of course but with the Micra the lower arm front bolt when removed allows the subframe to be "free" at the bottom end bush of the subframe link. With the weight of the car resting on the axle stand the subframe is free to rise as far as the link bush allows and the holes dont line up.

The solution jack the car up off the stand, and hey presto the long bolt simple slips through the subframe link bush, and the lower arm bush, and probably 2 hours of frustration the other day, which would never have been solved that day, was solved this morning in a matter of seconds.

The words maybe don't explain it too well, and the picture probably not much better but at least its done now!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Well done, it does look like the upper arm and drive shaft could benefit from a coat of Kurust and then black hammerite to give them a few more years!!

[Rp0thejester]

Is it possible to still get Rustroy? Not seen it in years but always seemed good for rust even though it was purple.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Is it possible to still get Rustroy? Not seen it in years but always seemed good for rust even though it was purple.

Back in 2008 the firm Wymark supplied it in 5L cans according to this, but even then seemed a bit scarce.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... %20had%20a

Regards Neil

[Rp0thejester]

Oh that's a shame, I remember it in little bottles. But 5 litres is still worth considering. Thanks for the link

[myglaren]

There was something in small cans that passivated* the rust and turned it purple. Seems to have vanished too.

Bilt-Hamber do some rust killer products and have a good reputation, may be worth a look.

There is also a Hammerite primer, used to be called Finnegans #1.


*spellchecker would have this as "passivized". Bloody Americans

[Rp0thejester]

Lol, I've used waxoyl before but more as a preservative. I know it was used to preserve the Halifax fuselage at Hendon IWM, not sure how good it would fair against rain and road salt in winter. But I do remember Rustroy being very good at stopping rust, we used it on a Mk 4 Cortina V6.

[myglaren]

I used Waxoyl extensively and wasn't convinced.

[mickthemaverick]

This is the stuff I was referring to, available from many outlets around here!!:

Own work

[bobins]

I have to ask - what do you use the Holts Ass Paste for ? Burning holes ?

[Rp0thejester]

[mickthemaverick]

I have to ask - what do you use the Holts Ass Paste for ? Burning holes ?

Its great for treating flatulence, as you can see it says on the tube Resists vibration, Permanent seal guaranteed!!

[Skull]

I had a read through this thread after your AA Box link and although not in the same league as your bargains Neil and whilst it wasn't purchased at the Bargain Basement level it could soon be considered a bargain now in my 7th year and approaching 30,000 miles ....
bought 9 Mar 15 @ 121,630
Xantia 2.0 HDi SX Hatch Purchased £576.33 (inc train fare)
Estimate @ £1,000 on service parts (Might do an accurate tally up)
Approx 5.5p @ mile before adding on Ins/Tax /MoT's