MOT Advisory - Advice needed

RobotXander

RobotXander

RobotXander

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Joined
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Location
Highlands, Scotland
Hi folks, just after a bit of advice on an MOT advisory:

"Sub-frame corroded But Not Seriously Weakened"

Now my car is an 11 year old Vauxhall Astra, so this isn't a surprise, but I am hoping to keep it going for another couple of years at least.
I do all the servicing myself (brakes, oil, filters etc) and want to do something about this before it gets worse.
The garage told me to just clean it up with a wire brush, and then paint it.
Any advice with what to use? It does look a bit rough, but it's all surface rust and he said it's not that bad.

I was thinking about wire brushing it and cleaning it well, but don't want the bother of putting Deox Gel all over it.
Would Hamerite be ok? I know you get some that you can paint over surface rust after getting the loose bits off.
Has anyone done any similar work?

Thanks
 
I've just wire brushed and used hammerite in the past, seems to be fine. If you were doing a full restoration maybe go a bit more in depth but a coat of paint will give it quite a few more years.
 
That's what I was hoping, thanks.
Is it worth getting a wire brush attachment for my drill do you think, or did you get on ok with a regular hand held?
 
RobotXander said:
Hi folks, just after a bit of advice on an MOT advisory:

"Sub-frame corroded But Not Seriously Weakened"

Now my car is an 11 year old Vauxhall Astra, so this isn't a surprise, but I am hoping to keep it going for another couple of years at least.
I do all the servicing myself (brakes, oil, filters etc) and want to do something about this before it gets worse.
The garage told me to just clean it up with a wire brush, and then paint it.
Any advice with what to use? It does look a bit rough, but it's all surface rust and he said it's not that bad.

I was thinking about wire brushing it and cleaning it well, but don't want the bother of putting Deox Gel all over it.
Would Hamerite be ok? I know you get some that you can paint over surface rust after getting the loose bits off.
Has anyone done any similar work?

Thanks
Click to expand...
wire brushing it off and painting won't last long.
There's this fluid, you wire brush the lose bits, brush it on and it neutralises the rust makes it go black, then you paint over it. I forgot what's it's called.

I used it on my old polo when by accident I started in gear and floored the accelerator and left paint on my house. I didt get bigger after 4 years standing.
 
I'd imagine that by the time it's serious the car will be scrap anyway - I've had similar advisories for cars much newer in the past and the same year after year, frankly I really wouldn't worry about it if you only intend to run it for a few more years.
 
If you're doing a lot of work with the drill and write brush is highly recommend goggles to so rust getting into your eyes and ears defenders.
 
A lot of the time those sorts of advisories are just the MOT testers getting carried away. A bit of flakiness on a big fat slab of steel isn't worthy of an advisory IMO.
 
My Mazda 626 had an advisory about rust one year, the next year it had got so bad that it had affected the subframe and failed, amongst other things. Best to nip it in the bud in my experience.
 
Dis86 said:
Just to echo @Hades because he's giving really good advice on this one. Ppe up. Worth wearing a mask as well.
Click to expand...
Of course, boiler suit, gloves and mask. I already have the required PPE :)
That Red Oxide looks ideal, a bit cheaper than Hammerite, but the first I've heard about it
 
I had this on my Astra G last year when I took it to National Tyres for it's MOT. The chap was new and really went to town giving me loads of advisories for everything he could find including light surface corrosion on the rear subframe and axle. I got a selection of wire brush attachments for my angle grinder and got to work. Goggles are essential and a mask would be useful as well. Once everything was cleaned up I used this, two coats applied by brush and once dry a coat of waxoyl followed by another once the first had dried. The rear axle got the Metalmorphosis treatment followed by Zinc 182 primer and then a couple of coats of black Hammerite. I took the car back to the Vauxhall dealership for this years MOT (get half price MOT's with the free Vauxhall membership) and she sailed through with not a single advisory. I had a look underneath last week and it looks as good as the day I did it.
 
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yea red oxide is good stuff used it on a lot of stuff.
where you live I would do some prevention measures as youll see a lot of salt on the road this winter and it could make it worse. so yip wire brush and red oxide then a coat of hammerite underbody seal
 
Appreciate the replies, thanks. That's some work you put in there Pastymuncher...but sounds like it was well worth it.
Looks like Hammerite is a decent top coat after some surface prep and decent primer.
Hoping to get to work on it this weekend or next at the latest. Thanks!
 
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