Hi All,
I've already been down the preventative route with the rear wheel arches, and intend to take all the plastic under trays off to look at the condition of the rest of the floor and sills etc. All looks to be pretty good so far. I plan to Smoothrite and underseal everything I can get my hands on, and to waxoyl as many of the cavities that I can see and get at as possible too. I'm hoping to keep her in good shape for a good few years.

Where are the main spots to aim for? Is it worth taking off the door cards and doing the door cavities? I'm not sure if the doors are Aluminium or not? Do they still need doing to prevent oxidation?
Is it adequate to just wax inject the tailgates through the drainage holes, or is it worth taking off all the interior trims for better coverage?

Thanks for all your help!

Si.

FFRR MY06 4.2 SC

Rear hatch, along the bottom edge mainly but have seen them bubble up in other areas.

Subframes can look bad with rust on UK and Northern Europe cars but are thick walled so it’s mainly cosmetic.

Would recommend POR15 over smoothrite , if applied as per directions it’s amazing stuff

I removed tailgate panels before applying Dinitrol , but you could probably get away with using the drainage holes with a long thin applicator lance 4.2 SC - sold , now bought back
4.4 AdBlu Tractor - Stolen

Interesting. Never heard of it. Too late now though, I've already bought my stocks! Thanks!

ur20v wrote:

Rear hatch, along the bottom edge mainly but have seen them bubble up in other areas.

Subframes can look bad with rust on UK and Northern Europe cars but are thick walled so it’s mainly cosmetic.

The LH wheel arch rust seem to start from the inside, from below the entertainment system. Won't do much good to do preventive work on the outside if that's the case.
The sills also rot from the inside. Mine were full of very fine dust (mud), aspecially near the rear arch.
This is inside the metal sill, not between plastic and metal. Also causes it to rust from inside-out.
Where the plastic in the wheel well reaches the sill plastic, there is a gap, I believe this also creates an ideal space for rot to take place. Moist and dust that cannot escape. 2007 L322 3.6 TDV8 Stornoway

I know where you mean about the arches from the inside out. I did however manage to get a lot of waxoyl into that area with a probe. You can reach it through the holes that the pop studs for the plastics go into. I suspect a lot of the sill areas can be done in The same way as there are pop studs all along the length of them for the plastic oversills. I’m even tempted to drill small holes to get the wax in the sills and then plug them with grommets. If you get a professional wax treatment done they will do that anyway. You just have to paint the holes too and make sure they are not a rust trap in themselves.

Are people also protecting the subframes?

I’ve had arches and tailgate done already, but it’s the front sub I think particularly looks the worst. It’s a 2012... gulp. 2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Baltic Blue, Jet interior
1997 P38 2.5 DSE auto & 1998 P38 2.5 DT Manual
1988 Vogue 3.5 EFI - Manual, gone.
2004 Volvo C70 2.0T convertible, had since new.
2007 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Roadster/Coupé, had since new.
2024 Mini Cooper S cabrio, JCW kit, 2.0, DCT auto

In addition to the above, the brake lines are prone to rusting,mine were waxoyled every service after about year three, as advisory on MOT by then (2012 WM, admittedly used off road and lots of salt on roads in Scottish Borders). Only Range Rovers since 1988

I plan to do all I can reach. It’s really in great shape at the moment so I plan to try and keep it that way.

CS wrote:

In addition to the above, the brake lines are prone to rusting,mine were waxoyled every service after about year three, as advisory on MOT by then (2012 WM, admittedly used off road and lots of salt on roads in Scottish Borders).

Replace with Kuniform/Cuniform, no more rot EVER! 2008 L322 Vogue 3.6 TDV8 in Java Black with parchment and Navy interior. 125000mls.

I used to be indecisive and have a split personality... but we are ok now...I think?

Apologies Kunifer...  2008 L322 Vogue 3.6 TDV8 in Java Black with parchment and Navy interior. 125000mls.

I used to be indecisive and have a split personality... but we are ok now...I think?

was behind a 56 plate today boot lid rust holes all the way through