Rusty Wheel Arch - best solution

[BigMan]

Hi All, My 91, XJS is mostly excellent, but now the rear wheel arches are seriously starting to rust. I believe one side has been replaced and another side is original.

Two questions :-

1. I live in Surrey. Can anyone suggest a good body shop ?? Anyone know what I'll have to pay for a repair ??

2. What would you suggest is the best long term solution to keep rust away from this area - I believe that rear arches will continue to plague the xjs. I've even thought about wrapping the whole arch in the 'paint shield' type plastic. Although I fear this may just trap the water.

Suggestions welcome.

Bigman

[jonc3725]

bigman,

Cant help with the body shop in Surrey but I replaced mine on both sides. When I did the repairs I used weld through primer and sealed all seams and open edges.
All I can recommend is to make sure you get waxoyl or similar right into the panel nooks and crannies in the boot over the top of the inner arches and behind the rear speaker pods and I used a good quality underbody sealant to try and keep the rust worm at bay.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/477 ... 117270.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/477 ... d41b82.jpg

If you look carefully you can see the black of the waxoyl I used.

It wont stop an XJS from rusting but it may help

[BigMan]

That's great advice, thanks Jonc.

It looks like new too - nice job.

Oh how I curse my incompitence at DIY - It's just that my beloved XJS is NOT the place to start learning

Bigman.

P.S When you post a message, I think there should be an option of body type 'rusty' !!

[Praetorus]

I have a similar problem with my 3.6 Coupe. Both wheel arches are so bad that I cannot even find a base to fit the chrome arches! Can anyone tell me if there are any arches available and if not is it a new rear wing? If so where on earth does it finish! I love my XJS but am retired on NHS pension so money is tight. Having said that I will do whatever I can to keep the old girl on the road.

[bokapita]

The only cost effective thing to do is to buy another one in much better condition. sadly. And if you can, keep the first to use for parts.

[Mr.Ian]

There are repair wings around that you can remove the section that you require, they run from the 'B' post (just behind the door) to the rear lamp and from the sill up to just above the body line crease. Full Jaguar replacement wings include the rear light box panels and the boot seal lip and the full inner buttress and boot seal lip and joins up to the roof (join is the flange under the rear window seal) and runs up to roughly inline with the rain gutter and is a brazed / lead loaded joint to the roof.

[jonc3725]

If anybody is interested I have two sections of half panels which go from the B post to the rear lights. I bought them to repair the tin worm on the rear quarter panel particularly on the return bend behind the rear bunpers as mine were rotten on both sides . The panels still have the pressings from the B post to the end of the wheel arch so would be usefull for anybody replacing arches and/or the panel behind the B post.

If anybody wants them then PM me and we can negotiate

[franrca]

Hi All

This is an old post, but from personal experience, an always relevant issue. I have had wheel arches brushed out, welded, resprayed etc, etc over the years and the dreaded rust will always come back - I guess it's inevitable, so the question is how long can you delay the rusting process.

I'm about to have my wheel arches 'tidied up', so my question is - has anyone tried auto armor paint protection film - http://www.autoarmor.co.za/paint-protection-film or anything similar to protect the work I'm about to shell out on?

thanks

Richard

[ptjs1]

Richard,

Having had a quick look at the product, I'm not sure how relevant it might be for XJS wheelarches. The corrosion that some seem to get on an XJS always seems to come from the inside rather than stonechips on the outside. I think that always cleaning the arches and arch lips thoroughly and regular wax treatment inside the arch cavity from the boot is the key. My 94-built XJS has stood up well over the years.

Cheers

Paul

[franrca]

Thanks for the response Paul.

I have found so many times that no matter who does the arches, the bubbles appear so soon that I feel like it's just a short-term solution - the quickest I've had has been 3 months for the rust to reappear on a Capri I owner many years ago.

The latest experience has been following work on the passengers side of my XJS, 1 and a half years ago, following a car reversing into me whilst I was waiting to leave the station...my fault of course as my car was 'too low to see'...or so she told me. Both wheel arches were repaired and it seemed a good job, but within a year surface orange started to appear on the rear wheel arch and a small bubble on the front one....and I still (foolishly perhaps) think this is a good place to have my car done - the classic cars that pass through there must be a testament to the quality of the work...or am I fooling myself?

I have already pointed out to the place in question that I'm really looking to hold the rust at bay for as long as possible and they suggested a protecting film, but not sure if this is the right one. TBH it gets on my nerves keep paying out for the same work, but if it's waxoyl that should do it, I'll ensure this forms part of the solution as I would have expected them to do that anyway as classic car restorers.

[oldtimer]

Here we go again "showing off" about my old 73 xj12

I have drowned the thing in Wax Oil. I removed the rear lights in order to put the lance in the vicinity of the wheel arch and rear wing lip. I've attached a bit of string to the door catch on the C post and lowered inside and sloshed copious amounts of Wax Oil in there. Along with every where else. And I mean every were.

So here we are forty years later and it still has all it's original panels.

I have often joked that there should be public sheep dips full of Wax Oil that we could drive through.

I believe every enthusiast should have a small air compressor and a proper Tex or Sealy wax oil injection gun and start treating their cars if they want to preserve them. It is so expensive to watch it corrode away before your eyes when a few quid's worth of Wax Oil will stop all the tears and hand wringing. There are hand operated Wax Oil kits available as well as aerosols which I personally found a total waste of time and money

I've written about this before and no doubt I shall repeat it in the future.

Please give it due consideration now. I have already been Wax Oiling my S Type and with some of the photo's of extensive corrosion that have been displayed on this site I am so pleased I.ve done so. Galvanised bodies - load of old tosh

There I feel better for that

Oldtimer

[franrca]

Thanks Oldtimer - I feel like I've just been in the boss' office getting a rollicking

The car has been fully waxoyled...er, but that was 7 years ago, so that's gone the way of the dodo and I'm well overdue for getting my hands dirty...thanks for the kick up the backside.

[ptjs1]

Richard,

Sorry to hear of your probs. To be frank, I'm amazed that a quality repair of an arch with both outer AND inner properly cut back and new metal welded in, would rust within 18 moths even if absolutely no wax protection was used. After all, the cars didn't rust there from new after 18 months.

I would suggest that next time you get it done (perhaps a different place?!) you say that you want to photograph it at each stage ie after sanding back paint, after rusty metal cut out, with new metal welded in, with etch primer on, topcoat on and after wax protection. At least, it would be difficult for a bodyshop to cut corners if you were photographing each stage. And, of course, if they are not happy about that, then walk away from them. There ARE good quality people out there who can do a good job.

I'm sure your photos would also make for a good article for the mag!

Paul

[davidr]

I love it when I park one of my cars in the sun on a hot day and it starts to bleed Waxoil!, Like Oldtimer, I regularly drown mine in the stuff and it does do a job!

[oldtimer]

Richard,
Interesting that your car has been previously waxed oiled. Your text indicates that it was carried out by a contractor? Without committing myself I can assure you that the methods used are often unsatisfactory missing the very essential nooks and crannies. Obviously its about time over cost. It's a slow tedious filthy smelly job and needs to be carried over several operation, so perhaps now is the time to shell out for the kit and do it yourself.

Oldtimer

Think of it as an old geezer with a few friendly words rather than a rollicking from the boss.
That comes next time