Topic

This may have been mentioned before, but......
A few days off left me with the opportunity to sort something I've been meaning to do a while: the stone chips/surface rust at the base of the front arches. Apologies for no pics! Never think.

I also completed wiring up the last of my 428 LEDs. Which may have a lie factor of 428.

Standard stuff: wheels off, wire brush in drillo, Kurust, mask up, primer, overpaintable stone chip, spray with rattle can in body colour. Halfords: excellent match btw. Final clear coat. Done. Pleased. Now.... Rewind.

I eased the arch liner away at the back to save masking. Remove self tapper and ease away from the arch flange. It was then that I was amazed by the amount of damp road crud that was trapped and packed behind the lower flange and spread up behind the liner.

I cleared it out with me airline, dosed the gap with anti-rust cack then, an old Skool measure: packed the space with grease. Inelegant but effective. Others may disagree. Waxoyl may be an alternative for those not born in the fifties.

Looking at how the liner fits, it's a perfectly designed crap trap. Something perfectly designed by MGR..... Woo.

Check yours out: remove the rear self tapper and ease the liner away and check behind.

I took the opportunity to replace the front and rear self tappers with new: even sprayed the front two on each side body colour. OCD anyone?

Good work.
And great to see you posting again John

A definite crap trap area! You should fit a grease nipple so you can top up the grease!

Been there done that

The former owner of my car lived on a farm or at least drove up a farm track.I took a 10 kilo bucket of soil from underneath the arches,a couple of which was behind the arch liners.

I used Stainless screws and washers,not quite as OCD as you John

Bob wrote: wrote:

The former owner of my car lived on a farm or at least drove up a farm track.I took a 10 kilo bucket of soil from underneath the arches,a couple of which was behind the arch liners.

I used Stainless screws and washers,not quite as OCD as you John

Excellent photo! For the uninitiated, remove that screw and gently ease the liner upwards and inwards to expose the delights beneath. Prepare to be amazed....

I found exactly the same when I did mine in winter 2011. Followed the same procedure as you john, but 3 years on and the paint has suffered stone chips and the dreaded tin worm is back.
I was thinking about mud guards but I think that will spoil the lines of the car and will probably become a moisture trap. Anyone got any ideas on how to protect this area better?

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I'm hoping that the stonechip coating beneath the paint I applied should bear the worst. If it gets damaged I'll scrape off and redo.

I was tempted by the arch spats but decided against in the end.

Did mine today. Had been meaning to get around to it but thanks to the naggers (and I mean that kindly) I got motivated this afternoon. Yes, I also found a pile of crap which was removed and after everything was properly dry, I applied a lot of black waxoyl (and I was born before 'young John lad') before replacing the lining. I have the MG mud flaps fitted and they don't make any difference to the accumulation of crap behind the liners but they do protect the externals cills - I don't have a problem with how they look.. But then again I like cloth seats.

Richard