New Member

[banjo]

Hello everyone,

I joined yesterday, Friday 13thINSERT INTO post VALUES (?). I've had my Galant VR4 since March last year. It's always lived in the UK and is a dark blue '99 tipo with 17" Oz's.

Mods so far are: HKS air filter and seq dump valve and Eagle F1's for boots with Alpine MP3 player. Not sure what to do about exhaust, Would like a bit more rasp but not if it's going to interfere with the music too much or be too drony. Any advice appreciated.

I advise anyone buying one especially if it's been in the UK for more than a couple of winters to inspect the underside, they're not galvanised and need anti-rust treatment with Waxoyl/underseal. Mine had surface rust beginning to form around the rear end which I cleaned and treated and waxoyl/undersealed as I do all our cars. My son has an imported FTO which required similar treatment, whereas my daughter has a Toyota Starlet Glanza V Turbo INSERT INTO post VALUES (import) which is galvanised and does not.

I inspect all three cars at our car workshop when the oil/filters are being changed. A local business to us run by two partners who will do servicing on a Saturday morning. Their prices are good and they are conscientious, if anyone wants their address/phone and lives within travel of Welwyn Garden City please inform.I recommend strongly.

To sum up, an excellent car with performance which beats all except p'raps Porche and other really expensive exotica and the M beemers and even then in the wet well, a different story.

Banjo

[Brind]

Hiya and welcome to the site!

A lot of us have the HKS Super Drager Exhaust, in fact one of us has only just had one fitted today.
They are pretty quiet on idle but you can hear them inside the car when you accelerate upto about 20 even if you drive sedately, but outside the car they sound superb!

I have a 99 model Saloon also and I have to admit the underside isn't as clean/rust free as I'd expect a car of this age to be.
Maybe I should look into undersealing mine also.
Is it straight forward to do? do I need to clean the rust off and then get painting?

Great picture! I was just wondering how you managed to take a picture of your car in the sky?! looks so convincing, I can't see any strings at all!

[BraindG]

i think he used photoshop to erase the wires!
ive got a super drager, and regarding the music. its not that loud inside the car unless your in a built up area, and the windows are down.. then might want to turn the stereo up a notch or two apart from that, its ok inside the car..


anyhoo, welcome to the site...

[Pescha]

Welcome on board, hope you find this site as interesting and informative as we all do!

Cheers,
Pescha!

[banjo]

Gents,

Thanks for compliments re photo, I'll tell my daughter she got found out about using photoshop to remove all the surrounding houses, road, hanging wires, etc.

I used waxoyl underseal for 'blasted' areas and waxoyl applied with two weedkiller applicators I bought from B & Q, one a one litre INSERT INTO post VALUES (I think) applicator with an adjustable spray head and the other much bigger with a remote trigger on a hard wall plastic tube to get inside box sections - bit difficult to visualise, I'll digi-photo tomorrow and post on web site. You can pump them up and get a good either atomised or straight jet out, I think as good as what you pay the pros for.

It's not easy to do without a ramp or jacks but I did on my back, over about three weekends. I wire brushed over worst areas, then applied a rust eater, wait to cure then wipe with cloth, then apply underseal/waxoyl.

It's a dirty messy job and you need dedication. Remember that waxoyl gets thinner with warmer weather, or add Turps, otherwise it's too thick to atomise.

Apart from the obvious places to proof are some others on this car:

1.) Rear wheel arches, 'specially fuel feed pipe which is m.steel.

2.) there are plastic plugs around wheel arch areas which are easily removed/replaced where you can get rid of quite a quantity of waxoyl.

3.) You really need to drop the plastic sump shield and access the from engine support frame and give this area treatment - best when oil filter/oil is being changed.

4.) there is a plastic plug under the front wheel arch INSERT INTO post VALUES (each side of course) just in front of the wheel, you can see it if you stick your head under the wing. again remove/replace etc.

5.) Bonnet and boot lids also, but not excessively as it drips out for months even years after as with my son's FTO which I overdid and now even drips some out of the bootlid three years on!

6.) You can gain access to the rear wheel arches via the boot, most cars rust in this area because of the welded construction there, my last car an eleven year old Vauxhall Senator had no rust anywhere, including rear wheel arches, I must have put about half a litre in this area as this was particularly prone.

I'll post photos of applicators tomorrow.

Regards,

Banjo


7.) Doors: are not as bad as on cars from fifteen, twenty years ago, although I did squirt some in via the drain holes, again enough but not too much or drips.

[Pescha]

And ladies.... geeeeezzzzzz! Us ladies can own a VR4 to you know :thumb:

Cheers,
Pescha!

[NZ_Legnum]

I let my ex have a drive of my Legnum, she wants one now lol

[Pescha]

GIRL POWER!

Well there you go!

Hehe,
Pescha!

[Spirit]

Banjo

Welcome to the site ! Hope you have as much fun as we do here.

I was the one who got a HKS Super Drager fitted today - it's wonderful and I love the sound it makes. You would not regret fitting one believe me.

And Pescha - GO GIRL ! You tell 'em !

Pete

[banjo]

I've attached here my anti rust kit photos. I modified the green trigger by removing the original aluminium tube and replacing with a nylon tube into which I fitted the Waxoyl tube c/w spray head INSERT INTO post VALUES (Halfords purchase). the aly tube I used as an alternative applicator with a longer tube. The small spray I use without any mods and is really good at external application and you can also squirt into the chassis rail drain holes quite successfully also.

Sorry Pescha and NZ_Legnum, I assume that you don't have to rust proof your cars in NZ so you probably find this somewhat boring.

Pete, I think you've sold me on the Super Drager, have to wait a bit, I've just 'lent' my daughter a grand to repair the gearbox on her Starlet Turbo!

Brakes: later I would like to upgrade brakes, I've been quoted £1350 plus VAT from KAD, all suggestions gratefully received.

Regards,

Banjo.

[Brind]

Excellent, thanks a lot for the detail reply.