3rd Pass On The Trot

[Bluesman]

Some people dread the day the car has to have an MOT but I always leave her in the village garage and go home full of optimism that she will pass and sure enough she does. a few advisories,  

• Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
• under trays fitted.
• Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
• Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
• Nearside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Front Lower Suspension component ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Another year of smiles, off too Nantwich Friday to pick up her replacement bumper. 

[Howplum]

A few things to keep you busy in the warmer weather then!

It seems there is no easy answer to resolving the surface rust on the rear subframe though. I'm tempted to take mine off the car, dismantle it, have it media blasted and paint it with POR15 or similar, replacing as many bushes as I can at the same  time. De-rusting it in situ looks a bit tricky, although probably quicker, and still achieves the same objective of preventing a further deterioration.

[The-Acre]

If the front lower ball joints are like the 430, and I think they are, they're very easy and not too expensive. A good result then!

[BigBoomer]

On rusty motorcycle parts, I've had good luck with a combination of Kurust and Hammerite paint.
Wire brush as much of the loose rust off as you can. I use a Battery drill with wire brush attachments.
Then brush paint on one coat of Kurust (wear gloves and long sleeves!) and let it do it's thing for 24hrs.
You can paint onto rust, bare metal and even existing paint/powder-coat.
Then brush paint on a coat of Hammerite of your favourite colour and 24hrs later another coat.
My GTR1000 swingarm and centre-stand get blasted with grit and crap constantly and it had stripped off the OEM powder-coating after 140k miles.
Since treating them like this they have done 60k miles and look as good as the day I finished them.