letters to the editor

Protecting Our
Loved Ones
Story by: Mike Koch and Calef Letorney
As Land Rover enthusiasts, we are all too familiar with our beloved
vehicle’s legendary ability to rust. It only takes a handful of salty
winters or playful afternoons wading in the ocean for corrosion to
completely devalue an older Land Rover. Corrosion doesn’t just send
Land Rovers off to an early grave, it creates the need for many repairs,
significantly complicates otherwise quick fixes and diminishes the
pride and enjoyment of ownership. Being located in Vermont, one of
the rustiest places around, we take corrosion prevention very
seriously here at Rovers North. About a half dozen years ago Rovers
North got switched on to Waxoyl Professional and it has proved
the only product that can truly protect our Land Rovers from the
winter salt.
The best corrosion protection for any vehicle is a proper
professional application of Waxoyl Professional, but don’t stop there!
Keep an aerosol of Waxoyl Professional handy every time you work on
your Land Rover so you can treat hidden areas that your repairs
expose. “What?” You ask, “shouldn’t the complete professional
application protect my Land Rover 100%?” For most vehicles the
answer is an overwhelming yes, but not with Land Rovers.
Unlike a unibody car, older Land Rovers are assembled from
individual pieces and have a plethora of seems, crevices and
dissimilar metals contacting each other, all of which are ideal
corrosion traps. While a complete professional application of Waxoyl
will prevent virtually all corrosion, the only way to completely treat a
Land Rover is to rebuild it with Waxoyl in all the places otherwise
impossible to reach. Of course the ideal time to do this rust proofing
is during restoration, but for many that isn’t an option and so we
suggest making every repair an opportunity to rebuild that section
with Waxoyl in all the places that corrosion could start. If you live in
or often travel to a rust area, this approach is for you! Its simple, just
do the repair as normal and use an aerosol can to apply Waxoyl while
reassembling, turning every repair into an opportunity to further
protect your Land Rover from the never-ending attack of corrosion
The products
Waxoyl Professional 120-4 is typically used to spray inside a vehicle’s
body cavities and chassis. 120-4 has a low viscosity and creeps into
all the hard to reach spots. It is also clear so overspray does not make
a mess. The most effective way to treat cavities is using the Waxoyl
Professional spray guns and compressed air, but during a repair it is
easy to apply 120-4 on the surface using an aerosol then reassemble.
This method provides excellent protection and adds little time or cost
to a repair job.
Waxoyl Professional Hardwax is the opposite of 120-4. Hardwax
is black and rather than creep and penetrate like 120-4, it is thick
and durable. Hardwax is appropriate for areas exposed to abrasion
and particularly well suited for underbody protection. Underbody
application with the professional equipment is quick, clean and
precise, but Land Rover owners have been known to tackle the job
with aerosols. Hardwax also has great sound deadening and
insulation characteristics so it is ideal for the inside of doors, the roof
or the hood before installing the insulation.
To make the most of your Waxoyl experience we recommend
heating aerosol cans in a bucket of warm water. The ideal product
temperature for application is between 75-95ºF. Applying the product
cold can be done, but it does not provide proper coverage or
consistency. Also, when the product is cold it does not mix well
allowing the propellant to escape eventually leaving product in the
can with no way to get out. Which brings us to our next tip: Shake
well! Heating and mixing allows the user to maximize amount of
usable product from the can, leaving little waste. A little goes a long
way; a dry film thickness of 0.04 -0.05 mm provides effective
protection, so you don’t have to go overboard when spraying.
Waxoyl has long been praised for its ability to “stop existing rust
and prevent further rust.” Both products can be applied directly on
top of existing surface rust. Waxoyl bonds to almost any surface and
requires very little preparation before application, but excess
oil/ grease and flakes of rust need to be removed to allow t he
product to reach the trouble spots. Visit the FAQ at
www.Roversnorth.com/waxoyl to learn more about preparing your
vehicle for Waxoyl application.
At Rovers North, we’ve found Waxoyl 120-4 aerosol cans useful
for the following applications:
• Metal to metal mating surface preparation during assembly, such as
Land Rover Series/Defender door hinge installation.
• Coating electrical connections. Waxoyl is an insulator, displaces
moisture and bonds even in damp conditions.
• As a lubricant all throughout our Land Rovers (e.g.: hinges, lock
cylinders, window regulators, etc.)
• As a cutting fluid while drilling. Not only does it greatly aid cutting,
but it keeps the filing from going all over the place, and should they
wander they certainly wont start rusting if they are coating in Waxoyl!
• As a lubricant for equipment, such as booms, hydraulic
pistons, ect.
• As a protective coating for yard equipment and machinery during
off-season storage.
Hardwax is ideal for the following applications:
• Touching up areas where rust has popped out on the underbody
or engine compartment.
• A quick and easy solution for corrosion that has started on the
paintwork from the outside. Tape off the surrounding area and apply
Hardwax to contain the problem until it can be properly restored.
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