mishu 0 Posted July 19, 2006 Now that I'm going to put in the front and rear beams from a GTi, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give the underside of the car a good cleaning (while the beams are out), so.. What would you guys use? It was suggested that I either use a pressure washer followed by some degreaser, or a sand/soda blaster, and then apply a primer followed by some tougher paint. What could I expect to pay for a usable soda blaster, since it sounds like a more thorough solution? I already have an air compressor lying around, so maybe I could build one if I bought a spraying gun? This would also apply to the beams themselves, as they have to be cleaned as well. Also, it may prove useful on the interior as well... I hope what I'm thinking of doing is actually doable mishu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grim.Badger 15 Posted July 20, 2006 Now that I'm going to put in the front and rear beams from a GTi, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give the underside of the car a good cleaning (while the beams are out), so.. What would you guys use? It was suggested that I either use a pressure washer followed by some degreaser, or a sand/soda blaster, and then apply a primer followed by some tougher paint. What could I expect to pay for a usable soda blaster, since it sounds like a more thorough solution? I already have an air compressor lying around, so maybe I could build one if I bought a spraying gun? This would also apply to the beams themselves, as they have to be cleaned as well. Also, it may prove useful on the interior as well... I hope what I'm thinking of doing is actually doable mishu Unless you're willing to spend loads of time and use lots of paint I'd leave it. Peugeot did a much better job of painting these things than most of us can manage. I'd imagine though that the blasters would be best followed by a thick layer of primer plus paint and anti-stonechip. I'm not too clued up on paint though so I could be talking c**p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mishu 0 Posted July 20, 2006 Well, I'm going to refurb the front/rear beams from the GTi I'm getting and then see what condition the underbody is in (before I put them in). If it's not necessary, then I might just do myself a favor and not clean/repaint it. But considering it's a 16 year old car and it's never been cared after underneath.. I have a feeling it might need some work... BTW, anyone have experience building a soda blaster? I imagine I'd just need an air compressor (got one), and spray gun and a container for the soda particles.. or am I way off? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy_C 50 Posted July 20, 2006 I probably did mine wrong but I pressure washed the entire underside (well, from rear bumper to the bottom of the bulkhead if that makes sense), used white spirit to degrease and then thinned down Hammerite to put a thin coat on the entire chassis; the only bit I didn't do was around the exhaust as I started to feel a bit concours - start cleaning the underneath and where does it all stop...? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j-16 1 Posted July 20, 2006 You're getting a gti front beam???? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mishu 0 Posted July 20, 2006 Andy: yeah, that's what was suggested to me as well (well, one of the ways to go). You wouldn't happen to know what pressure the pressure washer provided? I'm thinking of getting one and would like to know what to look for. Either this, or a soda blaster (but I have a feeling the pressure washer might be the easier way to go.. although it doesn't remove the previous paint). j-16: Yes. See this topic, as I have a few questions regarding the beam as well Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j-16 1 Posted July 20, 2006 Sorry, just asking because 205's don't have a front beam but I think I understand what you're doing anyway! I cleaned the underside of my car with a wire brush/wool then repainted with underseal. To be honest i wouldn't bother again its very messy and the underside was in fairly good condition and will probably outlast the rest of the car anyway. Might be worth giving the sills some attention and under the passenger seat as these are areas where the 205 can suffer a bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mishu 0 Posted July 20, 2006 I meant front subframe, sorry. I went to the official dealer for Karcher (www.karcher.com) today. They make pressure washers and the guy there said there is a 'wet-blasting kit' which attaches to the tip of their pressure washers and lets you blast abbrasive particles along with water. It's 220-250 Euros for the whole package (entry to mid-range), so I think I'll take that route .. pressure washing first and then sanding if need be. Oh well, now to decide which one to order and then get to work. I'm starting to strip the donor car on Monday so I'll try out the washer/sander on it first. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j-16 1 Posted July 20, 2006 Before you part with your cash have you checked the condition of the rear beam at all? Sometimes they can be past the point where they can be refurbed? If it's really bad you could need a new main tube and trailing arm shafts. Just a thought. James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mishu 0 Posted July 20, 2006 Well, I was planning to use the blaster/washer on the underside of the car, on the parts and also on the interior (so it's not just for the donor parts). But it is indeed something I will need to check out before getting to work on the beams. The rear beam on the donor GTi currently looks like this (not that you can tell a lot from all the dirt). Does the fact that the trailing arms are still standing in the air mean that the torsion bar is still in there? New main tube and trailing arm shafts? That's basically buying the entire beam (well minus the torsion bar and the two .. anti-roll bars? The ones in front of and behind the main tube) Hopefully it won't come to that... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j-16 1 Posted July 20, 2006 Yeah thats right, it could get expensive! Most likely though is you'll just need to replace the roller bearings and seals on the inside of the beam- this is cheap. The anti roll bar is the one that runs through the centre of the beam, the torsion bars are the ones on either side of the beam. The trailing arms are supported in that position by the torsion bars and it's these you adjust to adjust the hight of the suspension. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mishu 0 Posted July 20, 2006 Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain all these terms to me, j-16. I'll start work on the beam and subframe next week, hopefully I'll be able to rescue and refurb as much as possible from both. Thanks again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
j-16 1 Posted July 20, 2006 Good luck but have a search around the site too as there's loads of info available and I'm certainly not an expert on this! Post some pics of the beam and front suspension once you get them so we can have a look. James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
