When I replaced the sills and welded some repairs on Jem’s Mini a couple of years ago I just put a couple of layers of Hammerite black on but I always wanted to find something a bit better and more hard wearing. So a while back I did some research and found what looks like a pretty good option in Rustbuster Epoxy-Mastic 121. It is a two part epoxy paint that goes on quite thick and gives a very tough layer of protection. There’s very good information on the Rustbuster website.

To start with I stripped all the old paint, to get right back to metal, using a wire wheel on an angle grinder.

I also stripped paint off some of the inner arches where the original paint had lifted or there were any signs of rust beginning.

Next I followed the mixing instructions and got painting. This was a fairly messy job and very smelly meaning this isn’t the easiest stuff to work with, certainly not as simple as popping the lid off a tin of paint and slapping it on.

I think, though time will really tell on this, it’s worth the extra effort as the finished coat does seem good and strong and thick. It certainly offers better protection than the Hammerite that was on the sills.

I just brushed it on and the paint naturally dries to an even hammered finish which I’m quite happy with. It can be over painted to match the bodywork but I’m not too bothered about doing that, maybe one day when we eventually get round to repairing and repainting the rest of the bodywork.

I did this job over a year ago and, though the Mini doesn’t get used that much, the paint has so far survived perfectly with no stone chips or lifting particularly where you might expect it at the front of the sills.