Full speed ahead on this bad boy. I couldn't find any turbo radiators just normally aspirated ones. So I took the rad to a specialist who reckons that he can fit a new core.
Then got busy with the wire brush on a drill and started cleaning up all the rusty coolant pipes and hoses and power steering cooler.
This is where I had a bit of a result. I had assumed this was for the bin as it appeared heavily corroded. However after a serious going over with the wire wheel it was actually remarkably solid. Both mounting bolts had sheared off, so I drilled them out and will refit with normal nuts an bolts. Then I degreased it and covered it Hydrate 80 rust neutraliser and hung it in a tree to dry.
Wire brushing with drill
Hanging out
Next up was a bracket with ruined captive thread. Cut the old one off, welded a new one on.
Then bottom water pipe thing. This one sits down real low at the front of the engine bay and takes a real hammering. Dumb place to put it if you ask me, but I guess its managed to last 20 years so probably beyond expected life of the car. It should have a bracket brazed on to the lower part of it that bolts to the front cross member, but this had snapped off. It was very crusty and I had hoped to get a new one but they are no longer available.
I began cleaning it up, but the crustiness soon started to turn into holes. Balls.
No other option but to cut out the damaged section and repair it.
I used 1 mm zinc coated steel, which I bent around an axle stand that I clamped in a vice, then covered both the pipe and the patch in zinc primer and welded it in. Pretty good result! Very happy. From actually deciding to cut it, to having finished the welding took just 15 minutes. I surprised myself.
Then it came time to paint the power steering cooler and lower water pipe. These don't have to look pretty as they are hidden when fitted. I opted for Jotun Jotamastic 87. This is marine epoxy, hard as nails and can go direct on metal so long as it is degreased. Painted both of then and then left them to cure.
I also painted the upper water pipe that runs from the thermostat housing, across the cylinder head to a further network of pipes. This one you will see when fitted, so I rubbed it down, rust treated it and then gave it a couple of neat coats of black engine enamel.