Rust proofing

Just wondering what the thoughts. Years and years ago rust proofing used to be offered by dealers(probably still is by some). Then car quality improved and rustproofing became touted as a scam and not needed. So alot of rustproofers went out. Now fast forward to today, I work on cars all day long so I am under them alot. One thing I have noticed is the amount of undercarriage and component rust on younger cars 5-6years old . Not sure but it seems more on the cars that do highway or main road travel more than back roads, I am realating it to the more aggresive salt use and that liquid stuff the state sprays on. We don't have to be concerened with driving through snow anymore only three inches of salt dust .

So there is the question has anyone had rustproofing done? Or wish they had? were the results good/bad? I only know of one comapny Ziebart, anyone know about them? I am thinking of getting my vehicles done.



Thanks in advance, Eric

Eric, The only rust proof that works is to mix kerosene and old motor oil and spray it every where. The old rubberized stuff was not all that good as it got moisture under it and then things rusted worse. I have used kero/oil on my antique cars and my every day drivers with great results. If you are ever under a car or truck that leaks oil you will not see any rust. My Dodge truck that I plow with seemed like a rust magnet till I sprayed with the mix. I do it once a year after a good hosing down and let it dry for a day.

There is a product out now called Fluid Film that naturally is supposed to be good, the stuff displaces water & never hardens. Had my van done last month so I don`t know how well it works but it sure sticks to everything & also acts as a lubricant.

Eric,

Years ago we thought about doing the rustproofing as a side line here at the shop. The literature we received at the time basically said that you would use approx. $ 125.00 in material and labor costs but that you should charge $ 200-250.00 and keep the extra money to pay out rust claims later on....... Says a lot about the product doesn't it ??

We did do a couple of vehicles where we removed all access panels to thoroughly coat the interior spaces and gave a good dose to the undercarriage. Giving a real quality job, we still under bid the dealers who would drill holes all over the door jambs to stick a wand inside the cavities and have the car done in 2 hours where we spent 7-8 hours.

I would get something like a cavity wax type material for the interior and a spongy type tar material for the under body.



Rick

the 3 m stuff has been great in my opinion... a wee pricy but....

The oil and kero mix sound logical... I wonder if it came from a old rolls or jag repair guy...


Ummm.." sorry madam, thats not a leak.....Its meter'd chassis lubrication......."

Rick 386 wrote:I would get something like a cavity wax type material for the interior and a spongy type tar material for the under body.Rick

LPS3 in the interior body cavities. It leaves behind a coating of wax-like residue. I also use it on all the exposed Hydraulic pistons, if I'm putting a tractor implement up for an extended time. It's pricey, but works great.

This stuff WORKS: http://www.rustop.net/locator/

I used to spray my vehicles myself, I heated motor oil/waste motor oil in a turkey fryer to around 250º and then melted large amounts of parrafin wax into it. Once it was melted into the oil, the waxy mix would stay liquid down to a decent temp so that it could be mixed with a little bit of diesel and sprayed on the car's undercarrage and body cavities. It worked great, but it was a messy process. for the last few years, I've been using rustop, it's an jellied oil based rustproofing that's re-applied annually, it really works well. Don't ever use a non-oil based "rustproofing" they're a waste of money.

A friend of mine bought a truck when he was visiting a relative in Nova Scotia. It was an oldie. I was amazed at how they did the rust proofing up there. He told me it was a common thing. They spray either fuel oil or motor oil on the undercarraige then drive up a dirt rode for a while. They do that several times and it makes quite a nice layer. They do it every year. I was impressed. There was no rust on that 50's truck. The underside of the truck had a 1/4 inch layer of oil/dust. We scraped a little spot and it looked almost new.

Great tip just don't park your car/truck in my driveway.

mal91152 wrote:Eric, The only rust proof that works is to mix kerosene and old motor oil and spray it every where. The old rubberized stuff was not all that good as it got moisture under it and then things rusted worse. I have used kero/oil on my antique cars and my every day drivers with great results. If you are ever under a car or truck that leaks oil you will not see any rust. My Dodge truck that I plow with seemed like a rust magnet till I sprayed with the mix. I do it once a year after a good hosing down and let it dry for a day.

traderfjp wrote:Great tip just don't park your car/truck in my driveway.

mal91152 wrote:Eric, The only rust proof that works is to mix kerosene and old motor oil and spray it every where. The old rubberized stuff was not all that good as it got moisture under it and then things rusted worse. I have used kero/oil on my antique cars and my every day drivers with great results. If you are ever under a car or truck that leaks oil you will not see any rust. My Dodge truck that I plow with seemed like a rust magnet till I sprayed with the mix. I do it once a year after a good hosing down and let it dry for a day.

Does this eat away at the rubber bushings though? How long does it drip for afterwards?


Also Does anyone know of any rust proofing in PA?


Eric

Eric,

The only place that I know of that does it by me is Ziebart.

Doesn't drip very long afterwards (unless it's a VERY hot day) Doesn't eat through bushings, Doesn't hurt paint. DOES protect everything, paint, underside, frame, electrical components, brake lines, fuel lines, oil pans etc. well worth the money.

You don't want "ziebart". Oil, jellied oil, or oil/wax blend are the only rustproofings that work, stay FAR away from anything else especially the ones that just use wax, tar, or "rubberized" anything.

Most of the old rustproofing methods didn't work well or were counterproductive. Especially as the job was usually done in a rush. Cars rust less today because they now use galvanized metal underneath, better paint, and a lot of plastic above.

The oil idea probably works if you keep it up, but as a former mechanic I can say it makes them a total mess to work underneath.