Rust proofing effective?

[300UGUY]

I am buying my wife a new vehicle in a few weeks, I am interested in rust proofing. Is any of it really any good? I try to buy new and drive it to death. Most cars around here are showing rust after 5 to 7 years. A lot of salt used around here.

 

[whistlepig]

I have never been interested in rust proofing. Rural here and I come home in the wee hours of the morning many times and the roads not cleared. Two hour round trip. More wear and tear on my drive line from long time driving in 4WD than damage to the finish. I put my maintenance cost into the drive line. I would do both if I could afford.

 

[BLUE ME]

Howdy.
Living on the east coast of Canada rust proofing is the only way to go here.
Once a year I have my truck rust proofed usually this time of year.
It will also help when repairs are needed as nuts and bolts turn a lot easier.
My last truck was 20 years old when i sold it.
Cheers.

 

[SPIKER]

One big thing is that RUST is a Electrochemical process and Salt on the body/frame speeds up the Electrochemical Process a LOT. There are several methods to prevent it undercoating/rust proofing spray on is one of them. A newer method is Electrically connecting (bonding) all the panels/frame properly and using a battery charge to neutralize the stray currents slowing the Electrochemical process. These devices bond to clean metal and send out small charge thru the body from one corner to the other.

The advantage of coatings is to prevent water/salt from getting too the metal. When O2 and other chemicals contact steel it converts it back into Iron Oxide at varying rates. More moisture, salts, chemicals the faster the reaction.

For the Electrical Devices to work they need to have all the body panels bonded together well, (little copper straps with self drilled screws attaching all the body panels to frame.) You see these on hood and deck-lid hinges/doors most common but rarely on Fenders or Bumpers (when they were metal.) My Brother-n-law had one of the electrical devices installed on his 93 F150. The front and rear Bumpers both rusted normally however the fenders and bed were real clean still vs trucks without it. He was NOT one to WASH his truck all that often either... It DID draw current from the battery all the time about like a security system but he drove it 5+ times a week to work so never had issues with dead battery.

The best bet would be for a NEW car to make sure everything is well bonded with wire straps. Install one of the electrical devices THEN have it fully undercoated.

One thing with undercoating is to make sure ALL of the DRAIN HOLES remain open. Dirt and Undercoating can clog them up and water sets in there & salt gets added (well we all know those results.)

I have also seen cars where owners used motor oil/trans fluid and sprayed underside of everything
that lasted well vs undercoating/nothing. BUT usually those people are ones who wash cars in winter to clean off salt too...



Mark

 

[Gem99ultra]

I am buying my wife a new vehicle in a few weeks, I am interested in rust proofing. Is any of it really any good? I try to buy new and drive it to death. Most cars around here are showing rust after 5 to 7 years. A lot of salt used around here.

I can only speak of Ziebart. I did have the Ziebart coating done on my last new pickup - but...

The Ziebart dealer/installers drilled access holes everywhere, sprayed in this black tar looking coating, and stuck yellow hole covers in many holes. Now - this was a brown truck, now with yellow dots in many exterior holes. Furthermore, the black goo dripped for the next 10 years, sometimes down door panels, floor, etc.

I was really unhappy with the Ziebart installation system. On the other hand, the pickup never rusted one iota. Hopefully the rustproofing process is better now.

I did think that new vehicles came already with rustproofing? Did I not read that they were dipped in phosphoric acid or some such mixture before painting? And that they come with some period of no rust warranty?

 

[tcreeley]

Galvanized panels are nice - better than it used to be on a chevy pu, but I would still rustproof, including frame. I never used to replace brakelines, brakes - no need to. Since my area gave up on sand and turned to salt, by 60,000 miles everything needs replacing. Rustproofing is the only answer I have for it.

 

[jaotguy]

new cars are rust proofed at the factory .... good for 2 years ( approx) ... then have it rust proofed every year after that .....

 

[rswyan]

I am buying my wife a new vehicle in a few weeks, I am interested in rust proofing. Is any of it really any good? I try to buy new and drive it to death. Most cars around here are showing rust after 5 to 7 years. A lot of salt used around here.

My wife's 2000 VW Passat originally came with rustproofing from the factory - it was clear, waxy substance with a yellowish tint. ... possibly Waxoyl:

Waxoyl USA

Best stuff I've ever ran across ... 14 years later and the only places the vehicle exhibits any real evidence of rusting are the undercarriage and those places where something got banged into the car and the paint got chipped off.

Both are understandable, the undercarriage given the sandblasting action of road debris, and the light surface rust on the body, given the lack of paint.

I don't know what treatment or paint process they were using, but it took over 5 years - which included being driven in Ohio winters - for any rust to develop, where a large section of paint (3" x 4") got chipped off the passenger door.

 

[Mace Canute]

My 20 year old 4x4 3/4 ton Chevy has been getting annual rust prevention treatments from Rust Proofing Products in the United States & Canada since I bought it used 17 years ago. It's still solid even with all the road salt I subject it to. I'm fortunate in that my dealer who applies it does a very good job and as with so many things, the quality/effectiveness of a job depends a great deal on how well the work is done.

Stay away from the electronic rustproofing stuff, it's a scam and will not work on vehicles. Likewise stay away from any tar like treatments, like the old Ziebart stuff. They tend to not cover everything and if they do, they often form pockets that trap road salt water and are worse than nothing or else it block drain holes.

 

[PILOON]

I recently traded my 02 GMC Jimmy that looked like new. No rust but then I had a local oil treatment every year. At $75/yr I figure that's cheap. Sad part is it did not improve the trade in value but I did drive a clean looking car while I owned it.
Dealer is trying to convince me that my new KIA does not need rust treatment but I'll do an oil job anyway. Better safe than sorry.