Anybody have experience with rustproofing their car?

Bought my 03 Accord from the original owner, who had it rustproofed every year. I don't know if I should keep it up because I'm not sure if it's legitimate or just the latest money-grabbing scheme. Worth the $80 every year?

 

I know a lot of people in the Hyundai community swear by Krown rustproofing and I've heard mostly positive things. However since Oregon does not use road salt, rust-proofing is kind of a moot point here.

 

California ftw!

 

Bottom line, depends on how you feel about it. If you like having the peace of mind of having that service, then for $80 a year, by all means go for it. If you feel a little funny about it, then get a good coat of wax and wax it and clay it every month. When there is salt and snow on the car, just make sure to rinse it off.

 

^ Rustproofing the underbody, not the paint.

 

From what I understand, by following the proper maintenance schedule (eg: coating once a year religiously), rustproofing can be very effective at discouraging rust from the underbody. I *believe* there are a few areas that will still get rust over time, but overall, rustproofing will keep it pretty rust-free. How does the car look so far with what the previous owner did?

FWIW, I've never done it and don't plan to with future cars, but yes, everything rusts.

 

^^^Maybe you're good at reading between the lines (Lord knows I'm not ), but where does it say about the underbody?

If so, about the underbody, my advice still stands: it's a peace of mind thing. If you feel like it's worth it, go for it, otherwise, just rinse off the road salt every week or so.

When I lived in Maryland, I would take my car to a specialty car wash that removed all deposits from the undercarriage of the car.

If you REALLY want to get down to the nitty gritty, and I have done this with a NY car before I moved to Florida, is to get the car on a lift, Dremel or grind down the "paint" from the metal on the undercarriage, and then powdercoat the frame.

 

^ When I hear rustproofing, I automatically think of the underbody. When dealers offer rustproofing, it's for the underbody. I've never even heard of a service to "rustproof" the paint.

 

I always thought of rustproofing only applying to the underbody as well. The paint is the protective coating for the body. That's why when you get a chip you touch it up to keep rust from getting underneath the layer of paint.

 

When I bought my first car in NY, they offered a rust-proofing paint sealant.

But I get what you're saying though.

 

I'm from SoCal, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Cars are all "rustproofed" from the factory to start, but it's still a legitimate concern in snowy areas.

Do you get to inspect the bottom of the car up on a lift at least once a year (like when getting oil changed, etc.)? If so, I'd be tempted to skip the annual rustproofing for visual inspections when up on the lift, then deal with rust if it occurs.

 

I have a 1994 Ford F150 that was rustproofed every year as specified. It's last treatment was 2004. Up until that point there was never any rust in the fender lips or beneath the doors. When the car was new, small holes were drilled into the inside of the jams and places not easily accessible. These holes were covered with rubber plugs. The plugs were removed yearly by the firm doing the rustproofing and materials sprayed into the openings. Overall, I would recommend it, especially because of your location.



Terry

 

I've never done it due to my location, but $80/year or $6.67/month is probably worth it to prevent underbody rust.

 

That's the main reason for this thread. I haven't had any experience with it, so if there are more success stories than failures then I'll have more peace of mind that my money is worth it. I rarely have access to a hose (apartment, underground parking), so it's nearly impossible to rinse often.

Well it's a 2003, so I don't think rust is due for another couple of years. The only rust is a teensy dot from a rock chip in the hood, and some leaky rust from the holes drilled for the rear plate. Engine bay is very dirty though, I talked to a detailer here in Toronto and he recommended just living with it, for fear of rinsing off all the rustproofing. Invisible with the plate on. I've had the car for a year and a half, so I've missed one year, but I don't think it'll matter in the long run.

I'd rather spray my car than take a grinder to it.

Yeah, I like to inspect the underbody myself whenever the car's up. Isn't this a preventative maintenance thing though? I'd rather do this in advance than wait for the rust to show up and deal with it then.

How does the F150 look now?

When you put it that way, it sounds much better.

I think I'm going to keep up with underbody rustproofing. However driving in the winter here every day, the salt can get up all over the car, almost halfway up through the doors. I don't know if you can rustproof paint though.

 

Certainly not like it has 300 000 kilometers on it. After sixteen years of road salt combined with -40 temperatures it looks amazingly well. I've had numerous trucks since then, but this was the only one that was rustproofed. I think it was money well spent.




Terry

 

What's this rust you are talking about?

 

 

Paint doesn't rust, so there's really no such thing as effective rust-proofing paint sealant. What the dealer was probably actually doing was $500 for them to add a layer of turtle wax to your car (if they really did anything at all).

 

AMAN: If you're willing to put up the money each year, follow the recommended schedule, and if you are planning to keep the car long enough for it to actually matter - continue doing it (assuming you already notice it's made a difference vs. not rust-proofing at all). Most people don't keep their cars long enough for rust to really be a problem.

I have had a few pieces rust to the point of them being an issue -- the heat shield and a hanger -- but the car was also 13 years old. In the long run, I didn't bother replacing the shield and the hanger was only a few bucks to replace. My current car is 11 years old and aside from the underbody not looking pretty, there hasn't been any issues caused by rust.

 

Yep, it was a polymerized paint sealant and rust protectant. As soon as I heard those words, and from the good people of Acurazine, particularly Ken1997TL, I turned it down.

 

Previous owner planned on keeping it till it died, and said this was actually the first time he sold a car. Wasn't too young either. Our family usually keeps cars for about 10 years after we buy them, so this one's got a long road ahead.

For me it's primarily cosmetic, I try to take care of my car's exterior, so it would be frustrating for rust to show up in a couple years. I think I'll keep it up.

Anybody have a recommended rustproofing/rustproofer? Krown?

 

The original owner of my CL had the cars underbody coated at least 3 times in the 8 or so years that they owned it. I have the Zeibart receipts in the folder they gave me. When I bought the car, the typical quarter panel rust had already started to take hold. It was only a small bubble then. It's since turned into a nickle sized patch and I've owned the car for 5 years.

I had my Regal coated a couple years ago, but I bought the stuff from Eastwood and sprayed it myself. It was cheaper that way and I was in control of where it was applied and how much.

I don't know it works all that well, but the peace of mind of knowing that it's there makes it worth it to me.

 

I have seen good jobs and i have seen bad ones. I have seen vehicles rust out faster from the undercoating/rust proofing. If done wrong the jobs can plug factory drain holes and cause things to rust from the inside out.

 

Try driving on an icy road that doesn't have salt on it. I'd much rather have some underbody rust than endure 10-20 minutes of sheer terror a couple of times a year.

 

Funny how drive wheels change your perception of winter, haha

 

I only rustproof the interior. It the only part I care about anymore...

 

I'm thinking about getting it done to my Subaru, but the charge is about $300 for an initial application (Ziebart). Then you get it checked regularly and new applications are put on as needed only. I might bite if i stay longer then the projected 2 or 3 years I have left.