Rust-proofing a Car

[DGS49]

I have lived basically my entire life (1949-present) in Pittsburgh, which in terms of automotive rust, is probably the heart of the "Rust Belt." Our combination of winter snow and the extensive use of road salt made rust and corrosion the biggest factors in most cars' slow slide to the scrap heap. Some cars rusted more quickly than others, but almost no cars escaped it entirely. To be fair, this was a combination of poor paint technology in cars and our corrosive environment.

One of the biggest preventive measures that was used in the '60's and 70's was Ziebart rust-proofing. You took your car there immediately after purchasing it, they sprayed on gallons of their special goop, and you were supposedly protected. When the average car was $4,000, the Ziebart treatment was a little under $200. They guaranteed no rust-through if you brought the car back once a year for a quick once-over and possibly more goop. The remedy if the car did rust through was some amount of money to repair body damage - probably a thousand dollars or so.

But in all the hundreds of car-restoration programs I have watched, I have never seen a single car that had been rust-proofed. Maybe that's just because restorers focus on cars from the Southwest, but still it is noteworthy.

Has anyone reading had a significant experience with rust-proofing...had a car that lasted longer than expected or had a car where it didn't work out? The treatment was so extensive here that I'm curious whether it actually worked.

 

[BasicHumanUnit]

I have undercoated my own vehicles that were exposed to road salt for icing.
I used rubberized undercoating spray readily available at auto parts stores.

It seems to have been effective since I cannot find any rust development in any of the areas where I used it.
Keep in mind that water and especially salted water has very strong wicking ability and even if the vehicle is undercoated, any salt water that splashed on the outside of the vehicle can wick it's way into cracks and crevices from above.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

My 67 mustang was completely dissembled, sand blasted, then epoxy primered and then the floor pans were rino coated inside and out.
It snows in north Texas, but not like in PA.
They use sand on the roads and bridges here.
I think it is because sand provides traction without the corrosion problem that salt causes.
The salt also gets in the streams, rivers and lakes.
When I lived in Indian it was impossible to find a rust free used car.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

Modern cars don't rust like the old cars did.
The old car floor pan on the driver's side usually rusts out worse because people get in their cars with snow on their shoes and the moisture collects there.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

Modern cars don't rust like the old cars did.
The old car floor pan on the driver's side usually rusts out worse because people get in their cars with snow on their shoes and the moisture collects there.

Most modern vehicles are poly-plastics or aluminum, or aluminum mixtures.

My Aunt bought a new FTD Landau in 1976, back when vehicles were still solid steel.
Living in Texas, it didn't develop rust for over 30 years. When it did develop rust, it was in some weird spots, but nothing that couldn't have been cut, filled in, sanded and painted over.

 

[Natural Citizen]

I donlt think people who are actually restoring cars are using those restored cars as daily drivers. In fact, they very likely rarely get driven.

Any cars I've restored don't get driven in the conditions that cause rust and corrosion.

That's generally how it is with restoration cars.

Once the salt hits the road, they're parked and covered/garaged until spring.

 

[rightwinger]

Back in the 60s and 70s cars would rust out starting at 80,000 miles. That rust proofing goop was a scam and only trapped moisture between the car and the tar like goop

Todays cars have much better protection and go 200,000 miles without rusting, even in the East Coast
The paint job lasts longer too.
You hardly ever see anyone out waxing their car anymore

 

[Mr Natural]

Hose out the wheel wells and undercarriage when washing your car.

 

[DGS49]

No question that today's cars are better protected. I remember when Chrysler started using galvanized steel on some of their panels. The paint didn't last as long, but it prevented rust. This was especially important since they went to unibody (no frame).

I personally owned a couple of cars that were rusting within two years (Camaro, Grand Am).

I think the move to Clear Coat has made waxing cars unnecessary. I haven't done it in years.

Still, anyone have a significant experience with Ziebart, one way or another?

 

[Jarlaxle]

The wreckers I drove were extensively undercoated (oil spray, similar to Ziebart or Rusty Jones) when purchased, and re-sprayed every couple of years. There are a 1986, and a 1979 still in daily use, a 1974 and a 1987 are spares. The company owner retired his 1980 Suburban in 2002, and is still driving the 2003 Excursion he replaced it with-it has no rust despite close to 300,000 miles in New England. His son still has the Suburban, though it's apart at the moment for an engine (lost oil pressure) and repaint.

NH Oil Undercoating is similar to Zeibart, and I have seen that it works quite well. It displaces water, seals any surface rust, and is thixotropic-it "self-heals" small chips.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Back in the 60s and 70s cars would rust out starting at 80,000 miles. That rust proofing goop was a scam and only trapped moisture between the car and the tar like goop

No, wrong.

 

[rightwinger]

No, wrong.

Very true

Investing in rust proofing was a scam

 

[Jarlaxle]

Very true

Investing in rust proofing was a scam

Now you're just lying.

 

[toobfreak]

I have lived basically my entire life (1949-present) in Pittsburgh,

For Pete's Sake! How do yinz do it? Yoi!

Has anyone reading had a significant experience with rust-proofing...

I have. If you know what you are doing and what to use, you can greatly extend repairs and other work 100 times beyond the normal, life of regular work. If you really want to put the time, effort and money into it, you can make a body and frame last almost forever.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I have lived basically my entire life (1949-present) in Pittsburgh, which in terms of automotive rust, is probably the heart of the "Rust Belt." Our combination of winter snow and the extensive use of road salt made rust and corrosion the biggest factors in most cars' slow slide to the scrap heap. Some cars rusted more quickly than others, but almost no cars escaped it entirely. To be fair, this was a combination of poor paint technology in cars and our corrosive environment.

One of the biggest preventive measures that was used in the '60's and 70's was Ziebart rust-proofing. You took your car there immediately after purchasing it, they sprayed on gallons of their special goop, and you were supposedly protected. When the average car was $4,000, the Ziebart treatment was a little under $200. They guaranteed no rust-through if you brought the car back once a year for a quick once-over and possibly more goop. The remedy if the car did rust through was some amount of money to repair body damage - probably a thousand dollars or so.

But in all the hundreds of car-restoration programs I have watched, I have never seen a single car that had been rust-proofed. Maybe that's just because restorers focus on cars from the Southwest, but still it is noteworthy.

Has anyone reading had a significant experience with rust-proofing...had a car that lasted longer than expected or had a car where it didn't work out? The treatment was so extensive here that I'm curious whether it actually worked.

The only way to rust proof a car is to keep it in a vacuum chamber forever.

Or make it out of gold.

It cannot be done.

And for the love of Jesus, DO NOT USE THE ZIEBART SPRAY COATING, unless you do not plan to keep the vehicle for very long. It traps in moisture and results in worse frame rot than if you didn't have it.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

My 67 mustang was completely dissembled, sand blasted, then epoxy primered and then the floor pans were rino coated inside and out.
It snows in north Texas, but not like in PA.
They use sand on the roads and bridges here.
I think it is because sand provides traction without the corrosion problem that salt causes.
The salt also gets in the streams, rivers and lakes.
When I lived in Indian it was impossible to find a rust free used car.

Yep. The only defense is to wash the underbody of the car at least once a week. And even then you are just prolonging the inevitable.

I keep my daily drivers 3-5 years and unload them before the rust starts. Part of living in Indiana.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

The even and light frame rust that inevitably occurs on cared-for vehicles as they age is not really a problem. The integrity and strength of the frame are not affected.

It's much worse to use a rubberized coating and get rot holes in "hotspots" under the coating that go straight through the frame. These basically can render a car utterly worthless and send it straight to the junkyard.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

For Pete's Sake! How do yinz do it? Yoi!


I have. If you know what you are doing and what to use, you can greatly extend repairs and other work 100 times beyond the normal, life of regular work. If you really want to put the time, effort and money into it, you can make a body and frame last almost forever.

100 times?

Frame rust is expected on just about any car in any climate after about 75,000 miles. Really,this is a function of time, not mileage. So, 6-7 years.

But your cars last 7.5 million miles and 600-700 years apparently.

The only coatings worth a damn are basically a form of enamel paint. These are short term "window dressing" for car collectors who need it to look pretty to the eye at a car show. And unless you plan to strip this paint before reapplying each time (which you will have to do, as pits in the coating form from debris in normal driving) you are just adding weight and layers to metal that is still corroding underneath.

Also, each layer adds to the likelihood that larger pits and even peels will occur, rendering the coating an expensive but useless attempt at prettying up the car that also even fails in that respect (as chunks peel off).

 

[Jarlaxle]

Every word of that is wrong. The best undercoating is non-hardening oil-based spray-on.