Undercoating / Rustproofing G70 - Canadian Winter

[DSXMachina]

I love Fluid Film but it washes off with a pressure washer so just make sure you're not going through a pressurized undercarriage wash!

Good point. It will wash off the broad flat surfaces directly hit by spray. However, Fluid Film creeps into all the little crevasses around body welds, and where panels abut each other, and isn't water soluble. It can also be sprayed directly into all the chassis/frame/unibody drain holes where rust starts and pressure washers can't get to. I spray every nut and body under my vehicles and years later the parts disassemble easily. Pinch bolts on struts? Ball joint nuts? Tie rod adjustment sleeves? All come right apart.
I can just imagine all readers living down South wondering what the fuss is all about. They've never seen a lace rocker panel, or a bolt so eaten by rust it is half its original diameter, or alignment adjusters corroded into one lump of inseparable metal. Salt. The new car dealer's best friend here anywhere in the Rust Belt.

 

[DSXMachina]

Yeah, I was exaggerating. I think two or three cans would probably do it. Cheap, safe and effective. I was told about this stuff by a friend last year and use it regularly now.

Husky, you can buy FF in gallon cans, and it even comes with a spray gun to apply it with. You need a compressed air supply though to pressurize the gun. Very economical way to do it if you have a compressor.

 

[NLJ]

Good point. It will wash off the broad flat surfaces directly hit by spray. However, Fluid Film creeps into all the little crevasses around body welds, and where panels abut each other, and isn't water soluble. It can also be sprayed directly into all the chassis/frame/unibody drain holes where rust starts and pressure washers can't get to. I spray every nut and body under my vehicles and years later the parts disassemble easily. Pinch bolts on struts? Ball joint nuts? Tie rod adjustment sleeves? All come right apart.
I can just imagine all readers living down South wondering what the fuss is all about. They've never seen a lace rocker panel, or a bolt so eaten by rust it is half its original diameter, or alignment adjusters corroded into one lump of inseparable metal. Salt. The new car dealer's best friend here anywhere in the Rust Belt.

Yeah they are great as a lubricant as well. Especially for hinges.
I think there is a video out there where a guy sprayed all there rust proof products on steel plates and put them out in the element through winter and then compared them after.

 

[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

I'm wondering if anyone has had their G70 undercoated or plans to this fall?

I've always undercoated every vehicle I've owned and believe the process absolutely helps however the last couple vehicles I've purchased I haven't kept longer than 6 years and am debating the expense/merit of doing this.. There is of course that nagging conscience telling me to maintain the car to the best of my ability regardless.... etc. for the next owner.

Would love to hear opinions, people undercoating this car or similar 3 series, Mercedes, etc.

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I have lived in Canada a bit and I think there are pros and cons. Here they are. Up to the 70's north american cars were made out of cheap untreated steel. They rusted and corroded quickly. Somewhere's in the 80's as Japanese imports slaughtered America car sales, GM and others began coating at least the lower members with galvanized coatings to improve their cars.

So it appeared that companies like Ziebart were no longer needed. BUT not so fast ! Road salt is road salt. AND, after two decades, it appears that north american companies have quietly dropped the more expensive galvanic coatings which would bring us back to where we were in 1970.

My take: I had an older Datsun in Montreal, Canada I was trying to save. I had Ziebart do the treatment. Essentially you drill holes in critical areas and spray an anticorrosion liquid mist with properties like WD-40 along your lower body panels and doors. It works IF the sprayer knows where to drill and IF covers all the areas, (sometimes tricky on pick up trucks) Holes are then coverred by plugs.

Why do I think this is valid ? answer: but they do basically the same thing on sea exposed aircraft and helicopters to control corrosion and fissure cracking.

I actually believe that spraying new or used motor oil (while messing and drippy for a while) will accomplish keeping the metal separated from oxygen, but doesn't have the ''creep'' WD-40 qualities that special blending gives.

 

[Husky]

Husky, you can buy FF in gallon cans, and it even comes with a spray gun to apply it with. You need a compressed air supply though to pressurize the gun. Very economical way to do it if you have a compressor.

Great, didn't know that. Thanks for the tip, I'll have to get one.

 

[DSXMachina]

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[snip]

I actually believe that spraying new or used motor oil (while messing and drippy for a while) will accomplish keeping the metal separated from oxygen, but doesn't have the ''creep'' WD-40 qualities that special blending gives.

Yup, that's what a lot of farmers here in NH still do. It's not legal to do anymore on road vehicles. It does work, but I have to tell you it results in a grimy mess that builds up and looks awful. Applying it leaves an area looking like the Exxon Valdez sank in your garage.

 

[Husky]

Yup, that's what a lot of farmers here in NH still do. It's not legal to do anymore on road vehicles. It does work, but I have to tell you it results in a grimy mess that builds up and looks awful. Applying it leaves an area looking like the Exxon Valdez sank in your garage.

Where in NH are you?

 

[OlderGuy1stGenesis]

Good point. It will wash off the broad flat surfaces directly hit by spray. However, Fluid Film creeps into all the little crevasses around body welds, and where panels abut each other, and isn't water soluble. It can also be sprayed directly into all the chassis/frame/unibody drain holes where rust starts and pressure washers can't get to. I spray every nut and body under my vehicles and years later the parts disassemble easily. Pinch bolts on struts? Ball joint nuts? Tie rod adjustment sleeves? All come right apart.
I can just imagine all readers living down South wondering what the fuss is all about. They've never seen a lace rocker panel, or a bolt so eaten by rust it is half its original diameter, or alignment adjusters corroded into one lump of inseparable metal. Salt. The new car dealer's best friend here anywhere in the Rust Belt.

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I worked one year in a Montreal transmission shop. I replaced eaten up brake lines and transmission cooler lines (dangerous), and saw frozen emergency brake lines, and OTHER things. AND that is why even a southern used car (or western) even with additional taxes and tariffs, is still a ''steal'', USED. no corrosion !

 

[DSXMachina]

Where in NH are you?

Nashua

 

[Husky]

Nashua

Great. New Boston here, just West of Manchvegas.

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[DSXMachina]

How the pro's do it.

 

[Kraig Wilkinson]

Great. New Boston here, just West of Manchvegas.

Fluid film is the best, like the one guy said it makes a mess of everything but it really does keep rust from starting. Good stuff Fluid Film is!!

How the pro's do it.

Fluid film is the best. Around where I live I am finding harder and harder to find it in aerosol cans? I am fortunate enough to have other vehicles to drive when it is crappy weather. I don't even drive in the rain. I know kind of crazy!

 

[Truck Norris]

Just had the car undercoated at Krown in Halifax. Service was great, shop is clean, new, staff professional, etc... Spent some time looking at the work under the car when I got home and i'm very happy with it and will be doing this yearly. It was fantastic to see all the metal coated cleanly and very happy with my decision and would recommend it if anyone wants to keep their car in the best possible shape or is OCD about the condition even if they are selling in a few years.

Cost was $149 CAD, taxes in.

 

[Husky]

Just had the car undercoated at Krown in Halifax. Service was great, shop is clean, new, staff professional, etc... Spent some time looking at the work under the car when I got home and i'm very happy with it and will be doing this yearly. It was fantastic to see all the metal coated cleanly and very happy with my decision and would recommend it if anyone wants to keep their car in the best possible shape or is OCD about the condition even if they are selling in a few years.

Cost was $149 CAD, taxes in.

Was that like an oil coating?

 

[Truck Norris]

It's an "oil" like coating, not sure exactly the makeup but applies like oil/fluid-film. It will drip for a bit and then sort of dry and does not stain the driveway. Not the most robust undercoating I've ever gotten, but in this case i'm happy it's not as everything is still visible, you can clean the metal off need be and its not adding a ton of weight or permanently "caking" things in a stiff wax like some coatings.

 

[Husky]

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It's an "oil" like coating, not sure exactly the makeup but applies like oil/fluid-film. It will drip for a bit and then sort of dry and does not stain the driveway. Not the most robust undercoating I've ever gotten, but in this case i'm happy it's not as everything is still visible, you can clean the metal off need be and its not adding a ton of weight or permanently "caking" things in a stiff wax like some coatings.

Sounds good!

 

[NLJ]

Just had the car undercoated at Krown in Halifax. Service was great, shop is clean, new, staff professional, etc... Spent some time looking at the work under the car when I got home and i'm very happy with it and will be doing this yearly. It was fantastic to see all the metal coated cleanly and very happy with my decision and would recommend it if anyone wants to keep their car in the best possible shape or is OCD about the condition even if they are selling in a few years.

Cost was $149 CAD, taxes in.

That's some crazy OCD. I had my Infiniti when I lived in Halifax and never undercoated it. No rust after when I got rid of it.
The factory metal treatment in modern cars are exceptional. Some exceptions of course like some Mazda models and etc. Krown if using an oil based undercoating will ruin anything rubber or plastic based in time. It should be water based or silicone based undercoating for it to be safe on rubber and plastics!

 

[Truck Norris]

That's some crazy OCD. I had my Infiniti when I lived in Halifax and never undercoated it. No rust after when I got rid of it.

Meh, to each their own. I keep my vehicles 6+ years, drive 30k/year and store outside. Hate rust with a passion. If you parked indoors, carwashed frequently, had the car 3 years and drove <10k a year then yeah, probably wouldn't have much rust, likely non visible from the exterior. I don't know your situation. Also I don't live in Halifax so am highway driving alot.

 

[Edmguy]

It's an "oil" like coating, not sure exactly the makeup but applies like oil/fluid-film. It will drip for a bit and then sort of dry and does not stain the driveway. Not the most robust undercoating I've ever gotten, but in this case i'm happy it's not as everything is still visible, you can clean the metal off need be and its not adding a ton of weight or permanently "caking" things in a stiff wax like some coatings.

So is that AB oil? Or did you go with Saudi or middle east oil?

 

[Truck Norris]

Does AB oil end up anywhere? (kidding). Likely South American product like the rest of the gasoline in this province lol.