Undercarriage Preservation

[Lindy]

Hey all, recently I inspected the under-carriages of my 02, and that of my 05, and was suprised that the 02 had little corrosion at about 14,500 mi. while the 05 has quite a bit more at just 1,275 mi. Apparently, the previous owners did not have much storage savvy....I know, I know, these cars were designed to be used and enjoyed...anyhow, anybody got any good suggestions to prevent further corrosion, like maybe coating the rusty parts with light grease? Or, some other rust inhibiter? Those of you that store theirs on top of plastic, to prevent the moisture of the concrete floor from radiating upwards for a season, have it right! Will post pictures soon to give a visual on my problem, which I hope to correct.

--Lindy

[MATBird]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

I agree Lindy, glad I posted that. However, it doesn't have to be plastic. I just used plastic for the bird because it was TBird Blue
For my other two cars I have the rubber mats from Griots Garage which last forever. And, up here in New England they help to funnel the winter water from the undercarrige out the door and saves the cement floor from pock marking due to salt.

[Black Bird]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Use Bunny fir. works great for everything.

Sorry I have not had my meds this morning yet. Bunny Lou

[Leroy]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Lindy, You might want to try brushing he rusted areas with a wire brush then spraying the area with Galva-Coat. It's a Galvinized spray paint that stops rust and protects bare metal from rusting. I got a can at Ace Hardware. I use it on my GMC Z-71 4X4. It has a custom exhaust system on it and I sray all the welds on the pipes becuase the welding burns off the galvanizing on the pipes and it's the first place that rusts out. I drive the truck all Winter in the snow and salt and the system has held up well. Plus I run my truck through a car wash here that really has a good undercarriage spray system about once a month even during the Winter. Leroy

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[justjon]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Wisconson? Isn't that in the part of the United States that is called the "rust belt'? I think things are supposed to rust there..... 58,000 miles and not a speck on mine.

[rerdmann17]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Justin, tell me how you save your self from all the earth quackes and wildfires. You should be here in Wisconsin for all of the four seasons that we experience. IMO

[rerdmann17]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

I stand corrected "Jon"

[Vegas Retrobird]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Justin, tell me how you save your self from all the earth quackes and wildfires. You should be here in Wisconsin for all of the four seasons that we experience. IMO

Or you both could move to Vegas and not worry about anything except too much sun!

[justjon]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

In the inspired words of Alfred E. Neuman "what? me worry?"

[Chuck]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Lindy,
When I originally bought my Bird it was going to be a daily driver. I used about 15 cans of 3M undercoating. Took the wheel well liners out and did in there as well. You need to be careful around the Cats. I covered them in paper and taped a piece of paper to the aluminum heat shields on the undercarriage. When everything was dry I removed the paper. Came out great and will never worry about rust. On the NM, I think I’m just going to let that stay as is and see what happens. When I 1st got it I spent a couple of weeks cleaning the undercarriage and didn’t see any rust. It’s in its bag for the winter so I’ll check again when I put it away after next summer. If it shows signs of corrosion I’ll undercoat it as well.

[Lindy]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Ok here's a few shots underneath...keep in mind that this car was never driven in winter...1,275 miles. Well, so far, I sprayed the rusty areas with a rust inhibiter, to de-oxidize and at least neutralize until someone can suggest something better for dealing with the rust.

--Lindy

[Lindy]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

...and a couple more...

[Leroy]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Lindy, I wouldn't worry too much about that rust in your pictures. It appears to be very light and not getting worse. I would just spray it with some WD-40 and then check it periodicly. Leroy

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[ThunderBubba]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

If you want to contain the rust here is what I recommend. It is a paint product called POR-15. You simply paint over the affected area and you are protected for a long time. Here's a link.
.http://www.offroaders.com/reviewbox/showproduct.php?product=299

[Lindy]

Re: Undercarriage Preservation

Thanks, Leroy,

Sounds like I was just making a mountain out of a molehill. Was thinking of taking it to a couple of local car-shows next Spring and Summer just for the thrill of it, and didn't want be completely oblivious to what's underneath.

--Lindy