Underbody rust a problem?

[Doobie083]

Is rust a problem on the S550? A dealer I'm working with is offering me Ziebert rust protection, sound deading, and interior protection. I'm coming from a S197 so rusty axles and rear diff was a terrible sight when I would get underneath the car. I will occasionally drive in the winter and there is a lot salt so I am actually considering doing this if there aren't any negatives to it. Thanks for the help.

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[HeelToeHero]

Dealer is just trying to make more money with add ons. That said, I rust proof any car I plan to keep if winter driven. I prefer annual product that gets in all the crevices you can't see though. You don't have to do this work through them they outsource this work likely anyway.

 

[Monopoly]

Any car will rust if you drive on roads with salt on them.

I get my daily undercoated every fall at a shop. It's fairly cheap though they do drill holes and my car smokes and drops oil for days.

I don't do it on my S550 bc it's winter stored. I hate working on cars that are oil sprayed. It's quite messy

 

[Lost]

google up fluid film kit.

 

[wanted33]

I suggest a good DIY rust proofing, or take it to an independent shop in your area. It will be just as good, and a lot cheaper. My guess your dealer is going to make the price up nearly 500%.

 

[w3rkn]

You don't want anyone spaying shit all under your car...

If you live near salty roads, wash & spray your car's underside a few times a winter.

 

[v8hgt]

It was the first mod I did. Although not from the dealer... I had a professional do mine with dinitrol so that it won’t rust underneath. I did plenty of research and discovered this was the stuff Volvo use in the production process. My 15 yr old Volvo is solid as a rock underneath despite driving on wet salted roads and doing 150k miles.

I think it’s awful that ford send cars out 1/2 finished like this.

 

[goldengooner]

It was the first mod I did. Although not from the dealer... I had a professional do mine with dinitrol so that it won’t rust underneath. I did plenty of research and discovered this was the stuff Volvo use in the production process. My 15 yr old Volvo is solid as a rock underneath despite driving on wet salted roads and doing 150k miles.

I think it’s awful that ford send cars out 1/2 finished like this.

There is no underseal on US or Canadian cars, for the Euro Stang, Ford felt they were doing something nice for the customer as the UK roads are full of crap, if they had not put anything on, then no one would have said a word, but doing a half assed job, has cost them thousands in putting some cars right

I had Mike at Modurstang put the Rator stuff on, best stuff you can buy, talking about the S197 mine was 9 years old and spotless and was never undersealed
But my S550 CS was brought from new, so wanted to get the best stuff

 

[dgc333]

There used to be a Ziebart, Rusty Jones, etc. on every corner in New England when I was in my 20s. There is a reason why they all disappeared; they don't work, the gaurentee was crap and it's not necessary with with the coated steel and priming process they use these days.

The only vehicle I have had rust out in the past 30 years is my 4x4 pickup which is driven on the beach every week. Three New England winter's on my 15 S550 and the bottom was spotless.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I’ve owned Mustangs since the late 80’s - every single one of them went through all seasons here in Jersey, on the east coast. Driven in snow and salted roads, year after year.

My 1994 Cobra has over 140k miles on it, the underside and body looks like my 2018...

I never had any of them undercoated at all - nor did I ever have any body panel rot, ever. Maybe it was because I always maintained them after a snow or weeks of salted roads - such as constantly washing, waxing and/or using self wash car wash station pressure wands to thoroughly rinse the underside, wheel wells, panels etc.

Sure if a car owner is not the typical Enthusiast, he/she just “drives” it and doesn’t care about the detrimental effects of road salt, debris, etc.

What folks need to know is that modern day vehicle manufacturing thoroughly protects the metal. The shell, once assembled, goes through multiple baths where the sheet metal is cleansed, then it is zinc coated, prepped, primered, sealed, etc.

This isn’t the 1950’s where rubberized undercoating is a necessity! The Dealerships push that stuff to make money, that’s it.

The other concern is this:
There a lot of nooks/crannies/crevices conjoined to make a unibody. If the undercoating traps any moisture or debris, over time the trapped moisture or debris will create cancer or rust between the undercoated area. Fact.

Ever get under an unrestored classic car and see the undercoating and how it supposedly “protected” what used to be a floor pan, but is now a huge hole?

When you get the time, watch this 1994 Movie “How a Car is Built” it shows the entire start to finish process of how the SN95 Mustang was Built - it’s very cool, but it’s also VERY informative and shows exactly how a vehicle body shell is assembled from a flat piece of steel roll, even the dipping process.

The same processes in the vid are used on the S550’s, only improved upon over the last 20 years...

[ame]







Short and sweet:
You don’t need undercoating on any vehicle built in 2018....

 

[Dr. Norts]

You don't need to spray snake oil all over anything made in at least the last 20 years let alone a brand new 2018.

 

[w3rkn]

Mustang are meant to be used.

Just make sure you wash the underbelly often in the winter. (ie: pay the extra $2.50 and the coin wash to work/wash your wheel wells and rocker panels, etc.)

Paint chips are the worst. And essentially all anti-rust coating are, are coat protectants. If you live on a rocky road or have actual need for an undercoat, please have it professionally done, with top tier products.

There are many types of undercoat, be educated if you are going to have it done.

 

[Lost]

l so that it won’t rust underneath.

It will still rust. It will just rust slower. Remember it is corrosion control, not corrosion elimination.


Neil Young said it best. Rust never sleeps.

 

[Doobie083]

Thanks for all the imput. So another issue that was brought up was my car has to cross the ocean before I ever even see it. This is probably the biggest thing convincing me to do it.

 

[Dr. Norts]

Thanks for all the imput. So another issue that was brought up was my car has to cross the ocean before I ever even see it. This is probably the biggest thing convincing me to do it.

All vehicles made in Japan / Europe cross the ocean to get to north America.

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