UNDERCOATING, YES OR NO?

[Cobra Jet]

Never used any undercoatings on any prior vehicles or my Mustangs.

Always rinsed the chassis after driving in bad weather during winter months and never had rusting issues.

The other thing you can do too - spray WD40 on the chassis. WD40’s sole purpose isn’t just a “lubricant”, it is for water displacement - it will repel water/moisture as designed while also protecting any metal that is coated with it.

I spray WD40 over my entire engine bay, then let the car idle for a good 10 mins with hood closed. Any residual will just quickly burn off. By applying WD40 it prevents oxidation of anything aluminum (so none of that white powdery residue) and stops any surface rusting of any other metal. Been doing this process after each car wash for over 30 years now with my Mustangs with never any adverse effects at all. Even doing it to the chassis has protested the underside very well….

It’s easy to reapply when needed and does not “cake” over like other garbage coatings.

Again, the product is meant to displace water/moisture…

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[Nightmonkey]

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...-do-and-how-should-i-plan.180591/post-3654338

40 years ago. At least, by European manufacturing standards and average care.

It was more like 30 years ago that things got better. But the Mustang doesn't fit into your category, it's cheaply made in the USA, it'll rot away if you don't do anything, there's no cavity preservation or underbody protection from the factory!

 

[Johnny Rockit]

Ever since my truck was done it squeaks and creaks like a shitbox from the 60s. Waiting to hear back from a fluid film shop at the moment. At least my driveway will never suffer from any contaminents.

 

[luca1290]

But the Mustang doesn't fit into your category, it's cheaply made in the USA, it'll rot away if you don't do anything, there's no cavity preservation or underbody protection from the factory!

Is it a Mercedes? No, it isn't.
You won't see all the plastic protection you'll see on the underside of a German car, but that does not mean either that the car will just rust away.

All the panels are either zinc coated or galvanized steel. It will not last under extreme circumstances but for a normal use and proper care (as per the user manual), the owner will probably die before the car.

P.S: I'm just back from Sudtirol (where there is a lot of snow and salt) and there is plenty of VWs and Mercedes with rust on the lower sides of the vehicles popping out. The FIATs and the Fords where in much better shape.
Probably the real difference is just the care of the owner. Galvanized steel is the same in every country.

 

[Nightmonkey]

The FIATs and the Fords where in much better shape.

...made in EU plants.
Take a look underneath and than take a look under your Mustang from the US or a Ford Ranger from South Africa. You will see the difference!
Take an endoscope and look into the cavities and experience further differences.
My wife's Opel Corsa S (150 hp banger with Recaros etc.) is much better from factory in this regard, and it costs about 1/3 as much new!

...or just take the rear bumper off your Mustang and look at the rusty impact beam.
Thats where it starts.

But you won't have any problems if you sell the car after 4...6 years.
If you intend to keep it for a long time and drive it everywhere in all weathers, then you should take care of the underbody and the cavities.
If you only drive a little and the vehicle is hardly broken in after 10 years, it is also a worthwhile investment to achieve more when selling.

PS: For Mercedes, I can tell you exactly which model years are rust buckets. The managers always want to save money, burn their fingers and it gets better again.

Q.E.D. https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/florida-not-so-friendly-to-cars.204809/

 

[Johnny Rockit]

Going to a place in Sutton, MA. for fluid film and ceramic tint next week. Fingers crossed.

 

[S550HPP]

Most of the rust seen on 20.yr old and newer car bodies is from shoddy body repair where they skip two coats of etch primer before high solids primer, or they sanded through the etch primer and applied color coat on bare steel.

Otherwise it's the cheap aftermarket panels spec'd by insurance that have been sprayed in that cheap black primer over who knows what surface that may not even be galvanized, cleaned properly, or has contamination in the sheet or from presses. Must body shops just use this as the primer ....big mistake.

A used OE part is always better that aftermarket.

RInsing once a week incl wheel wells and underbody as best one can in winter is all that's needed.

 

[RazzaRossa]

IF I lived in the Great White North (had my fill of salt encrusted roads) I would not coat, it's impossible to cover everything that's prone to rust. I would buy this and use it as much as possible: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westing...m-for-Pressure-Washers-PWUC/329377874#overlay or something similar, lots of options on eBay/Amazon. There is almost nothing worse to work on than undercoated suspension stuff.

 

[Johnny Rockit]

I am not driving the car once the roads are treated. If I cannot find storage it will sit in the driveway all winter.

 

[Jxp1962]

I decided last year,, life is too short snd not to let my car sit all winter in the garage, like i do with my truck, ill spray about 6 cans of amsoil anti corrosion to my underside… being from maine, id prefer not to let the underside rot out…

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