Undercoatings Anyone?

[jpalmerino]

Hey All,

Curious to know if anyone has done any undercoating protection for their Shelby. I do not daily drive my car, it is only on the road March-October (in NY unfortunately).

Looking for the best ways to keep under there “clean”. Not against just lifting and power washing/a little manual detailing if that’s the best option.

Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[dps]

Hey All,

Curious to know if anyone has done any undercoating protection for their Shelby. I do not daily drive my car, it is only on the road March-October (in NY unfortunately).

Looking for the best ways to keep under there “clean”. Not against just lifting and power washing/a little manual detailing if that’s the best option.

Thanks!

No coating currently, none planned. I'd just keep a general eye on things. Much more stainless these days. Undercoating was a bit of a scam even back in the day. Enjoy the Shelby!

 

[Fixa]

Try a cosmoline spray like CRC. It leaves a very resistant waxy film that prevents rust and doesn't wash off. Also easy to apply.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I would never do any type of rubberized or other "layered" undercoating on any vehicle.

The problem with such undercoatings is it does not get into all gaps/crevices/openings found under many vehicles. When a vehicle is assembled such as a unibody vehicle like the Mustang, there's many gaps/crevices left from the spot welds and missed seam sealer.

With that said, when such shops put the vehicle on a lift and apply the rubberized/layered coating, yes it's hitting all exterior sheet metal, yes it can fill SOME of the gaps/crevices, but not all. Even if they think they covered the bottom to "perfection", it's not.

In a 4-season environment - even IF it does not get driven in rain or snow, it's still susceptible to the ever changing environment where moisture always exists in the air - even in a non-temperature controlled garage.

Any moisture trapped within those gaps/crevices doesn't have a way of totally drying - AND the rubberized/layered undercoating prohibits proper air circulation throughout the chassis/floor pans/frame rails. This escalates further IF the car was washed, driven in bad weather or sit

Future state from such coatings is rust from the inside out.

Now one other thing to mention is this:
Many modern day vehicles from about the 90's forward - when the body shell is completed it gets totally submerged in a chemical bath containing zinc. This adheres to sheet metal and any exposed metal after the paint process is protected by that chemical bath. It's also why any exposed sheet metal that makes up the vehicle normally does not rust when compared to say some suspension components, fasteners, engine components, etc. that are exposed to the same environments.

If you have never seen how a Mustang is built - the best vid on YT is an older vid from the introduction of the SN95. This vid shows the build from a roll of steel and walks through the entire process including the chemical bath:




There's a few products on the market that will coat better than an "undercoating".

WD40 will protect exposed metal just as well as any other product. Laugh as you will, but it works and works quite well. You can spray it on any exposed metal and then lightly wipe off any excess residual. The WD40 will soak into the pores of the metal, it will repel water/moisture, and it will prevent not only rust, but also that ugly oxidation on any exposed aluminum/steel. WD40 will not harm any solid surfaces.

 

[jpalmerino]

I would never do any type of rubberized or other "layered" undercoating on any vehicle.

The problem with such undercoatings is it does not get into all gaps/crevices/openings found under many vehicles. When a vehicle is assembled such as a unibody vehicle like the Mustang, there's many gaps/crevices left from the spot welds and missed seam sealer.

With that said, when such shops put the vehicle on a lift and apply the rubberized/layered coating, yes it's hitting all exterior sheet metal, yes it can fill SOME of the gaps/crevices, but not all. Even if they think they covered the bottom to "perfection", it's not.

In a 4-season environment - even IF it does not get driven in rain or snow, it's still susceptible to the ever changing environment where moisture always exists in the air - even in a non-temperature controlled garage.

Any moisture trapped within those gaps/crevices doesn't have a way of totally drying - AND the rubberized/layered undercoating prohibits proper air circulation throughout the chassis/floor pans/frame rails. This escalates further IF the car was washed, driven in bad weather or sit

Future state from such coatings is rust from the inside out.

Now one other thing to mention is this:
Many modern day vehicles from about the 90's forward - when the body shell is completed it gets totally submerged in a chemical bath containing zinc. This adheres to sheet metal and any exposed metal after the paint process is protected by that chemical bath. It's also why any exposed sheet metal that makes up the vehicle normally does not rust when compared to say some suspension components, fasteners, engine components, etc. that are exposed to the same environments.

If you have never seen how a Mustang is built - the best vid on YT is an older vid from the introduction of the SN95. This vid shows the build from a roll of steel and walks through the entire process including the chemical bath:




There's a few products on the market that will coat better than an "undercoating".

WD40 will protect exposed metal just as well as any other product. Laugh as you will, but it works and works quite well. You can spray it on any exposed metal and then lightly wipe off any excess residual. The WD40 will soak into the pores of the metal, it will repel water/moisture, and it will prevent not only rust, but also that ugly oxidation on any exposed aluminum/steel. WD40 will not harm any solid surfaces.

Thank you for the detailed reply! The thought of spraying a rubber coating underneath is terrifying without even knowing all the issues you presented, so I was hoping there was a “WD40” solution out there.



Reminds of a classic scene in King of the Hill. WD40 truly solves everything

 

[Wb350]

View attachment 608609 View attachment 608609

Sponsored