Eric O of South Main Auto Channel just shot a video of him Fluid Filming an entire vehicle.
Is undercoating worth it on newer GM vehicles?
- Thread starter mike78
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Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I think it's worth it even for the less aggravation of trying to get bolts and stuff off later.
My question with these oil based undercoating is when driving in rain and then parking in your garage will any of the oil mix with the wet underside and stain your garage floor.. Also when going through a car wash that does under carriage wash will that wash it off????
I used to get 15+ years out of cars before noticeable rust started poking through without rust proofing. I can't imagine rust proofing would add much more. Is there actual research out there on it or is it similar to people throwing in a bottle of injector cleaner when I've only ever had one injector ever need replacing and it was on a car with over 200k miles?
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I haven’t seen anything in my garage floor, except for the first two weeks upon application you will get staining, so park it outside. After that it sticks pretty well, but it will wash off. Absolutely. That’s why you shouldn’t get the undercarriage sprayed - and you’ll need to reapply/touch up/ redo the entire thing every year anyway. I actually need to do mine twice a year.
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I’d definitely get the undercoating, especially living in New England - it’s the absolute worst, you’re basically soaking your vehicle in salt 6 months out of the year. It never ends. That salt cuts down the life of your vehicle so much, and cars are so expensive.
I try to do mine twice a year using Fluid Film, but I also will will do touch ups when it’s on the lift...usually I’ll just touch up the higher traffic areas of the frame with white lithium grease spray, or even paint it on thick with a brush. That will hold me off till the spring when I do it over again with the Fluid film. I do it myself, otherwise doing it twice a year would cost me a small fortune.
This year a friend gave me five cans of NH Oil Undercoating Marine: I’m giving that a try - it sprayed on ok, seems very similar to FF but has a very pleasant smell. Usually I prefer using a compressor and a gallon bucket of FF, it’s thicker than the cans and you get more for your money, but the cans are just so quick and easy. We’ll see how that goes. I also grease the inside lips of the fenders where the tires throw a ton of salt up on them. But you wouldn’t want to work on my car, if you rub an arm against anything underneath there you’ll be covered in this stuff.
I try to do mine twice a year using Fluid Film, but I also will will do touch ups when it’s on the lift...usually I’ll just touch up the higher traffic areas of the frame with white lithium grease spray, or even paint it on thick with a brush. That will hold me off till the spring when I do it over again with the Fluid film. I do it myself, otherwise doing it twice a year would cost me a small fortune.
This year a friend gave me five cans of NH Oil Undercoating Marine: I’m giving that a try - it sprayed on ok, seems very similar to FF but has a very pleasant smell. Usually I prefer using a compressor and a gallon bucket of FF, it’s thicker than the cans and you get more for your money, but the cans are just so quick and easy. We’ll see how that goes. I also grease the inside lips of the fenders where the tires throw a ton of salt up on them. But you wouldn’t want to work on my car, if you rub an arm against anything underneath there you’ll be covered in this stuff.
Around here I see a lot of otherwise usable cars and trucks scrapped because of frame rust through or body mounts rotted out on unibodies. Its strictly anecdotal but I would bet that a couple of applications of Fluid film or similar material would extend the life of the vehicle.
It just depends on where you call home, around here they will lay 1/2" of road salt on a road with a light dusting of snow. I regularly see them salting dry roads in sunny weather with the temps around 40.
Products are not universally available- due to shipping. If I had my choice, Cosmoline makes some interesting products.
I look at a service life of your typical mass market car as 20 years so it would be great to get those last five. Also as said servicing is way less aggravating when bolts don't snap off.
We use this on both vehicles in southern Ontario. It’s not the old traditional thick coating stuff, but rather a viscous fluid that is a little thicker than fluid film but has a similar smell and I think of similar chemistry. Works quite well and does not wash off easily.
www.uniglassplus.com
Penetr-Oil® Car Rust Proofing Treatment - UniglassPlus/Ziebart
PENETR-OIL® is a drip free rust proofing treatment exclusive to UniglassPlus/Ziebart. Visit our website for more information.
www.uniglassplus.com
They've all been on the road for 20+. They just start to look bad. And, yes, since moving from the Midwest to a land where road salt isn't used, things look beautiful under my car. And it's cool to see 80s and 90s vehicles driving alongside you that look gloriously beautiful, too. My dad comments on it every time. "Hey, that's the year we used to drive and it looks brand new!"
"...My buddy can undercoat them..."
hafta know what it is exactly (product, method) to comment, never mind talk the 200$ price
8^ )
Fluid Film is a different story (lamb fat) and needs kept at (even in the season).
Good ol boys here use their drained CCO when gettin a break from busy, busy...
342 is Cosmoline correct? He wants to go with Cosmoline. Do you agree that is a good choice? I'm pretty sure he's going to use that on all areas and just not use the Fluid Film at all.
Would even the wax or oil based options trap rust? I know the rubberised options have that issue.
no water migrates under these oil based products. The non-closed surface just washes off and needs re-applied periodically. FF is just lanolin; cosmoline types - dyno oil.
"...going to use that on all areas..."
not on painted (top) finishes, for 'under-coat' use (ie not on exhausts either).
Powder coat, electrolysis - these make big differences.
"...going to use that on all areas..."
not on painted (top) finishes, for 'under-coat' use (ie not on exhausts either).
Powder coat, electrolysis - these make big differences.
Lanolin based products are completely fine to spray directly over rust. In reality they are moisture repellents and are probably your best option for a vehicle with surface rust already.
I like corroseal or other rust conversion. A one time 'paint', a 'closed surface (see #55), once and done, no re-applies. If U miss a few yrs of cosmo;ine type products & the rust builds, just knock off the dangly stuff and apply the converter.
corroseal.com
Don't Remove Rust, Convert Rust! - Corroseal Rust Converter
Corroseal has proven performance for over 25 years in harsh environments, which is not true for many competing rust converter type products.
corroseal.com
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