New Vehicle Undercoating - Cosmoline, Woolwax, Fluid Film, etc???

[Bill7]

My local trusted mechanic has about 40 year experience and he says he started out as a rust proofer.
He did a really nice job of rust proofing the undercarriage of my vehicles, and he only charged me $100 per car.
It might a be a good idea to not let the dealership do it, as they will have a huge 95% profit markup an maybe charge you $3,000
to do it. Also dealership techs make more money the faster they work, so a rustproofing at the dealership might be a low quality quick rush job.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

So you know where to drill holes in panels and have plugs etc?

The short answer is no...but it shouldn't be rocket science. 2-3 holes on each bed side and maybe 1 or 2 on each rocker panel should do. Plugs are easy to find. The hardest part will be finding a spray gun with an appropriate extension hose.

 

[Rand]

The short answer is no...but it shouldn't be rocket science. 2-3 holes on each bed side and maybe 1 or 2 on each rocker panel should do. Plugs are easy to find. The hardest part will be finding a spray gun with an appropriate extension hose.

doors too.
You usually purchase a spray gun based on what you are spraying.
I know krown and FF have kits.
The temperature of the product matters as it changes the viscosity for spraying.

Amazon.com : fluid film spray gun kit

https://www.amazon.com/Fluid-Film-Pro-Undercoating-Gun/dp/B0070WTGZG/ref=sr_1_7?gclid=CjwKCAiA5sieBhBnEiwAR9oh2nYRBFl0IAp2Zw7oJatJZL31h16JnjbEFvTjPjuAtL2aI0fcKXo3vRoCj-IQAvD_BwE&hvadid=616931588293&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9015351&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=6205492675191055929&hvtargid=kwd-303565076398&hydadcr=24630_13611748&keywords=fluid+film+spray+gun+kit&qid=1674771669&sr=8-7&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840

or you could try a generic

https://www.amazon.com/TCP-Global-Proofing-Undercoating-Suction/dp/B07QR18BT7/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=krown+rust+protection&qid=1674771711&sr=8-20

Fluid film instruction video

 

[mattd]

Keep in mind you need a pressurized cup gun for noxudol. Suction guns will work for fluid film.

I use this one.

Rodac RDAP7 Heavy Duty Rust Proofing Spray Gun with Undercoating Wands

***FREE SHIPPING PROMO across Canada - Limited Time Only*** The best entry-level spray gun for "do-it-yourselfers" or garage owners wishing to spray rustproofing undercoating solutions. Perfect to use on your car or truck! Simply fill up the 1 liter container, connect your air compressor up to a...

mprtools.com

Buy an extra few of the straight bore nozzles. It’s easy to eject them into the chassis holes.

 

[JTK]

I think we can all agree based on the 289 threads we have on this same topic (kidding on the number). Any of the above mentioned products is 100% better than not using any of them.

I would absolutely avoid Ziebart unless you are sure they are applying an oily/waxy coating and not the black tar stuff like this:

 

[KrisZ]

Does anyone have any pics of how noxudol or cosmoline hold up and look like after few years and not right after the application? It would be nice to see how much these other coatings attract dirt or resist washing off.
Everything always looks great right after the application.

 

[mattd]

Does anyone have any pics of how noxudol or cosmoline hold up and look like after few years and not right after the application? It would be nice to see how much these other coatings attract dirt or resist washing off.
Everything always looks great right after the application.

@denwood has a couple photos here after 4 years.

Oil as undercoating to slow down rust

Noxudol. Not exactly “cheap”, though.

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[chrlsful]

for this Q I would not go w/all the expense of compressor, guns etc.
By the can, company supplied 'wand' (most havea 18 incher) etc.
6, 8 cans (max) for ur p/u, & a light/creeper can go far in 1st yr protection.
My 1st several yrs I went that way (1/2 doz vehicles on my lift, then
doz, upto abt 2 doz now, I use "the equipment"). Asa service I can
now charge for lift, equip, materials bought in bulk as well as my time.
@ a buck'n a half I can make a lill. Try it ur like it. Quick, easy, no over
thinkin, protection in WesssMasss. Darn, we got no winter any more anyway

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Looks like I have a local company that does Noxudol so thats good news. I may have them tackle the initial spray or two and then do touch ups myself later on.

Anyone have a guess how much an initial application costs for the Noxudol 300/700 full application?

 

[E365]

I stopped using Fluid Film on exposed areas. Since it doesn’t dry, the eventual sludge it creates as it mixes with road dirt/grime just made working on my cars too messy. Not fun.

For my low-cost DIY route, I use cosmoline (CRC Marine Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor) on exposed areas and Fluid Film inside doors and frames.

Never tried Noxudol, but I’m guessing it’s good stuff too.

 

[cb450sc]

Are there any Krown outlets near you. I have my 2005 Civic Krowned every two years. Absolutely no rust on it

 

[chris719]

I would just not use anything unless it's a car prone to issues (i.e. Tacoma).

 

[mattd]

Looks like I have a local company that does Noxudol so thats good news. I may have them tackle the initial spray or two and then do touch ups myself later on.

Anyone have a guess how much an initial application costs for the Noxudol 300/700 full application?

I spent close to 500$ on the stuff that I needed for an F350. Not including time spent (LOTS) and equipment (spray gun and nozzles).

 

[supton]

I would just not use anything unless it's a car prone to issues (i.e. Tacoma).

EVERY car in the rust belt is prone to rust. Just some worse than others.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Are there any Krown outlets near you. I have my 2005 Civic Krowned every two years. Absolutely no rust on it

The nearest Krown shop is 2.5 hours away up in NH. The nearest Noxudol installer is 20 minutes away.

I would just not use anything unless it's a car prone to issues (i.e. Tacoma).

Up in New England everything is prone to issues. In ten years and 200k miles from now the fenders, rocker panels, quarter panels and the bottom of the doors will be rotting...or at least some combination of that. If I'm going to spend a bunch of money on a new car I have no problem with some preventative maintenence.

I spent close to 500$ on the stuff that I needed for an F350. Not including time spent (LOTS) and equipment (spray gun and nozzles).

This will be a mid-size Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon so not quite as big. I'll let the pro's do the first couple applications and then just use aerosol cans for touch ups.

 

[Rand]

Looks like I have a local company that does Noxudol so thats good news. I may have them tackle the initial spray or two and then do touch ups myself later on.

Anyone have a guess how much an initial application costs for the Noxudol 300/700 full application?

That is what I was hinting at..
its ALOT OF WORK and extremely messy. esp the initial app.
You could get it done once then do touchups for a couple years.

But the main thing is a good place who knows what they are doing and does it right... well that and avoiding the trash stuff like ziebart and rubberized.

 

[NismoNVT]

If you choose Noxudol, ask them without a leading question about which product lines they are using, pre and post treatment.

A couple shops I spoke to had attractive pricing but only use 900 series, while other shops with a repeatable rate mentioned 300/700 combo. Another shop mentioned they keep it overnight, others said apply in the morning and drive away at night pending no inclement weather. Lastly, another shop asked condition now, explained if its rusty cant be applied over it and must be removed, their hourly rust removal and rust converter pricing etc.

Lot of variation in this product cost.


If you have a good mechanic or a good DIY setup, I'd honestly stick with cosmoline.

 

[Strommen95]

I had my JL Wrangler for nearly 4 years and it looked brand new underneath. I used fluid film every fall. I know almost 4 years isn't a long time but I had my JK Wrangler for 5 years before that. The undercarriage had rust all over the place on the JK. Never applied fluid film. The difference was night and day between the two.

 

[chris719]

EVERY car in the rust belt is prone to rust. Just some worse than others.

Lived in Connecticut for 30 years. Never really had a problem in the useful life of the car. Cars with underbody paneling, paint, seam sealer, aluminum suspension components etc. go a long way.

 

[supton]

Lived in Connecticut for 30 years. Never really had a problem in the useful life of the car. Cars with underbody paneling, paint, seam sealer, aluminum suspension components etc. go a long way.

What do you consider the useful life to be? in terms of years and miles that is.