Undercoating, is Ziebart the way to go?

[DrDave1958]

I just bought a 2007 Envoy with 35K miles and according to the carfax the dealer gave me, the car has been in the Cleveland Ohio area since it was new.
The underside of the car has more rust on it than I think it should have, at least more than any of the other cars I own, one being a 98 Regal! (I live around Cincinnati.)
Anyway, it's bothersome enough to me to get me thinking about Ziebart or some alternative.

I'm looking for Ziebart or other undercoating experiences.

Thanks for the advice.
Dave

[toddman67]

I would not recommend undercoating. This treatment can actually cause more harm than good. Undercoating essentually forms a moisture barrier that holds in condensation during the colder months. The cabin air temperature being warm wants to condensate to the outside cooler temps. the rubber coating holds this process up there fore rotting out the metal faster.
I do like to use LPS-3 on all the underside components such as brake lines and fittings. Aluminum products and in the weep holes of the doors etc. This is more of a wax film the slows and protects the raw products.
Undercoating at this stage will only make the underside look good for a while but will have negative results.

[MagicRat]

Good advice. You want a product that is more like oil/grease, instead of waxy tar.

There are places that will do an oil underspray, with a special rustproofing oil that has fibers in it, so it is less likely to drip and run. It usually has to be re-applied annually, especially where the roadspray hits.

[DrDave1958]

I appreciate the responses. I was wondering about that, if the Ziebart would just encapsulate the rust and not stop it. I'll look into the oiling treatment.

Thanks,
Dave

[Pajamas]

How about undercoating in real snow areas, like Nova Scotia, Canada?

What is recommended?

I brought a US Jimmy in this summer and it is almost rust free (compared to local vehicles). Would like to protect it / give it the best life here it can have.

[toddman67]

I feel the same way if not more about undercoating as mentioned in my original post. Under coating will actually accelerate the rusting affects especially in that region. It will encapsulate the contamination and deterioration of the metals already in the corrosion state as well as holding the moisture in.
If you have noticed, manufacturers don't offer the undercoating as an option the way they did in the years past.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by toddman67

If you have noticed, manufacturers don't offer the undercoating as an option the way they did in the years past.

Do you mean manufacturers or the car dealers?Because many dealers in my area still offer and recommend undercoating to customers at the time they buy a vehicle.
I also think if there is any reduction in the offerings it may be related to better manufacturing processes used today along with more rust resistant materials. And a better educated buying public who may now realize , thanks to organizations like Consumer Reports, AAA, and the like that this service is not really necessary and to say, "No." and save their money.

[toddman67]

I stand corrected "Dealers".

Do to the newer production processes, I have observed over the years that the newer vehicle fair much better against rust without the undercoating protections. I would recommend as stated the application of LPS-3 to certain parts and areas of the vehicle can be beneficial.

I am merely making my opinion based on observation, experience and advice from auto body friends. Perhaps more information may be obtained through the internet to get other unbiased opinions.

On another note: People will continue to sell "whatever" as long as people are willing to buy, good - bad, right or wrong.

[Pajamas]

Last fall, I decided to go with lanolin based undercoating (think sheep grease!). It is very gooey, doesn't dry at all, doesn't flow, stays put and seems to have done a great job. Makes working on the car a bother sometimes because gooey stuff is on everything, but I think that is a small price to pay. The shop sprayed it inside the engine compartment and lots of recessed places. I may get it touched up this fall again.

[XterraRacer]

That vagisil looks mighty good.

[Mikeg72us]

For metal to rust, you need a way for moisture to get to the metal. Salt just speeds the process because it aids in conduction. If no moisture reaches the metal be it no humidity or a coat of paint, it won't rust. Rustproofing provides another layer of protection. If that protection fails and the moisture gets to the metal (you get the rust). So, the results of rustproofing really depend on the coverage of the application AND periodic touch-ups. Ziebart does that, if you go get it touched-up every year and the coverage is complete you got good rust protection. If you have an older vehicle with exposed rust, the rustproofing will slow it down because it will be harder for moisture to get to the metal but if you don't absolutely get rid of all rust before applying the rustproofing, it will come off. I would suggest sand blasting the rusty areas to shiny metal, prime and paint. Then, rustproofing over after the paint is completely cured. That's the best you can do. Eastwood's has great products for what you want to do, I would check there and make sure you sandblast (not grind) the rusty metal. Grinding won't get into the metal crevices like a high pressure sand blaster. I know this stuff because I spent decades restoring cars and testing rustproofing. If you are interested in exactly why metal rusts, contact me @ mikeg72@hotmail.com

[Mikeg72us]

Originally Posted by toddman67

I stand corrected "Dealers".

Do to the newer production processes, I have observed over the years that the newer vehicle fair much better against rust without the undercoating protections. I would recommend as stated the application of LPS-3 to certain parts and areas of the vehicle can be beneficial.

I am merely making my opinion based on observation, experience and advice from auto body friends. Perhaps more information may be obtained through the internet to get other unbiased opinions.

On another note: People will continue to sell "whatever" as long as people are willing to buy, good - bad, right or wrong.

Yes, manufacturers now are galvanizing the metal, that's why they don't rust so bad. Do you remember in the 80's you would see cars with sheets of paint peeled off right down to the metal? Usually on the hood or tops, that's because the paints they were using would not stick to galvanized metal. I used to represent 3M and that was a huge issue until they changed the formulations of the primer and paint.