Undercoating

[BroadHopper]

In the past 30 years, I have stopped buying new cars. I am now searching for ultra-low-mileage used vehicles from the Southwest, i.e., Cali, AZ, NM, etc.
I have excellent luck getting 20 years and more! Carfax makes it much easier to recognize a primo vehicle.
As for maintenance, after the roads are salted and the temperature rises above freezing, I find a car wash with a bottom wash and use it. I entered the car wash slowly to wash the bottom effectively.
As for rust prevention on new cars, I think it is a waste of money.

[fatlazyless]

The under carriage wash at a drive-thru car wash is always no where near as good as using the hand held spray at the low-price do-it-yourself car wash. You know most car washes have both a drive-thru and a do-it-youself spray in different bays.

I mean the 4-minute $3.75 do-it-youself does a hell of a better job with the under spray than then $13 drive-thru that includes an underspray, plus it's $9.25 less expensive.

This is a scientifically proven fact done through extensive car wash testing at 99 different NH car washes in the last two years!

[VitaBene]

We use NH Oil Undercoating. https://nhoilundercoating.com/

I have it on my 2023 F150 and 1999 F250. It works great! We use New England Truck and Auto in Moultonborough across from the airport/ next to Independent Marine.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

We use NH Oil Undercoating. https://nhoilundercoating.com/

I have it on my 2023 F150 and 1999 F250. It works great! We use New England Truck and Auto in Moultonborough across from the airport/ next to Independent Marine.

How do you know "it works great"? When we were kids, it was easy to see rust buckets on the road. But cars and trucks like that are now few and far between. For the past few decades they've been built to last without rust

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

How do you know "it works great"? When we were kids, it was easy to see rust buckets on the road. But cars and trucks like that are now few and far between. For the past few decades they've been built to last without rust

Do you look at some of the cars and trucks on the road that are less than 20 years old. I know it works because I have been using it for years. Many people have scrapped good running cars because unlike MA, we cannot get a sticker on a car with a rust hole in it, therefore we see less rust buckets on the road.

The salt brine they use to pretreat is meant to stick to the road well, but it also sticks to the frames and wheel wells even better. This is my 99 F250 with 230K miles on it. Ill spend 250 every other year to keep it as good as it can! It has 2700 pounds of bluestone in the back- it is usually level.

[SAB1]

2700 lbs of blue stone in 3/4 ton hmmmm?

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by SAB1

2700 lbs of blue stone in 3/4 ton hmmmm?

If the frame was rotted that would finish it!

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by SAB1

2700 lbs of blue stone in 3/4 ton hmmmm?

1 ton rear springs- the helper springs were not even engaged

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by Garcia

I'm glad I declined the undercoating for my current vehicles.

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Post-factory undercoating stopped being rational a couple of decades ago.

Originally Posted by Biggd

Post-factory undercoating is like post-factory warrantees

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

How do you know "it works great"?

Some just don't get it. And probably never will. As an ostrich. With head in a dark hole. Missing all that is going on around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Kfb6-eD98

I'd hazard to guess that 90% of posters here have never viewed or seen the bottom of their vehicle. Up on a lift.
Most go to dealer. Get vehicle serviced. And sit in the comfy waiting room. Never to view the destructive rust on the bottom of their vehicle.
New vehicles begin to rust right on the new car dealers lot. Take a look at the rusting nuts, bolts, clamps made out of steel that rusts.

If you trade every 5-7 years - you probably will not see any body panel rust thru. But the bottom is surely rusting. Of course, you now have another new car for the next 5-7 years. So who cares.

Traditional undercoating is a misnomer. From the 1950'a Undercoating was done to add to sound deadening - not for rust inhibitors.

Oil undercoating is done annually. If one plans to keep vehicle for a long time. The oil will prevent rust. Even if there is some undercarriage rust on an older vehicle. The oil will restrict it. It is never too late to begin oil undercoating.

Thanks to the ostriches reading here. They keep the new car sales going.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Some just don't get it. And probably never will. As an ostrich. With head in a dark hole. Missing all that is going on around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Kfb6-eD98

I'd hazard to guess that 90% of posters here have never viewed or seen the bottom of their vehicle. Up on a lift.
Most go to dealer. Get vehicle serviced. And sit in the comfy waiting room. Never to view the destructive rust on the bottom of their vehicle.
New vehicles begin to rust right on the new car dealers lot. Take a look at the rusting nuts, bolts, clamps made out of steel that rusts.

If you trade every 5-7 years - you probably will not see any body panel rust thru. But the bottom is surely rusting. Of course, you now have another new car for the next 5-7 years. So who cares.

Traditional undercoating is a misnomer. From the 1950'a Undercoating was done to add to sound deadening - not for rust inhibitors.

Oil undercoating is done annually. If one plans to keep vehicle for a long time. The oil will prevent rust. Even if there is some undercarriage rust on an older vehicle. The oil will restrict it. It is never too late to begin oil undercoating.

Thanks to the ostriches reading here. They keep the new car sales going.

I was an auto mechanic for 50 years and had my own business for 35 of those 50 years, just retired 5 years ago. I've seen plenty undercarriages of almost every kind of car and truck.
You are right, they will start rusting as soon as water hits the vehicle. But is undercoating worth the price, I say no. Just like I say no to extended warrantees. It's the salt that eats away at the metal, wash that off religiously and it will last a long time.
Most people don't keep their vehicle for 20 years. If you take care of it, wash it regularly including the undercarriage it will last.
And of course, as a mechanic, we all hate working on a car or truck with any kind of messy undercoating.
If you're happy paying for it, great. I'm 70 and I have never undercoated a vehicle, and I tend to keep my vehicles a long time.
I just bought a new truck, no undercoating for me, and I'm planning on it being my last vehicle purchase.
I have the unlimited monthly car wash including undercarriage for $40 per month and I go once a week during the winter.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

1 ton rear springs- the helper springs were not even engaged

In my little truck, I installed $100 helper springs--which scarcely touch--which optimizes the ride. Load, say, a lawnmower, and the helper springs "kick-in".

Summers in NH won't affect this truck's salt damage; however, this truck is parked only 120-feet from Gulf of America saltwater during much much of NH's off-season.

While it gets rinsed on occasion, I make a point to creep through puddles of saltwater and enthusiastically drive through puddles left by tropical rains. (OK, I'm lazy and cheap).


A neighbor's much newer Titan had the rear axle fall out at a gas station!



My truck's bed has a hole in it (above the muffler) and the front valance shows rust penetration weakness, but it is a 30 year-old truck!

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by Biggd

You are right, they will start rusting as soon as water hits the vehicle. But is undercoating worth the price,

Years ago.
Neighbor No. 1
New GMC extended cab.
Stopped by with new truck. Advised him to get annual oil undercoating.
He laughed. Scoffed. That Rusty Jones does not work. Of course, oil undercoating is not Rusty Jones hard plastic coating. He did not know difference.
Years later. Neighbors nice GMC extended cab pickup truck is all rusted. Underneath. Outside rust. Rockers rusted. Cab corners rusted. Above rear wheel wells. Rusted. body paint rusted.
His next new truck - wait for it - got annual oil undercoating. In fact, he found 2 other places that do oil undercoating that I did not know about. Since then, EVERY pickup truck he has purchased gets annual oil undercoating.

Neighbor 2
Years ago.
He got a new Chevrolet extended cab pickup truck.
Advised him of annual oil undercoating.
He laughed and scoffed.
Years later same as above. Rockers, cab corners, rear wheel wells, and rust shown all over truck.

Friend 3
Got a new extended Ford pickup truck.
Advised him of annual oil undercoating.
He too laughed and scoffed. Not worth it as "new cars don't rust anymore".
Years later.
He had to junk this pickup truck as the frame was rusted along with most of the body. Could not be viable to fix.
Junked. Sent to crusher.

Again, each to their own. It's your money. Spend as you like.

[fatlazyless]

www.newenglandautoandtruck.net ........ Moultonborough, Route 25, shares the same entrance driveway as Independent Marine, but on the opposite right side.

Where to go in the greater Moultonborough metropolitan area to get your car or pick-up truck undercoated.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Some just don't get it. And probably never will. As an ostrich. With head in a dark hole. Missing all that is going on around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Kfb6-eD98

I'd hazard to guess that 90% of posters here have never viewed or seen the bottom of their vehicle. Up on a lift.
Most go to dealer. Get vehicle serviced. And sit in the comfy waiting room. Never to view the destructive rust on the bottom of their vehicle.
New vehicles begin to rust right on the new car dealers lot. Take a look at the rusting nuts, bolts, clamps made out of steel that rusts.

If you trade every 5-7 years - you probably will not see any body panel rust thru. But the bottom is surely rusting. Of course, you now have another new car for the next 5-7 years. So who cares.

Traditional undercoating is a misnomer. From the 1950'a Undercoating was done to add to sound deadening - not for rust inhibitors.

Oil undercoating is done annually. If one plans to keep vehicle for a long time. The oil will prevent rust. Even if there is some undercarriage rust on an older vehicle. The oil will restrict it. It is never too late to begin oil undercoating.

Thanks to the ostriches reading here. They keep the new car sales going.

That's me! I especially like the comfy waiting areas with free snacks. But it's been up to 12 years/vehicle in road-salted Mass, and I have never seen any significant rust or been told I have an issue. So I'm still thinking I've saved thousands

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

That's me! I especially like the comfy waiting areas with free snacks. But it's been up to 12 years/vehicle in road-salted Mass, and I have never seen any significant rust or been told I have an issue. So I'm still thinking I've saved thousands

Ditto. I'm guessing I'm younger than a lot of members here, but in 32 years of driving something like 15 different cars, many of which had over 150k miles, I've never had even a single bolt need replacing from rust.

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