Undercoating & Corrosion ~ 62 Lancer GT

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Bea

Bea

Dodge Damsel
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
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Location
Lakeland, Florida
I've already done alot of work on the Lancer, the outside and inside & under the hood is just fine. However, the undercarriage, well that's a job in itself! Lots of corrosion and build up from the salt used during the wintertime & it's age. About 3/4 of the original undercoating from the factory is still under the car, but the corrosion sucks!

Any suggestions on the best way to get all that off (with a little elbow gease, of course)...would like to find out a safe way with out damaging anything and what is a really good product to use for a new undercoating. I heard Spectrum is good...what 's your advise and tips?

See pics attached...YUCK! ~ Many Thanks, Bea

Lancer 15.jpg


Lancer 19.jpg


Lancer 22.jpg


Lancer 23.jpg


Lancer 24.jpg


Lancer 31.jpg
 
Well as far as undercoating goes... Use a torch (propane) works well. Heat up the undercoating and use a putty knife... it will come right off. It will leave a small amount of undercoating residue. To remove the rest of the residue use rags with thinner, reducer, or gas... works really good. The rest of the bottom is pretty rusty. You could sand blast but that would be pretty hard to do under the car. I would suggest "eastwood's" rust encapsulator. I am currently doing the same thing and it is working well.
 
67Dart440GT said:
Well as far as undercoating goes... Use a torch (propane) works well. Heat up the undercoating and use a putty knife... it will come right off. It will leave a small amount of undercoating residue. To remove the rest of the residue use rags with thinner, reducer, or gas... works really good. The rest of the bottom is pretty rusty. You could sand blast but that would be pretty hard to do under the car. I would suggest "eastwood's" rust encapsulator. I am currently doing the same thing and it is working well.
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Thanks for the info...She's a beauty inside & out...but underneath...she's the devil in disquise! He! He! :evil2:

Good Lord this isn't going to be easy! :banghead:
 
it all depends how involved you want to get,,either way it wil be a dirty long process to do it with the car assembled,,get the car up on a good set of floor jacks,,4 pick an area and try the products suggested,,,another way,,you can get a wire wheel for a drill and grind all of it off,,, get a good face shield,,if you can find some one that can do a soda blast up on a lift and mask off the out side of the car, that would be the easiest way,,but not the cheapest,,

your leaf sprinds look rusty,,would be easer to just replace and paint the new set,,,check JC WHITNEY for the rear leafs,,or see if you have a local spring shop in your area,,

after its as clean as you are willing to settle for,,,get a product called POR 15,, its not cheap,,but the name stands for paint over rust,,the stuff is killer,,its brush on, if you ever need to take it off you will have to grind it,,,it will hold cracked metal together,,there are other products that do the same thing cheaper,,,just my 2 cents
 
Bea, you're getting some good advice so far, but if you elect to use the torch method please make sure your gas tank isn't leaking. We don't need our new members blowing themselves up!!! :-D

For what it's worth, The Eastwood Company is just a product seller ... almost everything they carry is actually made by someone else; they just put their own name label on it and charge you (big time) for the convenience.
 
take it in sections that what i did i stated with all fpur wheel wells and moved to the gas tank all the way to the tail gate trust me the job blows but heres what i did. the day b4 i was going to paint i loaded up some supplys. got some clr,rim cleaner and degreeser i sparyed the hose after each one i started with rim,degreeser,clr worked great then i got some can from kragens of the sound reduction rubberized undercoating spray. worked great now i got from back seat to the engine compartment. hope this helps.
 
A little at a time Bea!! and the bottom looks fine to me, Heck it will be 50 years old in a couple years, I have under coating everywhere from the factory to remove some day.
My 66 Valiant is from Missouri and they sure did not spar the under coating, Its on there thick, I am getting a little at a time dun so I can drive her again.
I moved the battery to the trunk and just look at how much they used

AAA%20BATTERY%20031.jpg


AAA%20BATTERY%20032.jpg
 
I moved the battery to the trunk and just look at how much they used[/QUOTE]

I see that the battery area looks just like mine.

Is it a good thing if the undercoating is that thick...why would that need to come off...newbie...so please guide me.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice...I'm learning...so glad I'm on here with you guys & gals!
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Bea, you're getting some good advice so far, but if you elect to use the torch method please make sure your gas tank isn't leaking. We don't need our new members blowing themselves up!!! :-D

For what it's worth, The Eastwood Company is just a product seller ... almost everything they carry is actually made by someone else; they just put their own name label on it and charge you (big time) for the convenience.
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Yes, it had a few pin holes and I "temporarily" put Kwick Steel on the problem...The "Good News" is I was lucky enough to locate another one from another Lancer that is in fine shape. When it gets here, going to give it the royal treatment...clean & seal it extra good!

Ordered me some POR 15 stuff for the undercoating issue and their line of gas tank repair kit goodies.
 
63VALIANT*KISS said:
take it in sections that what i did i stated with all fpur wheel wells and moved to the gas tank all the way to the tail gate trust me the job blows but heres what i did. the day b4 i was going to paint i loaded up some supplys. got some clr,rim cleaner and degreeser i sparyed the hose after each one i started with rim,degreeser,clr worked great then i got some can from kragens of the sound reduction rubberized undercoating spray. worked great now i got from back seat to the engine compartment. hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I'm going to take your advice and take it in sections...today I ordered the POR 15 prodcuts that I need for the undercarriage and the gas tank, as well.
 
<lookin down> Uhhhhhhhhhh, that's for noticing Mark. LOL!!! Safety first!

I was in the Help section at the Napa store the day before yesterday trying to find some ball joint boots for Billy's Astre. The counter kid came to see if I needed some help and I whipped one out of my purse. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a woman who carries a ball joint in her purse before." I told him "How many women have you waited on who actually knew what a ball joint is??" He just laughed. There aren't many women in this beloved hobby, but it's wonderful being one of them. I'm sure Bea and our other resident ladies agree!
 
Kleen Strip Aircraft paint stripper works well on the undercoating. Most auto supply houses stock it. Wear a face shield, gloves and long sleeves, you don't want this stuff to touch your skin, it burns like the dickens. Let it sit for 15 min. or so and scrape it off with a putty knife. Any residual can be removed with coarse steel wool. The crusty rusty will be a nasty job. Wire wheel on an angle grinder is how I usually get stuck doing it since I don't have blasting equipment. Have fun!!8)
 
CudaChick1968 said:
I was in the Help section at the Napa store [...] "How many women have you waited on who actually knew what a ball joint is??" He just laughed.
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You're good. :) We need people like you working behind the counter.

It's appalling to discover so many auto parts stores where it's hard to find a clerk (of either gender) who would recognize a ball joint... or most anything else. *sigh* Recently, when I asked which gaskets were included in a timing belt kit, the clerk hesitated, then clicked a few keys and swiveled the monitor toward me as she pointed to every single item in the picture, "It comes with that, and that, and that, and that."

- Erik
 
Bea-- have you checked into having it professionally blasted? Just a thought-- it might not cost much more than you buying all the supplies & tools needed.
As for your gas tank-- be sure to save the fuel sending unit from the replacement tank-- also the filler neck has an "O" ring for sealing -- not the doughnut used on later models--- this area is usually crusty, be careful when dropping the tank so you don't break the lip around the tank.
I believe that fuel sender is different than later models & is very tough to find. Newer years are available -- but are slightly different, Lawrence
 
mpgFanatic said:
You're good. :) We need people like you working behind the counter.

It's appalling to discover so many auto parts stores where it's hard to find a clerk (of either gender) who would recognize a ball joint... or most anything else. *sigh* Recently, when I asked which gaskets were included in a timing belt kit, the clerk hesitated, then clicked a few keys and swiveled the monitor toward me as she pointed to every single item in the picture, "It comes with that, and that, and that, and that."

- Erik
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Now that's just sad Erik. What I can't stand is that we all now have to rely on the corporate typists being accurate inputting part numbers because one typo will turn your starter into a water pump, and the counter personnel aren't competent enough to know the difference.

Truth be told, I spent four years behind the parts counter at Checker Auto Parts in Canon City, Colorado as its only female employee. Though I'm sure I'm dating myself here, computers weren't used for anything except the checkout counter in those days. Until the customers got to know me, I was tested more than I care to admit with all the usual requests for muffler bearings, blinker fluid, chrome plated spark plugs, radiator hoses for '55 Volkswagens ... you name it. After awhile quite a few wouldn't deal with my coworkers at all and I'd have a line of customers waiting at the counter or on the phone. It was a fun job though.
 
VDART said:
Bea-- have you checked into having it professionally blasted? Just a thought-- it might not cost much more than you buying all the supplies & tools needed.
As for your gas tank-- be sure to save the fuel sending unit from the replacement tank-- also the filler neck has an "O" ring for sealing -- not the doughnut used on later models--- this area is usually crusty, be careful when dropping the tank so you don't break the lip around the tank.
I believe that fuel sender is different than later models & is very tough to find. Newer years are available -- but are slightly different, Lawrence
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Well, the fuel sending unit is literally in the tank, at least the brass float is...gas gauge is not working. I have a new fuel sending unit here at the house, got it about a month ago.
 
usually the problem with the fuel sending unit is,,,the metal clamp that goes from the steel tube on the tank around the rubber joint hose to the steel line going to the carb,,this metal clamp is whatr makes the ground ,that the rubber hoes intrupts,,,for assurance you can get a small hose clamp and a piece of wire,clapm it to the steel tube comming out of the tank on the sending unit,,with the wire end bared,,,and find a good clean spot to attach the other end of the wire,,both ends bared tank end clamped,,,other end clamped or screwed,,,
 
ACCCC recommends using a creeping, light oil type of undercoating. This type of rustproofing soaks into the rust and seals it well. The heavy asphalt-like undercoatings work better on new cars just off the dealer's lot. If you get a shop to do it for you, find out exactly what they promise to coat and then make sure that they do it.
 
i could be tottally wrong,, this is just my opinion,,,but all that undercoating from back in the day,,i think helped hold in the moisture,,and promote rust and rot,,,remember rusty jones undercoating back in the 1970s & 1980S,, ??? where did they go and look at all those cars that rotted,,,,ide clean it up and paint it with some thing like POR 15 and be done wit hit
 
fstfish66 said:
i could be tottally wrong,, this is just my opinion,,,but all that undercoating from back in the day,,i think helped hold in the moisture,,and promote rust and rot,,,remember rusty jones undercoating back in the 1970s & 1980S,, ??? where did they go and look at all those cars that rotted,,,,ide clean it up and paint it with some thing like POR 15 and be done wit hit
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Thanks everybody for the advice...as far as the gas tank, I'm not touching that part of the installation!

I have the POR 15 products coming and will be taking Bea to a shop for the undercoating clean up and POR 15 application. Trust me...I will be there the whole time! ;-)
 
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