Should I remove the undercoating?

-
halfafish

halfafish

Damn those rabbits, and their holes!
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
4,016
Reaction score
4,542
Location
SW Washington
The Dart is well on the way towards becoming road-worthy. At the moment, I have the gas tank out, and the rear end and springs are coming out in the next day or so. That leaves the entire car open up to the front fenders. I see a lot of undercoating, and ponder removing it. It looks like a PITA but I did just read the thread on using Goo-Gone so that might help the process. Is it worth the time and effort to scrape all that stuff off? If so, I plan to coat it with POR-15 when it's clean.
 
Crapped if I know. Do you wanna see what's under it?
 
My dad always said "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"

That being said, It seems to be a tar like substance from what I have removed. I used a propane torch and a scraper to remove undercoat from my splash guard, (off the car so no chance of fire) came off really easily. Haven't tried the goo-gone approach sounds interesting.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Do you wanna see what's under it?
Click to expand...

Sort of. I need to do a bunch of cleaning under there anyway, there's surface rust and crud in spots, and undercoat in other spots. Taking it off would give me a level playing field.
 
halfafish said:
Sort of. I need to do a bunch of cleaning under there anyway, there's surface rust and crud in spots, and undercoat in other spots. Taking it off would give me a level playing field.
Click to expand...

Well what the hell you askin us for then? Get crackin. LOL
 
Meh. I've been known to overthink things at times when there was no reason. Hence, the query...
 
I read here that heat guns and oven cleaner are really useful for that, too.
 
Asphalt undercoating was used years ago, but it actually caused rust, rather than preventing it. When it got cold, the asphalt would crack, allowing salt, and water to get in behind it. It turned out to be worse, than nothing. If I were you, I would use a scraper to remove whatever you can, then cover those areas with grease.
 
Mine is still in place on all four cars and it's staying.

It has protected the cars this long, so why ruin that now?
 
I'm saving maneuvers like that for when I put my car on a rotisserie...
Sounds labor intense...
Vtg-Rocky-And-Bullwinkle-Whatsamatta-U-Gray-T.jpg
 
Heard lot's of horror stories about people trying to remove undercoating, personally I'm in the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" crowd, never bothered to do any of my cars. That being said, I also agree with YellowDart69 that it can trap moisture and promote rust.
 
I you have the green to do it right you will be much happier in the end.
 
I think it boils down to how long you plan to keep the car, and can you fix rust repair.
If you plan to keep it for any length of time, You probably want/need to know what is under there.
AND, if you take it off and find rust, can you fix it properly?
 
I removed mine. With 5 in 1 tools and old screw drivers on my back.
But I was 20 years younger then.
 
I have removed it with Easy Off Oven Cleaner, and a putty knife.
 
Pick your poison. Freshly and stripped looks great and takes dedication. No easy way. Done it all. Wire brush, descaler, Naptha, and a sandblaster.

Sandblasting was the best finish but that's involved and can open a can of worms..... If you feel the need, go for it. The car will appreciate it lol..

JW
 
It's a pain in the *** on jack stands. Wish I had had a needle scaler. Used a torch, scraper, screw driver, putty knife, whatever I could lay my hands on. The sandblaster guy was able to remove the few remaining remnants after my attack was completed on the '65 Formula S.

At least by the time it was ready for paint I had sense enough to roll it on its side.

DSC07278.JPG


Barracuda chassis primer.jpg


Barracuda chassis white.jpg
 
OK, looks like the votes say it is a PITA of some level to get off but worth it. I shall gear up and get to work. I have no gas tank or axle so at least I have clear access.
 
A miserable thankless job. Take your time and make your project as nice as you can.
Very gratifying when finished and you will be glad you did. After i did mine i said Never Again... and then did 2 more!
 
Best money i ever spent. Rotisserie then sand blaster. 3 hrs later the underneath was spotless. Epoxy then raptor bedliner. Id do it again in a heartbeat
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top