to undercoat or not to undercoat???

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74valiant

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im going to be getting my 74 valiant completely stripped and painted including the underside of the floor pans, frame, rails ect.. i live in michigan and beleive in undercoating, and how it saves cars from rusting away. since this car isnt being driven in snow or anything close to it do you think ill still need it? i like the idea of getting it put on, but it seems a shame to get all the fresh paint and spray undercoating all over it. opinions??


thanks jason
 
I still would. your going to have the car apart anyway and its cheap insurance. Besides that, winter isn't the only thing. You will probably get caught in the rain in it, humidity, road dust all play a factor.
 
Ditto to what Zigs said. The investment is too great not to protect it specially if it's a driver. Dan
 
I would definitely do it. It will also keep the road noise down while protecting the paint and steel from stone nicks. I will be using Duplicolor bed liner on mine. It never truly hardens and has actual chunks of rubber in it. Two coats does it.
 
Always wondered how that textured rocker guard would work? I know a few guys that used it on their rockers on newer vehicles then painted over it with bc/cc.

Grant
 
Definately would apply something between your car and the elements.Worked at a rustproofing business for a few years(7) in Canada and was the quality control inspector for S.E. Ontario for one company.Good thing is you have a very clean surface to start with.It takes about the thickness of a playing card to properly cover an area.Make sure the area you are doing is totally dry so you don't trap any moisture as it will bubble and be prone to peeling.Also check and touchup any areas that might need to be done before you do any summer cruisin.GL
 
If the bottom of the car is going to be stripped down to bare metal I would prime it and then either roll or spray on some truck bedliner.
 
X8 or however many responded. Most of the restorers in my area have been using bedliner too. If you do use undercoat, make sure it is the stuff that gets solid. Some brands stay tacky and attract everything that gets under your car. TMM
 
ok so ill get it. im going to go to ziebart or somewhere like that and paying to have it done professionally.
 
Late to the party, but I would definitely NOT do it!!! If i am reading your email right you are going through the expense and trouble to get the underside completely stripped and repainted - and you do not intend to use the car in the snow or bad weather? If that is the case why would you want to ruin a nice clean and painted underside by sparying goop all over it? If you are not going to run it in bad weather the underside is not going to see the elements that will eat it up and if you keep it clean and wipe it down once or twice a year the paint underneath will last and protect the metal just as on the exterior.
 
stumper said:
Late to the party, but I would definitely NOT do it!!! If i am reading your email right you are going through the expense and trouble to get the underside completely stripped and repainted - and you do not intend to use the car in the snow or bad weather? If that is the case why would you want to ruin a nice clean and painted underside by sparying goop all over it? If you are not going to run it in bad weather the underside is not going to see the elements that will eat it up and if you keep it clean and wipe it down once or twice a year the paint underneath will last and protect the metal just as on the exterior.
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I will join your party:eek:ccasion: well said think about it clean and painted,so than maybe one should spray under coating all over the car fenders,hoods doors can rust to.If your bent on under coating spray the clear liquid stuff,please no black stuff,I call it camel flogged.
 
If he has it professionally done it won't be glooped. It will be sprayed at about 2500 psi The stuff is tight and looks good tuff as nails. I would not use Rhino liner as that is thick. Daily driver or not, Your car is subject to the same gravel kick up as anyones. Do it now or do it later when its harder to get to . Shop around, look at other cars. Never say your not going to drive it often. You have a great looking car ,your going to drive it.
 
stumper said:
Late to the party, but I would definitely NOT do it!!! If i am reading your email right you are going through the expense and trouble to get the underside completely stripped and repainted - and you do not intend to use the car in the snow or bad weather? If that is the case why would you want to ruin a nice clean and painted underside by sparying goop all over it? If you are not going to run it in bad weather the underside is not going to see the elements that will eat it up and if you keep it clean and wipe it down once or twice a year the paint underneath will last and protect the metal just as on the exterior.
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I agree. In my opinion undercoating is such a pain to remove, is unattractive no matter what you use, and doesen't offer enough protection to make it worth putting on. I'd just touch up the paint as needed.
 
Another vote for NOT undercoating. I have seen where cars rusted under the undercoating and owners never new it until it was too late. I would look at something like POR15. Think of this. How much does all that undercoating WEIGH? It's pretty heavy. POR15 is much lighter and will do the same thing. Lighter = faster and better mileage. I am in the process of scraping it off my car right now. I wouldn't spray that crap on a car if my life depended on it.
 
The word undercoating refers to many different products, some very good, others terrible. The old style undercoat was usually sprayed on the bottom of a car. It was asphalt based, causing it to shrink and crack in the winter. Moisture and salt get into the cracks, and before you know it, you've got holes. Oil based rustproofing became more common in the late 60's. You want something that can drip, so that it seeps into the same crevices that attract water. It's sprayed into all of the body panels, and if done properly, does a good job. If you're using your car in the winter, you'll have to re-do it every year. Unfortunately, nothing will protect the front fenders. They are poorly designed, and can't be rust proofed. The two inner fender panels rub against the outer fender, where any salt will accumulate, and cause rust. I removed the rubber gaskets from the inner fenders on my 69 Dart, but I don't drive it in bad weather. Montreal has the worst weather that I know of, for rust, and I can remember seeing these cars with holes in the front fenders, when they were two years old. In 1978 Chrysler started to install a proper inner fender in the Volare/ Aspens, but that doesn't help A bodies. I use Rust Check, in Toronto, but there are other brands as well.
 
I would agree with the last few guys, I wouldn't undercoat. The areas where the rust gets its start is in the box-in panels ( cross members, frame rails etc.) and most specifically between the pinch welds that hold the different panels together. My suggestion would to be to use a product called WaxOyl that is applied with special air pressured gun (runs around $120.00). It's exactly what it sounds like a waxy oily sunstance that is fogged into these areas with the gun that comes with some tubes with different tips for getting into these areas. Once fogged in the product creeps for the next few hours into these impossible to otherwise protect welded areas. After its done it's moving it drys into a waxy film that you can wipe off with some degreaser the nicely painted main areas of your floor pan that you like to admire.
 
undercoat urs no i would not if ur only going to drive it to shows and what not ... but as for me im going to be driving mine int the winter time to so im going to do it
 
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