Undercoating or anti-rust paint a good idea for unpainted surfaces?

[NJBob]

I use cosmoline. Anyone into firearms knows this stuff is a great for rust prevention. Has a odd smell but goes away after a few days. Dries mostly clear. May have a slight amber color if really thick. Lasts a long time. They have it in black also but never used it.

https://www.cosmolinedirect.com/cosmoline-rp-342-heavy-spray-military-grade-rust-preventive/

Have not heed of that stuff in a long time. Where I worked we used it all the time to coat machine tools when we shipped them out. Remember it being very sticky if it's the same stuff.

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[TedTX]

Got my truck in January had rust at the pinchweld by may, this has been the driest year I can remember definitely get it done as early as possible

 

[matmondro]

Just touching base here on this, I ended up doing Fluid Film. I went to Lowes and bought two cans for $9.99 each. It took me about 45 minutes to an hour to do in my driveway. I sprayed all linkages, control arms, exposed bolts and nuts, and any other brackets, braces, or mounts. I also sprayed the back of the bracket that has the trailer wiring harnesses mounted to it (I have 4k tow package). I've seen those start rusting out from the bottom edge on many of other trucks.

I know I didn't get 100% coverage, but that's just the way it is and anything is better than nothing. I'd recommend doing it ASAP if you live in the rust belt, or if you're looking to do it for peace of mind.

 

[Meintc]

I had my truck under coated with "Corrosion Free".

 

[Chicolini]

I use cosmoline. Anyone into firearms knows this stuff is a great for rust prevention. Has a odd smell but goes away after a few days. Dries mostly clear. May have a slight amber color if really thick. Lasts a long time. They have it in black also but never used it.

https://www.cosmolinedirect.com/cosmoline-rp-342-heavy-spray-military-grade-rust-preventive/

Thank you so much for posting this! I had no idea they still made this stuff. I have spent hours removing cosmoline from mil-surp guns after half a century of storage - it is some tough stuff. Good enough for King, Kaiser and Csar, I just placed an order.

 

[twolane]

I'm a Wool Wax believer.
The way it was explained to me is paint, or any other "permanent" undercoating is fine until it chips or cracks or whatever, then whatever gets behind the coating gets trapped and makes matters worse than no coating at all.
Woolwax was pitched to me as being an annual thing you put on in the fall and it creates a barrier that can (and should) be washed off in the spring. That way nothing gets trapped and it all gets washed off and away. I don't know how true it is, but I've had great luck with Woolwax. They do also make a black tinted version that does look nicer that the original, if you don't mind paying an extra couple of bucks per can.

 

[ShadowBlack XL440]

Several professional reviewers and some buyers have reported bare metal showing underneath the Mav. My fellow geezers will recall back in the day that dealers were scamming car buyers by charging for under coating. Not being a mechanic, I was wondering if under coating or even some anti rust paint would be a good idea. I have always been a belt and suspenders kind of guy (and I have been known to be caught with my pants down) so what do you all think; is this an issue that needs to be addressed?

Considering that I live in the heart of the rust belt in northern Ohio, rust is nothing new. After inspecting the undercarriage of my new Maverick and seeing all the thin sheet metal parts and bare components, I decided to go with Fluid Film. I removed all the wheel wells and lower panels for the best access. When loosening the plastic rocker panels to my surprise this fell out. In my 50+ years of northern Ohio I don't recall seeing anything like this in this area. Must be an immigrant from south of the border. Glad this one was dead.

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