<MICS> RE:rustproofing (long)

[Christopher Pawlowicz <chrisp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Blair Daggett asks about

>We get an average of 416 inches of snow here, (great skiing) and they salt
>the roads with a vengeance.  I'd like the digest's recommendations on after
>market rust proofing.  Is it worth it?  Whose best?  I've heard that Waxoil
>does BMW's treatment.  True?  We get everything from Rust check, which
>drills holes and sprays, to small shops that just spray oil underneath.

hard rustproofing (like OE undercoating, wax treatments) work well until
they dry out - then they crack and water/salt creeps in and is protected
 while it eats the car.. probably work best in climates where the car
 never sees salt :) or cold weather

just spraying oil underneath is ok for a little while but probably doesn't
 hang around long enough to work really well

drilling holes and spraying inside the rockers, doors, all panels, sounds
the most un appetizing but seems to work the best..

the mixture of oils they use (a mixture of light penetrating oils as well
as thicker 'last a long time' oils) works their way into all the cracks
and crevices

 be prepared though:

the car will drip oil for a few days (there is NO SUCH THING as dripless)
so park on the street, get the oil spray done when it gets a little cooler

drive around for a while (30 minutes) after getting sprayed.. all the oil
burning off on the exhaust pipe is *stinky*

the car will ooze oil from hood/trunk/other areas for ever..
during the summer oil, will ooze from under the trunk lid, under the hood etc

( you will either wash the car very often or get used to opening the trunk
  without actually using your hands and lifting the trunk lid )


some tips:

some shops will steam clean the underside of the car and dry it before applying
 the undercoating oils.. this is good as it gets all kinds of mud and dirt off
 which would otherwise block the oil from getting everywhere

Summer is probably a good time to get undercoated because the oil can
really work it's way into all the cracks. It is probably the messiest
time of year to get it done though because it drips like crazy.

drilling the car full of holes sounds really scary but is, in fact, no big
 deal.. generally they put a hole in the door (below latch mechanism) so
they can spray into the door, a hole midway down the rocker panel,
another at the B pillar, and that's about all the ones I've noticed.
They plug the holes with plastic plugs and they are pretty unobtrusive.

As far as brand names.. there are a few around here (Krown, Rust Check, others)
and all seem to be pretty similar.

Cost seems to be ~$40 USD for 'regular', $60 USD for 'no drip' (ya right!)
and some places charge up to $200 USD for a real thorough clean and spray
and car wash after. You would typically get the car done every year.


chris pawlowicz
'89 325i - 10 winters, lots of salt, oil sprayed last 3, some cancer
'74 2002 - no winters, no rust

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