Posted on: January 08, 2016 by Adam
We often get asked the best way to apply undercoating. Our answer has always been 'It's complicated'. It's not to say that there aren't well established ways in which vehicles are rust protected. There are plenty, in fact we could probably write a short book on the topic.
The first thing we recommend which is often overlooked is the preparation. Give your car a wash a couple days before you bring it in to get rust proofed. We even recommend pressure washing the under body if their is a build-up of dirt, salt or sand. The clean dry surface will provide the best adhesion and will lessen the amount of trapped salt.
A couple days later when you bring your car in, you give your rust proofing shop a clean palette to work with.
When they put your car up on the lift, the applicator will avoid direct spray or excessive overspray on the exhaust manifold. This is because the exhaust will get hot enough to actually bake off the product anyway. Keep in mind that a mild burning smell is normal for the first day driving after application. This is because a small amount of overspray on the exhaust is almost unavoidable.
Doors and rockers panels should have product applied in them. This is most commonly applied through natural openings in the under body of the vehicle. Shops will commonly offer to drill holes to inject rust proofing to high risk areas that are inaccessible by other means. This is a judgement call, but more often than not it is the right choice. After all, a couple small holes in your under body covered by flush black plastic plugs are preferable to developing structural rust.
We recommend that you go with a reputable shop that has the equipment and experience to give you the best rust proofing application possible.