Hi Scotty. I'm a political dissident-heretic plotting my escape from leaving the Democratic People's Republic of Californistan soon and will be heading for Florida or possibly less sunny climes.
1. What brand(s) of car makers is/are the best for body and frame work metallurgy and factory rust proofing in the context of salted winter roads and/or salty seaside climates?
2. Also, which treatment(s) are best for protecting an existing car. I've heard of all kinds from used crankcase oil to truck bed liner and of course all the big commercial ($$$) treatments. Given you've lived in the rust belt yourself, guessing you'll know better than anyone.
Thanks and congratulations on your move to Tennessee!
Any undercoating should be fine and all cars now-a-days have ionized paint from the factory that bond to the metal as a base coat for the frame of the car. It's dunked into it right at the start and that usually enough to prevent rust on its own.
Lexus and Toyota seem to have the best proofing. But once Rust starts, you really can't stop it any of those rust preventative measures can work on a car not Rusty they're a zillion out there you just spray them on and they make a coating you can check them all out there's a million kinds but like I say they won't stop a car that's already Rusty
@scottykilmer
Volvos also have very good rust control, especially the higher end models made in Sweden. They seem to use higher quality metal that holds up better.
Corrosion problem? Read this first:
https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/paints/corrosion-protection-coating-test
I spray each of my cars only one time - inside and out, cavities especially - spot welded seams - when I acquire each, with LPS-3. I generally mix LPS-3 with 1/3 Varsol / 1/3 engine oil, … spray it with airless spray gun. Than, I leave a car sitting outside for about a week to completely dry it out. Rust never has a chance after that! Trust me, … and I drive in the area where snow, salt and gravel resides on the roads for better of 7 to 8 months of the year! All I do after, is never wash a car in the winter, but only rise it - whenever temperature drifts above freezing sufficiently ( we have our famous Chinooks here in Calgary often enough that a car gets rinsed with clean water, … oh, about 3 to 4 times per cold winter? )
Best,
F.S.
yeah - there's no saving a daily from rust in the Rust Belt. Cars eventually flake out here, and you cant even lift them. Time to go hunting. I'd make it less about stopping the rust, and more about just accepting 8 year old cars gonna be rusting. Can't go wrong with a water wash at the Car Wash for the undercarriage. It's gonna be the salt that'll do the worst. FL should be less of an issue than the Rust Belt.
