Delicate Old Car Wanting Undercoat... Shop Recommendations?

[newbieRSX]

I'm in the process of importing a 1st gen MR2 from the US to Edmonton.

It doesn't have any rust because the car has lived in a relatively clean region for its entire 28 years, and garaged most of the time. And I plan to keep it really clean and flawless at the best I can.

Wondering if anyone can recommend a good shop with steady hands that I can bring the MR2 to for a really good undercoating to further protect against our nasty roads here...

Thanks!

[ExtraSlow]

You want oil or lanolin based undercoat not anything that is rubber or asphalt based. Krown is one brand, there are many others and its not hard to do it yourself.

[newbieRSX]

Cool thanks for the tips! I'll look it up for sure.
Yes, if it's something I'm capable of doing on my driveway with minimal hardware (jackstand, tape, plastic bags, newspapers), I'll definitely DIY.

[Maxx Mazda]

If it's a pristine car, I'd say DON'T. It'll never be the same again once you spray that shit on it, and often times they make matters worse.

Please tell me you're not thinking of winter driving it??

[newbieRSX]

oh god no... will not winter drive it. Summer only.

Just that I don't trust our "clean" roads enough and most routes I take to go anywhere is getting constructions (muddy or dusty).

[ExtraSlow]

Oh, those oily undercoatings would be for preventing salt-water type rust only. They'll actually make dirt and dust stick much worse. I think you just need to wash more, not sure there exists a product that will help you.

[Maxx Mazda]

Exactly. Just wash more and don't drive if it's raining.

[newbieRSX]

ah.... ok got it. Thanks for the tips

Yea I probably will be giving the underbody a rinse very often if that's what it takes to keep this MR2 rust free for a long long time ...

[ExtraSlow]

Keep in mind dust and a little mud aren't really damaging. Calgary is very dry, nearly a desert, so it's pretty much only salt you need to concentrate on.

[newbieRSX]

heh I'm in Edmonton, so I'm guessing about the same just maybe 200x more dustier

[born2workoncars]

I'll be taking my truck to Consolidated Compressors to get the undercarriage blasted and then POR15'd.

But to echo the sentiments of others, if it's already clean and free of significant rust, just leave it.

[Tik-Tok]

Just to add in agreement to the others, My '91 MR2 spent 10 years in Vancouver, then another Beyonder had it here in Alberta as a summer driver for 7 years/55k kms, then I had it as a summer driver for 3 years/10k kms, and it was still completely rust free when I sold it.

So long as you wait until after a few heavy rain falls and street cleaning in the spring, you won't have any problems at all.

[newbieRSX]

Cool , thanks for the tips!

Yea it'll be driven very lightly and will definitely wait until spring cleaning. Probably won't drive it out in the rain too unless I'm caught with bad weather while out with the car...

Can't wait for it to arrive and drive it Still waiting for the transport arrangements (high season)

[killramos]

Bump?

Thought I would do some investigating here, what are peoples current thoughts for undercoating for a 365 day a year DD in Calgary? Lots of differing opinions online but Calgary is a unique place in and of itself so interested in what Calgary beyonders think.

Reason I am considering is the underside of my Jeep is in pretty sad shape, I mean nothing structural, but lots of surface rust everywhere that looks terrible and it bothers me every time i look at it like it or not.

Any Preferred shop to do this and ballpark cost for a good undercoating? I had one quote but it seemed pretty far out to lunch to me.

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

You want oil or lanolin based undercoat not anything that is rubber or asphalt based. Krown is one brand, there are many others and its not hard to do it yourself.

I'm quoting myself here because this is my opinion on older vehicles, newer daily driven vehicles, rarely driven vehicles and even brand new vehicles. As far as google tells me both Krown and Rust Check have local dealers and that's where I'd start if I was getting this done.

[killramos]

Does it work? Ever used it yourself?

[HiSpec]

I believe the oil-based protection are preferred over the rubber-based.

[infamous]

i'm going to chime in and say that I for one love undercoating. even the rubber based stuff. I did my accord wagon, uhhhh…..8 ish years ago now, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. the upside? I can take a bit of degreaser and a quick powerwash underneath and it looks pristine. the road noise inside the car was so much quieter! I would happily show it off to anyone who is wondering. I did it myself way back in the day when I worked at crowfoot Hyundai, they have the pressurized barrels of undercoating, and I did it myself. I've also tried the spray cans, I find they don't adhere quite the same and don't have the same properties to protect and cover the areas I wanted.

[killramos]

Good info thanks. It seems like a good idea to me but I was curious if it’s just a scam and wears off after 3 weeks.

Looked into those liquid ones slow mentioned. Like 150 bucks ($US?) for treatment seems too cheap. But also some weird comments on Krown such as the drilling holes to spray the product behind panels etc? That doesn’t sound like what I was I was thinking just a strictly undercoat spray to add a bit of piece of mind during our shitty chemical ridden winters.

[ExtraSlow]

So I have no direct experience with any of them. I'm too cheap to protect my vehicles, so my advice is all theoretical only. However, the oil based ones appeal to me for two reasons. 1) They can't do any harm. 2) Oil metal doesn't rust (as my trucks can show you from all their various leaks!) I don't think you MUST do the whole "drill holes and spray the inside of the cavities" thing. Part of the reason it's so cheap is that it's a crazy simple process, in fact many people do it themselves in under an hour. I'd imagine a shop can do it in 15 minutes. It will wear off over time, but from the many many discussions I've heard, it will last through our winters, so you get it re-sprayed once a year.

One thing the oil-sprays won't do is make anything quieter. You need the rubber/asphalt type for that.