Best undercoating material to prevent rust?

Hey folks.. Living in NJ, and having owned a 95 4runner, I'm a little scared of rust. My truck is only about a month old, hasn't seen a winter yet (it was born in April of 2010), and I want to do the right thing in preventing rust. I'm also taking it to OBX next week, so will be driving on the beach, and want to prevent even the littlest spec of rust from showing up if I can Anyway, whats the best thing to use? I see rustoleum has an undercoat spray, as well as an engine enamel spray(that sounds like tough stuff) and I think I also read that people spray rustoleum bedliner underneath to prevent rust? What do you experts suggest?

Also, what should I *NOT* spray under the truck? I plan on hitting everything that looks like it could rust, but I dont want to spray something that shouldn't be and cause issues. I am WAAAAY obsessive about my new truck, but it is my first 'nice' new vehicle (my only other new car was a 2005 honda civic with no power windows or locks that was bought as a commuter car, which got sold to buy my 2010 red taco )

Thanks all!!!

 

Periodically brush, clean, and repaint rust. Undercoating won't show it's rusting underneath. It's also harder to work on undercoated areas.

 

The best rust preventer is moving somewhere where it doesn't snow

When you drive at the OBX just make sure you rinse it off. Its kinda hard to avoid the salt spray especially when the winds are coming off the ocean.

While its new and clean, I would spray bedliner. I noticed a little surface rust on the frame rails and cab mounts of my '07 so I sanded them, primed them and painted them w/ duplicolor spray on bedliner. However, I live in GA so rust isnt really a problem here.

 

I'll post some pics soon My question is about prevention. There is no rust underneath yet, since the truck is so new and hasnt seen a winter yet.. would bedliner be best for the frame rails and such? I'm guessing we dont spray anything on the exhaust right?

 

A high quality durable paint would be best, several applications if possible.

Do not use rubberized undercoating on your frame.

 

ok.. rustoleum undercoating would be the stuff to use?

 

I would not advise that. Undercoating can develop perforations and your frame can rot sight unseen. I would only use undercoating on non-metal surfaces.

I would use paint. Per your other post, do not paint any part of the exhaust.

If you have a respectable body shop or auto-restoration shop in your city--call them. Ask them what they would coat a frame with.

 

POR 15 is what most guys use when restoring cars. I've used it on 2 of my rebuilds, both I had to sand down to bare metal to remove surface rust. One frame has set outside for 3 years now with no problems. You can purchase it as a roll on or spray. Works great.

 

dont use undercoating it is porous and will not seal. i use rustolem professional oil base paint on everything i own. it comes in a silver can is available at walsmart in gallons or most any hardware store in poof cans.

 

I don't like the undercoating because rust can form beneath it sight unseen until the undercoating comes off in a big flake. Paint , even Rustoleum doesn't seem to provide good enough protection from impact or abrasion.

I once had a car rustproofed. They used something that was light brown in color and best described as an oily wax, sort of like a beeswax. It was sprayed on and in doors and such. I think it sort of self healed itself when touched as if it never fully dried. Seems like it continually exuded oil to protect the metal. I would love to get a few cans of the stuff if I knew exactly what it was.

 

See 'Carwell'.

 

Wow, that stuff from Carwell/Rust doctors looks pretty good.. anyone have any experienced with it?

 

x10. Do a search. You'll see a lot of the Canadians use this product. Also, Rustoleum primer and then paint will work well.

Don't use any gimmicky products. Just paint.

 

I use it on my 09'. I had it done prior to the 1st winter and had it re-sprayed prior to the 2nd. So far, so good.

We probably see as much salt as anyone where i live about 1/2 hour outside of Buffalo, New York.

They also sell cans of it for 'touch ups' that i intend to try for touch ups between fall applications. I think the cans are supposed to carry about a $7.00 hit and the guy at the shop said they go pretty far. They were out of the cans when i stopped by this spring, and i haven't had sense of urgency tto get back with it being teh summer. I will get back there soon. The place is about 20-25 minutes away from me.

I've used others in the past and this one seems to be the best so far. My friend used to own a Ziebart and i slathered my 87' prior to its first winter with probably about 30 lbs of that crap.

I would feel like an idiot in a salt happy state crawling under my truck yearly and sanding the frame to re-paint it, only to have to go through that nonsense yearly, all the while losing the battle badly.

If i was to resort to that insanity, the por-15 would be the only option.

 

Which stuff did you use specifically? I'm in new jersey, so we arent quite as bad as buffalo, but still bad. I don't want to deal with rust, especially since I plan on keeping this truck for a long time. I could also do my wife's Forester I suppose, LOL!

 

i need to do my 2010 as well being a jersey jerk

 

This has been my experience too. I use rustoleum for touchups underneath my truck but if gravel or rocks hit it, the paint will chip. To be fair, I am using the same paint I used on my sliders, so it's not heavy duty, but it works well if it's not scraped or damaged.

That stuff is called cavity wax. The body shop I spoke to recommended that I have it sprayed inside the front boxed part of the frame where I had my sliders welded on.

 

Sprayfoam crack sealer at lowes !!!!!

 

Google "Krown" to see if it is available in the states. Amazing stuff, no buildup either. Leaks like crazy when it gets warm out though.