New 2023 Tacoma - Undercarriage Job [DIY]

Hey guys
I just purchased a new 2023 TRD Off Road! I'm interested in doing an undercarriage job as a proactive means to prevent rust. Ive noticed a lot of folks recommend Cosmoline RP-342 on a new car. Mine is only a couple weeks old.

Question - Why is Cosmoline recommended over Fluid film on new cars? I live in San Francisco - are there any bay area locals who can recommend this kind of care / products they used?

 

I came for a completely different topic... As it were...

Congrats on the new truck!

I am not familiar with Cosmoline and I am not in the Bay (But I am not too far!).

I did Woolwax because of good reviews and because of the high Lanolin content. I used it on a Land Cruiser previously. (I have also used it on sailing equipment in salty environments also and I know it works well.).

I spend quite a bit of time in Tahoe, so I thought it was a prudent thing to do to my Taco... (Likely overkill, but I did not want to risk any ugly looking rust underneath from chemicals or reactive soil while offroad.)

I did it right away after purchase, and because California is not a super hostile environment it has largely remained intact. The stuff does not wash off easily once it 'sets' - it does take a few days to 'dry'. (Again, this quite a benign environment for these trucks.). I have some extra cans for touch-up (Has been minimally needed so far) and I take a peek down there now and then...

I believe I bought 8 spray cans initially. And 5-6 were enough to get good coverage. The others are the touch-up stash. I did it myself. Is it a bit messy, but not too bad. For CA, it is basically a one time hassle. Ever a direct spray with a pressure washer struggles to make a dent.

The waxy finish does attract dust which, of course, sticks; so the underside does not look 'as new' after application, but you can tell nothing touches the coated surfaces with the waxy coating. Water just beads off.

 

Cosmoline and the other hardish waxes are more durable than the oils or WW but you do not want to trap the salts between it and the metal like the rubber coatings do. That is the reason for the new vehicle recondition it mostly a one and done were the soft WW and oils need to be redone yearly to keep your protection.

 

I used cosmoline black on the undercarriage and cosmoline creep on all the interior panels (doors, tailgate, hood, fenders etc.) on my Taco. Its much more durable in the conditions than the oil based products. I had our new 4Runner done by New Hampshire Oil Undercoating because I ran out of time and didn't really want to deal with the mess in the driveway again. next year I'll probably have both done by NHOU.

 

I fluid filmed mine. I will say that next winter I will look into a product that’s a little harder to get off. Fluid film seems to come off fairly easily. Areas that get blasted or packed with snow/salt like the lower control arms and skid shield I’ve had to touch up a few times already.

 

I went with KBS Coating instead of Fluidfilm and very happy with results: https://www.kbs-coatings.com/cavity-coater.html

Note that you should NOT buy their cheap chinese sprayer, go with the expensive Fluidfilm sprayer instead. I was able to return the junk KBS sprayer and got the FF one and now very happy with everything, doing an undercoat spray once a year.