ezf@bbncca.ARPA (Ed Frankenberry) (11/15/84)
I've ordered a new car and would like opinions about dealer applied rustproofing/undercoating. The dealers in my area "strongly recommend" having this done. Who is likely to do a better job: the dealer or a firm which specializes in rustproofing? Is there much difference between Rusty Jones, Auto Armor and the Ziebart treatment? Thanks, ...!decvax!bbncca!ezf p.s. - it's worth noting that the manufacturer (Toyota) provides a 3 year rust "perforation" warranty apart from any rustproofing.
wally@cornell.UUCP (11/16/84)
From: wally (Wally Dietrich)
Don't buy dealer rustproofing, if you can avoid it. It's a 100% profit item,
is almost universally poor, and can actually cause more rust because bad
applications have cracks in the rustproofing where salt can lodge and hasten
rusting.
I got a new car rustproofed at Ziebart this summer for $220. I heard Toyota
dealers were charging over $500 dollars for their rustproofing and
undercoating.
Wallygvcormack@watdaisy.UUCP (Gordon V. Cormack) (11/17/84)
Consumer advocates in eastern Canada generally agree that there is no permanent rustproofing that does much good; these compounds are all too thick and the moisture gets into the seams and cracks underneath them. The same advocates agree that having thin oil (engine oil will do) applied every year is much more effective. The car is drilled and sprayed in much the same places as the permanent rustproofing (rockers, doors, fenders etc.). The oil is more effective because it creeps to the same places as the water would and is, of course, hydrophobic. Unfortunately, because it is thin it evaporates/ runs off after a year and needs to be re-applied. In waterloo you can have this done for twenty bucks with about five bucks extra for the initial drilling. Over the life of the car this is not significantly different from the "permanent" treatment applied once. There are also commercial treatments that use the same principle (notably Rust Check) and give a 1 year guarantee renewable ad infinitum with annual treatments. These treatments cost 3 to 4 times as much as straight oil. I suspect you are paying for the guarantee and national ad campaign. Still, $5 per month is not a lot to pay to protect your car from becoming a pile of rust. One last note, you can begin spraying an old car with oil at any time whereas the permanent stuff is generally only applied to new cars. I have never tried to oil a previously permanently rustproofed car but suspect the old rustproofing might interfere a bit. Hope this is of help to someone. Gord Cormack, University of Waterloo
essachs@ihuxl.UUCP (Ed Sachs) (11/19/84)
<> When I bought a new car last year, I asked my neighbor who is in the body-and-fender business if there was any difference between the different brands of rustproofing. His reply was, "It's not what they use, it's how good a job they do putting it on. It will only rust in the spots that get missed." I had him do the job in his own shop (Protector rust proofing, complete with warrantee) for about the same price as the dealer would have charged, but he did it the he would have done his own car (used three times the normal amount of rustproofing compound, spent half a day doing it, using existing holes where possible instead of drilling new ones). By the way, the rustproofing compund and labor are relatively cheap, what you are paying for mostly is the 5 (or 7 or whatever) year warrantee. And once it starts to rust, no amount of fixing will ever make it stop (I've had cars with rust problems, wound up having to replace fenders, etc.). Also note that Chrysler's 5 year rust-through warrantee on my new car did not even make me think twice about not getting the car rust-proofed. -- Ed Sachs AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxl!essachs
dmm@browngr.UUCP (David Margolis) (11/21/84)
I just bought a new Toyota Truck, the dealer charged me what he called his cost, $90, for his Rusty Jones, and now guarantees to fix any rust problems. I think this was worthwhile. By the way, other Toyota dealers wanted to charge me anywhere between 150 - 220 for the same service, which I wouldn't have gone for. It wasn't the heaviest application I've seen, but they have to guarantee it.