Very important! Do you guys and gals have your new MM's undercoated/rustproof

RedMM

RedMM

Cleveland, Oh FoMoCo FAN!
opinions are all over the map on this one. Some owners insist it must be done, while others say having it done voids the warranty. my father swears by Ziebart undercoating and rustproofing. In addition-his 1991 Town Car which was Ziebarted when it was new now has not one spot of surface rust anywhere! MY 98 Lincoln Navigator that I traded in on the 04 MM had rust under all 4 of the doors at seams with only 40k miles and meticulous washings and waxes. Some say the undercoating actually causes the salt(which is heavily used in my area) to stick to the undercoating. I want to get it done FAST while car is clean underneath(288miles) . It is quite clear that so most of you have a wealth of experience in properly taking care of your beloved MM's, I would welcome your thoughts on what you would do. :help me make the best choice!THANK YOU my friends! Mike(aka RedMM):help:
 
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IMHO, the best rustproofing for your new Marauder is an old Taurus or Sable for winter driving and a garage for the Marauder.
That's what I do! :rock:

Best,

Paul:D
 
My "70"Torino GT started rusting where the holes were drilled.And it took away the new car smell.My car has a spot in the garage and twice a year I wax my undercarriage.It's my labor to try to keep my car showroom looking clean.
Redman it's your car only you can make the call.I hope it has improved in 30 years,but I think it's unnecessary.
 
Mike, It's not necessary to rustproof and undercoat. I have had my Thunderbird SC since Feb. of 95 and do not have one bit of rust on her. It is my daily driver and has seen many of winters here in Chicago. Also, you might want to know most cars have double galvanized sheet metal on their outer surfaces. I know this because I work at a Ford Stamping Plant and see the stuff every day. As a matter of fact, our plant made the floor pan and hood for Marauder, before giving the parts to the Buffalo Stamping. One last tid bit. When a car is painted at the assembly plant it goes through E- coat. The whole body of the car is summurged in a tank of primer and is electric-statically sealed. That means every square inch of that car is covered. So I wouldn't be to concerned with rust. Peace out.
 
Hey Mike,

In my opinion, I think undercoating, either dealer applied or after-market Ziebart, Tuff-Coat, et al, are not necessary for enhancing the rust resistance quotient. However, the "tar-like" rust proofing treatment does provide a definite sound deadening feature. The one big drawback of the "tar-like" treatment is the continual dripping of the tar-like material (on hot summer days) onto lower ground surfaces, as well as the engine compartment surfaces.
If you do not intend on keeping your MM for more than (8) or (10) years, the rust proofing $$$ could be directed elsewhere...maybe toward a "super duper" paint shine treatment where your eyes (and everbody else) can enjoy the results EVERY day !
 
It's entirely up to the individual. I did not have mine done, and I certainly would not have a car "heavy" undercoated today.

There was a time that all cars had bare steel in many places. This is no longer the case. You can do more to prevent rust through thorough washings/cleanings/waxings these days I think
 
Hey RedMM,
I used to work at the Ziebart on W. 117th and Bellaire, I would recommend it. Especially when the City of Cleveland pours enough friggin salt on the roads to turn them white til March!

Hey UAW 588, just out of curiosity,... when the body is dunked and electrostatically sealed, is it before or after the hardware has been attached?
 
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I actually chose to have my Marauder rustproofed and undercoated by the dealer, but I honestly can't tell you why I decided to do it. It sounded like a good thing, and they did offer me a really good discount on the package.
 
Petro & RedMM,
when the body is dunked and electrostatically sealed, is it before or after the hardware has been attached?
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If they're done like the Super Duty pick-ups, just sheet metal ( cab with doors attached, boxes with tail-gate), sealer and some plastic body parts (eg. radiator header core) are first dipped in a phosphate solution to be cleaned, then rinsed, dipped in e-coat, then baked. If no vent holes are accidently plugged, the e-coat should reach and cover all the metal surfaces (including inside the doors but not the plastic or sealer). Cabs and boxes are then base coated, painted, additional sealer and sound proofing applied and then sent to the trim department. IMHO, if the process is done right, there's no need for undercoating.
 
Thanks Mongoose,
That's how I figured they did it,.. my only concern would be after bolting everything up underneath, you might lose the protective coating around the hardware. Creating multiple paths for rust to occur.

Not to mention: the steel hardware mated to aluminum frame members. I would be surprised if auto makers actually primed the hardware first to prevent galvanic reaction.

Anyway, I don't think going to Ziebart will hurt anything,.. it just might not help as much as you would think.

my 2 cents.

Tom
 
merc406 said:
Do it, Ziebart's the best and is a better product than it was in the 70's.
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Let's hope the employees are as well.....I did rustproofing right out of high school to make ends meet before leaving for the military. I worked for a competitor, but was very familiar with ZB.

ALOT of cars weren't shot right.....

All rustproofing bussiness' have closed around here, for various reasons, ut mainly for lack of need. No one in their right mind undercoats any longer. Business dwindled as more and more cars have plastic or fiberglass lower panels. As far as doors, many times the lower panels rusted as a result of undercoating blocking weap holes.

My 92 vic winterbeater had been undercoated at some point by the elderly former owner. Upon close inspection, the rear drivers door lip has rusted at the seam and the undercarriage has some spots where the undercoat has dried up, chipped off, and allowed salt and grime to penetrate under the layer. Once under the layer, the rust will continue UNDER the undercoat and you won't even notice. The holes drilled into the vehicle for wand insertion tend to rust as they never get zinc replated on the bare metal.

Visit a bone yard and seek out vehicles that have the old ZB or Rusty Jones stickers and look at them really close.

To wrap up, I once was a number one backer for rust proofing back in the day...but now in the 21st century...in my opinion it's a waste, and possibly a problem causer in the long run. I do however have some old material, and have been known to (hand) coat the lower engine compartments of my older cars, and the inner lips of the lower door edges.
 
Petrograde said:
Hey RedMM,
I used to work at the Ziebart on W. 117th and Bellaire
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They have since closed...I worked at Mickey's. By far a better operation.

What a small world....I used to live at 117 and western.....
 
Surprising for me to see so many no's about rustproofing. I guess cars are better protected during assembly than they ever were before. Still, I have never heard of rustproofing actually causing premature rusting.

I can have it done for $100 (prob $70 or so US), so I see it as a fairly cheap way to get a bit of extra peace of mind, esp. the way they smother us in salt.
 
Here's my personal $0.02:

If done CORRECTLY, undercoating/rustproofing CAN be a good thing...note the emphasis on CORRECTLY...most of the old "quick-lube" style rustproofing places (anyone else remember Rusty Jones?) did a really shoddy job that actually left the vehicle MORE prone to rust, especially due to the extra holes being drilled in the wrong places, then not sealed properly. As UAW 588 said, modern cars have WAY more protection in this regard than cars from 15-20 years ago...I too have a T-bird SC, a '94, with no rustproofing, and the only rust on it is some slight surface rust from areas where rocks hit the hood, and a little tiny bit around one of the back windows...and, yes, they use salt in my area...

In the dead of winter, when hand-washing is not an option, I periodically run my cars through a "spray-and-blow" type of carwash, for no other reason than to remove salt and crap from the finish and the undercarriage...

I doubt whether anyone can CORRECTLY apply rustproofing outside of the manufacturing process, at last not for a reasonable fee, and in my mind it's better to leave the body integrity alone...
 
Mine came undercoated from the dealership at no charge...Go figure, I live in south Florida..Oh well, the price was right........
 
I still stand by what I said, they also do the frame which needs all the protection it can get from the water, salt and humidity up here.
Red, you kinda answered your own question with the trouble you had with the Nav. Most Ziebart appliers know what they are doing, if in doubt they will let you see how they do it. As for the rust around the plugs, have them leave the plugs out and paint the holes with touch-up and install them with a-little sealer.
 
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I intend to keep the medium bomber in the hangar during the salt season and drive the ol' pickup instead. Over time, we'll see if it makes a difference. I didn't undercoat.
 
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