[ZRuss2]

Bought a 2003 zr2 not too long ago and it's pretty rust free for it's age. It does have some starting at the wheel wells and just a little bit on the driver side rocker. Anybody used and recommend a certain brand rust inhibitor over others? I plan on spraying the undercarriage when winter gets close

 

[Rhotpursuit]

Fixed pics.

 

[ZRuss2]

Thank you. No suggestions? Anyone? Nobody uses rust inhibitors on their s10's? Alright well, Google here I come

 

[IntheBatCave]

I don't have a ton of experience but my best suggestion would be to clean off any rust you find down to clean metal then prime and paint. There are places you can go to buy premixed cans of oe paint. It probably won't be perfect, but it will look better than a rust hole.

 

[oldeerslayer]

While you're googling check out boiled linseed oil. It's cheap, environmentally safe and a great rust preventative. My sisters ex managed a Ziebart rust "proofing" shop years ago and he told me it was the primary ingredient in their proprietary formula rust preventer. One of the big things you want to do in any area you want to spray it is to remove as much old rust, dirt and debris as possible with high pressure air to remove areas for moisture to collect and remain. Make sure all drain holes are open for water to escape. Especially in cab corners.

 

[Brawndo]

I am there with @oldeerslayer on oils. Company i work for does oil field work and i have never seen rust on the drill rig trucks All kidding aside the service department uses NHOU products and swears by it. Home
My only complaint if there is on is that it is a tad messy on a street truck like my old s10 that i wrench on pretty frequently.

 

[mr.vls]

I will sand or remove as much of the rust as possible. I will than spray Rust Reformer over the affected area. Spray Rust-Oleum rusty metal primer and than top coat with whatever matches the surrounding area.

 

[hit_4_show]

Agree w/ olddeerslayer & Brawndo. I have thoroughly coated the underside and internal frame cavities with Purple Power prior to a 1-time “deep” cleaning and oil inhibitor application. A gas-powered pressure washer or self-serve car-wash wand is helpful, but a garden hose and nozzle is still needed to flush the internal frame cavities and get above the rear wheel arches. A huge amount of debris accumulates inside the frames. Flush till water comes out clear. I am trending towards cheaper rust inhibitor solutions like gear oil and a cheap pneumatic applicator. However, I appreciate the usefulness of flexible, extension nozzles when using something like aerosol cans of Fluid Film. I have not applied bulk Fluid Film w/ a cheap pneumatic applicator yet, but I intend to try in a couple months as the aerosol cans have increased in price to a point to discourage my use of them for whole vehicle application. After a thorough coating w/ these mentioned inhibitors, I tend to not wash with any soap/detergent the underside, but only rinse occasionally to discourage large accumulations of mud.

 

[mr.vls]

I finished rust preservation and coating of my 89 S15 Jimmy. Rear cross members were blasted and coated with POR-15 and top coated with Chassis black, the frame rails were blasted and painted ( Epoxy Primer, Chassis Black Top Coat) Frame and cross member cavities coated with cavity wax and the underside was coated with 3M Body Shutz Black Undercoating.

 

[needawheel]

just be careful with the linseed oil because it can spontaneously combust...
ive never undercoated with it but it is probably up there with cosmoline as the best. definitely cheaper. its an oil but it hardens a bit like a shell.
you can find linseed oil in deck/fence watersealers/stains too. they go on clearance for mistints and seasonal sales around here... thompsons and olympic are usually mainly linseed oil
and theres no reason you cant mix oils. i use spray cans for a few spots. i dump baby oil down the doors. cheap vaseline is a decent one i have heard of too. heat it up first and it will turn runny. i heard it cools/dries back to a waxy-jelly

 

[Innate]

All the above is in the zone. I too have a lot of experience. On established rust I use POR-15, exactly the way they say to, with extra attention to cleaning before application. On light rust already started, I either go to the POR, or to keeping it oily, depending on where it is; if it's in a protected cavity it works well enough to get it oily they hit it with a waxy coating to maintain the oiliness, if it is in an exposed area, the POR, applied right, does it. I especially like to get ahead of it in areas that are not ruined yet, and do this: hit the seams with WD-40, which penetrates the seam and displaces moisture, then before that dries completely, I warm up a spray bomb of CRC brand Marine Grade waxy undercoating and go over the area, which when warm will also penetrate then firm up. The CRC product holds up to water and salt blasting and seals moisture out, especially out of seams and pockets and around things like fuel and brake lines. Works fine for me. The only "trick" is to be anal in preparation of the surfaces. Oh, and I like mud flaps and fender well liners and other splash guards that GM didn't think to provide. I make my own.

 

[ZRuss2]

Lots of good info in here, thanks for all the replies! Innate what do you make your wheel well liners out of? I need liners and thought about making my own as opposed to buying online.

 

[Mad Max]

I have a 1985 S10 4X4.
The PO had basically replaced every part that was possibly prone to rust with new GM parts.
This was back in 1999
I bought the truck in 2004, it had some surface rust on the chassis.

Well, I tried every "Rust proof" and "preventative" measure there is out there.
Yep, in 2021, the poor truck was riddled with rust. It was so bad, that I had to cut out the rear spring mounts and weld in new mounts/bushings. The bed was ready to fall of.
BTW, I only drove this truck in 2 salt storms (snow) in 15 years.
The salt was already doing it's dirty work.
I should have mentioned - the truck was originally from Wisconsin.


Moral of this???
You CAN'T STOP rust!!!!. If you drive in a salt environment, it will find a way to eat your vehicle.

All you are doing is extending the life of your panels/chassis 5 to 10 years if you go crazy with rust proofing.
I guess that may be worth it in the realm of a vehicle's life.

Living in central NY (serious rust belt) I see 5 year old vehicles with rust started.


OK, I once lived in Massachusetts, and skied in Vermont and New Hampshire almost every weekend.
They used to spray the underside of vehicles with used engine oil, inside panels and trunk. The oil leached out everywhere, but when spring time came, they would pressure wash and clean the panels.
Result? No rust.
I know this is not environmentally (friendly) good, but it was about the only method I ever saw that really worked.

I apologize for the tirade, but I have repaired so much rust and replaced so many panels in my life time, that anyone who says that they can stop or prevent rust is full of it.
Prove me wrong.

 

[manbearpig]

I guess I'm just lucky. My '01 has been in plenty of salty winters and is not incredibly rusty. It is missing the passenger side cab corner but hasn't rusted further since cutting it out. Now the third door is bubbling at the bottom. Over 20 years old, I'm ok with that. The frame is fine, though it takes plenty of heat and blaster to get bolts loose sometimes.

 

[Innate]

Liners and splash guards...... I use off the rack (actually salvaged from other vehicles) large flat mud flaps, not the supposedly form fit ones, large enough that the trajectory of spray doesn't hit the vehicle. For fender liners, I salvaged them from newer vehicles that came with them; GM started to put them into Tahoe/Suburbans by 2001 or so, and some of those, such as the rears, are close to what we need. My new wife came with a CR-V, that is approaching 300k now, and I'm eyeballing the panels in her wheel wells. I use a heat gun to shape them and stainless fender washers and cap screws to secure, the holes and screws smeared with waxy undercoating. I love my heat gun. I know my local yard well and they let me do what I want out there and I find things I can use. There are currently tons of already shaped plastic liners and underside panels that you can grab and make work. One of the most useful things I have used for flaps is flat rubber material that is sold generically to the trucking industry for them to make their own flaps; large, strong, cuts and drills easy enough to work with. I've lived in the epicenters of rust, New England, Iowa, NYC Metro, and I live within a half mile of the ocean now, and I have survived. I also cheat a little; I get my vehicles from rust free places and start early on rust prevention.

Mad Max, and the others, gave you the secret, the keys to the kingdom; have faith, it can be done.

 

[crazy_ate]

Use phosphoric acid to "kill the rust". You can buy Ospho or just get a gallon of phosphoric acid from Home Depot for a fraction of the cost. Spray (wear safety glasses) using spray bottle and let soak and eventually turn black and dry (several days to a couple weeks), then prime with Oleum rust inhibitor and then cover coat with Oleum color (black). POR15 is absolute trash for anything exposed to the elements (can be OK in cab). All it takes is a couple of cracks to form in th POR15 (over time)...then moisture settles in (or god forbid moisture and ice melt if your in the snow belt) and the frame will rot under the POR15 (ask me how I know) -- by the time to see damage it will already be game over. Same goes for any rubberized undercoating NEVER USE IT. Again, this advice may not be relavant in dry Arizona type environment, but in wet areas POR15 is a disaster. In moist environs, phospoho, 1 coat primer, 2 coats paint (not heavy) and if you want extra protection add a cost of Woolwax or Fluid Film.

 

[Innate]

With POR, like many things, it's about the prep. I've used it since the early '90's and when used appropriately it works better than most stuff. After anal-proper prep and correct application, it should be top coated, which can also include a waxy undercoating in some places. (However, it is too expensive and a PIA all day long). The prep should include things like phosphorus wash, if possible, of course, too. You mostly have to use your head, store and use experience, and be prepared for the next step when that day comes. Anytime POR failed, I personally was somehow to blame, to some degree.

 

[BrianBinghamJr32]

Thank you. No suggestions? Anyone? Nobody uses rust inhibitors on their s10's? Alright well, Google here I come

I use rust reformer on my s10. You can get it from Walmart or any parts store near you. I used it on the top of my cab and it kept the rust away.

 

[s10matty]

Krud kutter rust x leave it on a few days, turns black and ready to paint, cheap on ebay

Krud Kutter Rx012 Rust Converter,1 Gal 618818761008 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Krud Kutter Rx012 Rust Converter,1 Gal at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

3 inch wire wheel, pack of 3floz cups and some chip brushes worked well for me, rustex is a rust oxidizer.

I wash everything after the rust is converted with just water, let dry'wipe with vinegar, let dry, paint. That's just me though. =]

 

[PeteD]

Bought a 2003 zr2 not too long ago and it's pretty rust free for it's age. It does have some starting at the wheel wells and just a little bit on the driver side rocker. Anybody used and recommend a certain brand rust inhibitor over others? I plan on spraying the undercarriage when winter gets close View attachment 366055 View attachment 366056 View attachment 366057

Super Truck
I personally like Jack Daniels for my rust inhibitor.