how to clean underbody and related rust?
 

this is something I'm wondering about. I want to clean the underbody of my car, and take care of rust down there. I don't know if its surface or a little deeper, but if it is surface, then whats the best way to take care of it? I don't have access to much about getting the car off of the ground besides maybe a jack stands or a curb. thanks.

Well, I personally have not had good results with that pink gelatin rust remover unless it's very light surface discoloration. I've also used Extend (now made by Permatex) that is supposed to treat the rust and then turns into a black color ready to paint-- but again, that works ok on light stuff.

Unfortunately what works best for mild/moderate rust is a mechanical abrasive-- aka sand paper, emery cloth, wire wheel on a Dremel tool or drill. However it's almost a necessity to take the part off (put the car up as high as you can get it) since you will need to paint the parts and re-cover any bare metal.

Check out the Eastwood Company's website they specialize in restoration tools, chemicals, etc. There may be something there to try.


Greg O.

i actually have a couple of holes in the floor of my T2,,and other rust,,rear wheel well

Under body rust is the worst place you can have rust starting on your car. You can do some crazy welding and cutting but in the end, I don't think its worth it.
If you have alot of mods and stuff done to your car. I think its better to find a 'shell' and just toss all your stuff from your old car to your new.
I know some peeps with some old hondas and those things rust like nooooo tommorow. I heard some stories on what they did to their car to make it look half decent.

Best thing to do is to get a wire wheel on a high speed drill, remove the exhaust, and go wild. Remove all loose material, surface rust, and all loose undercoat. Do NOT strip to bare metal as there is no reason to if your undercoat is in good shape. If you find a rusted area that needs attention, remove ALL rust around it (probably need to cut it out) and butt-weld a panel in place of what you cut out. You may need to remove parts of the interior and carpet to prevent catching them on fire (not pretty). Then get a commercial grade undercoat and re-do the underside of the car. If rust is repaired properly, then there is no reason for it to be a concern.