Hi guys, I am a new Ford F100 owner. I recently bought my truck from Arizona. It has been repainted in its life, and is extremely clean. The undercarriage has only surface rust. I live in the North East and I want the best rust protection money can buy for my undercarriage. There are companies that sell undercoating in a spray can, besides needing a ton of these to get the job done on a full size pickup how is their quality compare to professional applications? I am not afraid to do It myself but I know what a professional can do and I know what I can do. I want total protection for the truck and quality that will last and not having me do it again every year like painting the bottom of a boat. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Paul

 

Undercoating protects clean metal best. If you have surface rust, what I suggest (and did on mine) is 1) get it completely clean of dirt and grease. Treat heavy grease with solvent and a brush then detergent like Simple Green and pressure wash until it is spotless. 2) Sand or wire brush any loose rust or paint. 3) Prime. I like red Rustoleum or Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. Brush works fine 4) Paint. I like semi gloss or satin black Rustoelum 5) Apply undercoat in areas subject to rock chips... wheel wheels for example. Not needed elsewhere.

 

Hey! Let's get a pic of the truck to see your find!

 

I wouldnt put under coating on anything PERIOD. Lived in rusty metal Michigan my whole life and never had anything rust, i have bought them that way. A cheap paint gun from harbor freight and used motor oil, spray it inside every panel heavy, very heavy. Let it drip and repeat every fall and your truck will never rust, been doing it almost 40 yrs now.

 

Best protection is not to drive it in NY during the salt season....
The 75,79 and 86 of mine are proof of that...
I've got a "grease" type undercoating that I think has been outlawed by the NY DEC so it must be good.

 

Some photos of my 73 F100

 

Welcome to the site. Where are you in NY?? (I'm N of Ithaca) You are invited to join the NY Chapter and join in the chat thread.

Very nice truck. I wouldn't drive it in the snow.

 

I'm on Long Island. I don't want to drive in the snow but I did buy it to be a daily driver. I'm done with computers, sensors, and BS. I want simplicity. I am an engineer by trade and I wanted a truck I could work on myself. I couldn't afford or justify spending 30-50k on a new or newer pickup truck. It's just insanse. I love all things vintage. There are also no shortage of available parts for these trucks, which was a major reason I decided to buy one.

 

They are nice trucks. Used to live on LI (Baldwin). Once upon a time, they were not using salt down there, just sand.
I drove my 79 SCab into the ground, had to replace the bed,and that started rusting, then the floor let go, followed by the fenders. Got so bad then if you hit a bump the cab would drop down and hit the driveshaft. Retired it then.
As mentioned above maybe a good coating of rust paint. (I'm trying that on my 97 Crown Vic.

 

I'm in Oceanside. Yeah they still use sand but I see them use salt now as well, plus I work in Queens so I will be driving it in the city too.

 

welcome to FTE, while protecting the undercarriage is one thing your forgetting about the body cavities on your truck. the A pillars and the rear of the door jam, above the headliner/ windshield, inside the doors, backside of the fenders, underside of the cab/ box as well as the inner cavity of the box. undercoating / rust proofing is a system. not a spray and play.

 

Do what blue & white said first, then follow up with what Bud Mud said.

 

CLEAN truck! I agree and wouldn't put undercoating on ANYTHING.. You would be surprised at what a few hours of pressure washing then a good coat of professional rustoleum paint on the flash rust will do..

 

Lots of good ideas on how to do it correctly above.. Here's how I did mine.. I should have taken before pics, everything was completely rust colored under there

Sprayed mine about a year ago..
Told myself that I'd shoot the spindle/brake areas better when I had to pull the tires but haven't had too yet

I tested the paints adhesion by holding the 3500psi washer directly on the paint and it never flaked


I do have one


I do have one

 

That's about like the stuff that's popular in Canada too isn't it? Take your car in once a year for a cleaning, drying and reapplication.