Keeping the Rust Wolf at Bay in New Jersey

[leomara]

I've been looking at previous posts regarding rust prevention and my head hurts. Zeibart, rust converters, rust encapsulators, rustoleum (oil base), roofing tar, used motor oil etc. etc. I've got a 1991 Ford Bronco with 21,000 original miles and while I wish to use it I also want to do the best I can to prevent it from rusting out. Spraying or brushing the under body with any of these products is relatively easy but it's the inside of the rockers, wheel wells and tailgate where problems start sight unseen. Any recent success stories out there? What has worked best for you?

[Bhigdog]

Don't drive it in the rain/snow.................Bob

[joe_padavano]

Move out of New Jersey (OK, rust isn't the only reason to do this...).

Seriously, the truck is close to a quarter century old. Mileage is irrelevant. Has the car been in the rust belt it's whole life? If so, you are likely too late. Rust starts from the inside out and putting a coating over the rust will not stop it.

[leomara]

Thanks Bob, your advice is well, words fail me. Joe, I'm not too late, I'm currently working on the drivers window and the inside of the door panel is clean as a whistle, no dirt and no rust. Some positive information would be most appreciated.......

[joe_padavano]

Thanks Bob, your advice is well, words fail me. Joe, I'm not too late, I'm currently working on the drivers window and the inside of the door panel is clean as a whistle, no dirt and no rust. Some positive information would be most appreciated.......

Unfortunately, unless you take a borescope and inspect the inside of every pinchweld in the vehicle, you cannot know how good the vehicle is. Moisture and dirt collect in these pinchwelds at the bottom of each body panel, and the doors are a poor example to use. Remove the inside upholstery panels behind the rear wheels and check at the bottoms of those areas.

To answer your original question, the best preservative is high quality epoxy primer on clean bare metal. Anything else will be a stopgap at best, Applying anything over existing coatings simply covers whatever is going on between the old coating and the base metal. Sorry, but there is no magic answer here. The vehicle is nearly 25 years old. There IS already dirt, debris, and rust in those pinchwelds. This is a fact of life. In addition, every time you drive the vehicle, you will subject it to further vibration that loosens debris, cracks protective coatings, and causes slow but unstoppable decay. Humidity is just as bad, even when the car is parked. Unless you keep the vehicle in a climate controlled storage facility, condensation will continue to promote rust and deterioration.

[leomara]

Thanks Joe, "Hope Springs Eternal" that I may have some better than average luck in this case.

[Restorer32]

Rust is not cancer. In the absence of excess moisture it doesn't spread.

[alsancle]

Rust is not cancer. In the absence of excess moisture it doesn't spread.

+1

this is a misconception I have heard for years. If you remove the moisture the chemical reaction ends.