[nickireland1]

I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the best ways to prevent car cancer. Some people swear by electronic rust protection, others by lanolin spray, I use fish oil but its gross and my car smells like a fishermans socks.
I had no rust for 4 years and then after a year on the coast I basically need a new front clip and bonnet. I will replace all the rust with actual metal, but will still be on the coast for the foreseeable future.
Thanks in advance.

[30ONA]

All the info I've read on electronic systems is they don't work.

Keep the car garaged to minimize salt spray and wash the car regularly (once a week). Also need to patch up scraches that go deeper than the paint.

You either need to have an oxygen free environment to stop the corrosion or you can slow it down with coatings/barriers that prevent the oxygen getting to the metal, but they all break down eventually.

Also rust converters are not recommended, it is always better to go back to clean steel then protect.

Lanolin is a well know product used in marine environments. Both it and other sprays are just a barrier against oxygen.

[got_bar_work]

Fiberglass panels

[Grags]

The electronic systems (allegedly) help slow down corrosion but ...... not sure at all if they are 100% effective by themselves.
I would put more faith in a good paint job with a rustproofing coating in the vulnerable spots
The Lanolin products are OK for temporary touchups but can't recommend them as a permanent fix because it can wash off and because it's a 100% natural organic product, (has a temperature operating range that is the most benefit to a sheep, nature made it to protect sheep not cars) once you get it over 40-50 degrees it goes liquid and can run off.
The proper rustproofing coatings are best, the smell goes away in time
Supercheap sell a brand called Fergusons Knock out rust. It flows on nice and dries to a firm (but not hard) coating. Comes in a spray can so it's really convenient.
Give that a go once you've sorted the rust

[MrRocky]

Fish oil but smell lasts 2 weeks no matter what

[just_cruizin]

Electronic stuff just can't work. It's snake oil, actually snake oil would probably work better. I believe the sale of these units has been banned in WA

[bumstein]

Cover the undercarriage in fishoil/lanolin oil. Take it for a drive over dusty inland tracks. It cakes it in unsalty dust, makes it look like shit, but forms a nice crust which air, salt and moisture don't penetrate easily

[nickireland1]

thanks for the help everyone.

I have read the companies selling electronic rust protection have been successfully sued in the states, so il steer well clear of the proverbial snake oil salesmen. the old adage of "too good to be true" seems about right this time.

I guess i have been a little bit slack a few times with washing it whilst i have had other priorities, so il get on top of that.

I have been pretty diligent with the lanolin but i was unaware that it denatured at 40deg so its pretty useless during summer. Thanks.

I am planning on fixing the rust properly, just not keen on having my hard work ruined!

I might just get some snakes and rub the car with that, see what happens

there was a white 83 ute at telegraph point the i nearly bought last week, could have changed everything!

[Mickc]

Fergusons Knock out rust

Pretty sure it also list "lanolin" as one of its ingredients.
Have used it and like how well it "skins" so it can be painted over.
Great in seams and protected cavities.

[Scrawny]

just_cruizin wrote:

Electronic stuff just can't work. It's snake oil, actually snake oil would probably work better. I believe the sale of these units has been banned in WA

It does work, I've witnessed it first hand. But.... there is electronic rust proofing and there is electronic rust proofing

[kenzook]

Well do elaborate then??


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[Toomanycars]

I agree some of the electronic devices work.. I have seen how well they perform on a car that spent a LOT of time at the beach and salt water.. The secret is the placement and the number of diods or what ever those things are called that get spread around the car...Personally I use fish oil and lots of it on my cars... Put the car up on ramps and walk around underneath and fill every nook and cranny..The smell goes away in 2 weeks and it leaves a glossy thick coating that is everything proof.. Avoid driving through salt water.. It get in where nothing else can.

[Bulldog 61]

Mickc wrote:

Fergusons Knock out rust

Pretty sure it also list "lanolin" as one of its ingredients.
Have used it and like how well it "skins" so it can be painted over.
Great in seams and protected cavities.

Or Techtyl, both great products and all I have ever used.....never had rust in any of my vehicles and regularly drive beaches

[Scrawny]

kenzook wrote:

Well do elaborate then??

I worked for a company that rented 4wds. I originally fitted ERPS systems to a few but none of them lasted. I tore those out after 12 months or so and fitted Couplertec systems. These cars already had lots of preexisting rust so I monitored them pretty closely, the eternal skeptic that I am. The rust ended up 'growing' a black crust over it and didn't spread any further. The new cars I fitted with them lasted some time before there was any evidence of minor rust appearing. No, they're not the be all and end all of rust prevention but used with a spray on protection as well I think they work surprisingly well.

[BoomBoom4216]

Scrawny wrote:

kenzook wrote:

Well do elaborate then??

I worked for a company that rented 4wds. I originally fitted ERPS systems to a few but none of them lasted. I tore those out after 12 months or so and fitted Couplertec systems. These cars already had lots of preexisting rust so I monitored them pretty closely, the eternal skeptic that I am. The rust ended up 'growing' a black crust over it and didn't spread any further. The new cars I fitted with them lasted some time before there was any evidence of minor rust appearing. No, they're not the be all and end all of rust prevention but used with a spray on protection as well I think they work surprisingly well.

Actually worked for CouplerTec, with Garry and Mike.

Have had one in my Jimny since late 2008 early 2009 - got rear ended and there is a bare spot of steel under the rear bar thats very wet and prone to the elements, has corroded over and not gone any further. I really do trust my unit, its been pinging (transformer wind up & discharge)...

All other areas of bare ferrous steel has crusted over and thats that...

Best way to describe the CouplerTec unit and the science and demystifying the science is the car acts as a capacitor and any steel thats exposed bleeds a current and that corrodes over and that the end of that.

Hi voltage & very low amps...

Mac's Engineering had very good proof of their underground mine trucks surviving the wet black coal slurry with the units.

[nickireland1]

I have done a fair bit of reading online now and the majority of people using these systems on older cars are underwhelmed with their effectiveness.
Most people who advocate for the ERPS systems have fitted them to newer cars which tend to be better protected in the first place.
I feel like the stories people have heard about ERPS being the miracle we've all been waiting for are rare and have been sensationalized, possibly down to the fact that we wish it were all true.
The cost of the genuine reputable-ish ERPS vs the cost of a Sierra is totally prohibitive for me, especially seeing as even reputable systems are pretty hit-and-miss.
Maybe this is why people get sucked into buying the cheapo/ebay systems that I think we can all agree are shit.

I don't mean to start a war with this but I can microwave some popcorn if it pops off.

[squibby]

I'm ex-UK and since they spread salt all over the roads every winter and it rains all day long every day I am therefore expert in the art of rust preventative measures. It is totally normal and acceptable in the UK to be welding 5 inch square plates over totally rusted through under body and chassis components on cars when they hit about 15 years onwards to get them to pass mandatory safety inspections, and a bit of rust on the edges of your doors, across the tops of your windscreen and rusted through control arms, exhausts etc is all pretty normal, whereas I've noted that here a 50 cent sized spot of rust some people think is a big deal!

Anyway, getting to the point, Everything you need is provided by a brand called 'Hammerite' - its the best, accept no substitutes.

There is rust convertor that can do a real bodgey job of slowing rust in small spots by converting it into an oxygen barrier crust. I think actually it's called 'Hammerite Crust'. Then you have the Hammerite metal paints that are a bit more long term, you can paint directly onto things like rusty control arms etc, they contain rust convertors and stop rust in its tracks for up to say 5 years or so. But for underbody they do Hammerite Waxoyl. It's a professional automotive alternative to fish oil or whatever stinky crap some of you guys have been suggesting. Easy to apply and firms up into a tough black coat. You'd paint under body and chassis legs with it ideally. If you get a pressure washer up close for a prolonged period it'll blast off, but for a quicky with a wide spread setting on the washer, it'll still hold to the body.

Have to ebay some of this stuff. they wouldn't sell much of it here but it's all sold by the thousands of gallons over in Europe.