[Domitian]

Calling all users who have bought cars in the '90s and early 2000s and have them spotless to this day - what is the secret?
My 2004 A4 is already rusting on the driver door and around the front wheel wells, in the former case it started internally with a bubble and then forced the exterior paint out, in the latter first the paint chipped and then the rust came.

I of course don't want this to happen to my 2023 Camaro in 15-20 years time. I daily drive it in the winter so it is exposed to the elements.
Ordered PPF for the front (hood, bumper, mirrors, etc) and it's already saved me from getting scratched once, and they have very long warranties, so I recommend the process. I suppose PPF would protect against rust in that it shields the paint from getting old, but the price of a full-body PPF approaches or exceeds $5000 CAD in my area.



What are tips and prevention methods could I take now to have this car, despite its heavy use, last decades without rust chipping away at its foundations?

[MT-SS1LE]

I would never drive mine with that brine solution crap they put down on our local roads. Instantly causes rust on unprotected metal. If I had no choice, I would thoroughly undercoat all metal with something like Fluid Film. But it's messy and you'll need a way to get under the car.

[crazedmodder]

Rust is the real reason that I decided not to winter drive my Camaro. I would love to, but I just do not want the thing to rot. I have seen how rust ruins cars without fail over my life, and there is just too much salt used (I live in Quebec).

PPF will *not* protect from the real problematic rust (undercarriage and frame). The only argument that can be made as PPF being a rust barrier is that it will maybe stop rock chips from getting through the paint down to the metal and getting a rust spot that way. Those are generally easy to fix compared to undercarriage rust though.

As for your options if you do not want to park it for the winter?

1. Do nothing. People claim that cars have much better rust resistance from the factory these days. I have seen less issues on newer cars, but these are cars that have not seen 10+ years of torment so maybe over time they will end up the same.
2. Wash your car (especially underneath) frequently. A lot of touchless car washes have underbody sprays. This reduces the amount of salt under your car.
3. Keep your car outside. Rust requires moisture most of all and parking your car in a heated garage means that the snow will melt every time you park it, potentially increasing its exposure to moisture and rust. If it is cold enough outside then it will not go through those cycles of snow melting into water as much.
4. Get rust proofing. A lot of options here, but what stopped me from doing this was that the more popular options (Krown, etc) require application every year. I was also worried that they might have to drill holes to inject the treatment (drill holes are another place for rust to start). There are also the "long-term" wax type products which I had on my Mazda CX5. I had clipped a rock on a dirt road once that scratched the frame rails underneath exposing raw metal. My dealership told me that for the 7 years this coating was guaranteed for, if ever I needed it topped up I could come back and have more applied without charge. Naturally I went back to have this re-coated and the technician told me "we can do it but it will make absolutely no difference in the protection for rust, since it is scratched to bare metal it will rust the same either way". So in my mind, if this product cannot protect bare metal from rusting then what is the point of it existing? The frame rails had a zinc coating on them that protected them from rust already, so they were protected without this product applied, and applying it to bare metal after the zinc coating was scraped off does not protect it from rust. Sadly, my CX5 was totaled after 3 years so I cannot comment on whether there was any difference long term.

I do not have any studies or tests to back up these options, it is just information (mostly anecdotal) that I collected while researching what to do with my own car.

[WhiteMale]

Originally Posted by MT-SS1LE

I would never drive mine with that brine solution crap they put down on our local roads. Instantly causes rust on unprotected metal. If I had no choice, I would thoroughly undercoat all metal with something like Fluid Film. But it's messy and you'll need a way to get under the car.

Enlighten us about the unprotected metal on the exterior of that car.

[arpad_m]

My car looks almost new from underneath when on the lift. Apart from known surface rust points such as exhaust welds, it's held up pretty well, I'm sure the protective coating applied in the factory these days is pretty good.

That said, I try not to drive the Camaro whenever there is salt on the road (fortunately it's rarely done here in East TN) and wash it soon afterwards when that happens.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by Domitian

...I of course don't want this to happen to my 2023 Camaro in 15-20 years time. I daily drive it in the winter so it is exposed to the elements...

What are tips and prevention methods could I take now to have this car, despite its heavy use, last decades without rust chipping away at its foundations?

Yearly fluid film treatment is about all you can do with a rust belt DD. It's still going to rust, but the FF will keep it to a minimum.

[NashZL1]

And here's an easy way to rinse the underside of the car with a garden hose. I use mine if they salt the roads here (middle Tennessee) or if I drive through mud.

https://www.theunderwasher.com/

[Chutzpah]

I have an outdoor faucet that feeds my shed. If I do get caught out in the snow or during the lay down of salt, I’ll run hot water through an expandable hose and toss a sprinkler under the car. I’ll go have a beer, then shut the water off.

Fluid film is good stuff, but Woolwax is even better. It’s thicker and lasts longer. I use Woolwax on my truck.

[Dan Gonta]

Hi Domitian

I live in Oshawa, ON and I have owned a 2017 Camaro since new and drive it daily even in winter with winter tires. It still looks like new with absolutely NO rust.

It is absolutely essential to take your Camaro to Rust Check or Krown. These annual treatments have proven over time to work. I have over 30 years of experience driving Firebirds and Camaros all year long. I always get my Camaro Rust Checked on an annual basis.

I would also recommend a ceramic coating like Nu-Finish you can get at Canadian Tire. My Camaro still has a high gloss finish. :-)

[Deacon Blues]

Not my Camaro since it is a garage queen and won't ever see salt, but I have gone to Rustop the last two years for my daily driver (pickup). The first year I had it applied it stunk to be honest, and I was dealing with slippery, sticky black lanolin-based coating on my running boards, rocker panels, etc. The next year or two they've done touch up applications so that the weep holes don't get clogged. Overall, it does a pretty fair job keeping rust at bay. In the spring I hit areas of the frame that need it with some touch up encapsulator and then rubberized undercoat, but I need maybe one can of each to get me back to a nice solid coating.


I'd hate to have to do that with the Camaro to be honest.


FWIW, now that a have a decent set of ramps, I may do the fluid film application myself on my truck before fall.

[Smokin19]

If you don't want rust NEVER drive on any salted roads, period.

[arpad_m]

I tend to agree with Smokin19, this is what I've been practicing since day 1, and the underside of my car looks almost new after 6+ years, with the exception of exhaust welds, of course. Salt is the enemy, and these cars are dipped in rust protection at the factory anyway.