Underside got cleaned and surface rust treatment

I just finished a multi-day, many, many hour project on the Terminator vert that most likely will never be seen. What started as a “simple” undercarriage cleaning, turned into a long project to preserve this car. I first spent considerable time working the bottomside with a rag and cleaner getting into hard to reach areas with the rag wrapped on a paint stick or screw driver. I then went to work on all of the light surface rust areas. I hit them with rust dissolving gel and then a rust converter to protect the surface. The car only has 4,000 miles and was never driven up north on salted roads, but a few trips out in the rain by the previous owner and 14+ years later lead to some areas that needed attention now so they don’t become a bigger problem in another 14 years. I also pulled all 4 wheels, cleaned them inside and out, gave them their first rotation, cleaned the wheel wells thoroughly and reinstalled.

I’m happy now that the bottomside is as clean as the topside.

She looks really good under there. It might be time to invest in a climate controlled storage unit, to keep her as fresh and clean as she is today.

Skitzerman said:

She looks really good under there. It might be time to invest in a climate controlled storage unit, to keep her as fresh and clean as she is today.

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Already invested... my 40x40 garage has heat and AC.

very nice!

I was just thinking I wish I had access to a lift to give mine a good scrubbing

Great to have a nice lift for stuff like this, Goose. Makes it quite a bit easier to clean the under-carriage. Man do I love that garage!

Nice work Goose. Just keep an eye on the surface rust because there is still moisture in the air. Did you paint over the rust converter? That may be a good idea to stop any moisture from getting to the metal

dom418 said:

Nice work Goose. Just keep an eye on the surface rust because there is still moisture in the air. Did you paint over the rust converter? That may be a good idea to stop any moisture from getting to the metal

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I used Permatex Rust Disolver and Permatex Rust Treatment. The treatment leaves a coating that protects the metal. Painting is not necessary, but I will definitely keep an eye on it.

Looks incredible! Nice work

I’m plan on doing this myself . What cleaner do you use to wipe all the dirt under it ?

Looks good Tim.

Excellent.

BADBOYSVT said:

I’m plan on doing this myself . What cleaner do you use to wipe all the dirt under it ?

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I used Simple Green for overall general cleaning and Goof Off Heavy Duty Remover for grime (like inside the wheel barrels):

https://goofoffproducts.com/product/heavy-duty-remover-22-oz-trigger-spray/

Wow. You are officially car insane. Haha. You are definitely a true car guy and its awesome to see someone that is taking steps to have a car that will last a long time.
Your garage is officially on my list of things to see in person....haha. Nice work. Everything looks great.

Do you have pressure wash under there . Or just spray the cleaner and wipe down with tower ?

Have any before and after close ups of a rust treated surface?

BTW a product I have been very happy with on plastics, rubber, and even underside surfaces is 303. Non greasy, and only leaves a "hydrated" look. Amazing stuff

BADBOYSVT said:

Do you have pressure wash under there . Or just spray the cleaner and wipe down with tower ?

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I didn’t pressure wash the bottom. The car only has 4,000 miles, so it wasn’t too bad other than a light coating of road grime/grease. I haven’t water-washed the car and hopefully will never need to. I just sprayed the cleaner on a rag and wiped/scrubbed the surfaces. I also used a wooden paint stir stick and a screw driver to work the rag into hard-to-reach areas.

specracer said:

Have any before and after close ups of a rust treated surface?

BTW a product I have been very happy with on plastics, rubber, and even underside surfaces is 303. Non greasy, and only leaves a "hydrated" look. Amazing stuff

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I don’t have any close-up before/after pics, but if you look at the wheel well pics above, you’ll see some white stuff on bolts and a bit on the sway bar. When you first put the rust treatment on, it is milky-white. It dries clear to blackish depending on how much rust it’s on and how thick you apply it.

The majority of the treated rust areas that I worked on were all of the steel bolts. There was a little on panel edges where 2 different panels were spot welded together, but mostly on bolts.

I know this is off the topic, but Goose I saw in a thread somewhere you use spray paint and a brush for stone chips. I'd like to get a can of SB and give that a try. The touch up from Ford doesn't cut it. Who was it that makes the MC you use?

NY03SonicConv. said:

I know this is off the topic, but Goose I saw in a thread somewhere you use spray paint and a brush for stone chips. I'd like to get a can of SB and give that a try. The touch up from Ford doesn't cut it. Who was it that makes the MC you use?

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I buy all of my paints from automotivetouchup.com. I find the standard touch up bottles have paint that is too thick that leaves a blob once dried. I use runnier spray paint that I spray into the cap and apply with a small artist’s brush.

Thanks I'll check them out.

and here I was thinking the bottom of my car was supposed to be dirty.