Questions and Answers

Rust Proofing Q. I'm considering a restoration of a fairly rusty 1971 Nova. I'm hesitant to do that before knowing what kind of cost would be involved in making it extremely rust resistant. I've seen many products advertised but I'm not sure of their effectiveness. There are more than a couple electronic devices that claim to completely eliminate rust except from non grounded metal.

I understand the theory that by charging the car negatively gives it free electrons that inhibit oxidation. Seems like it'd cause more severe static shocking. Combined with a quality paint sealant would you recommend these products? Coating products that claim to inhibit rusting seem prohibitively expensive to me. The more economical ones seem to only be mildly effective at best. Are there any chemical products that you would recommend?

A. I don't have any experience with these electronic rust preventative devices so I can offer little in the way of advice concerning them. Let's look at what causes rust and then talk about preventing it.

Rust is actually metal burning, but so slow that there are no flames, slow oxidation. When paper burns it is called fast oxidation. Oxygen atoms combine with the molecules of the steel thus forming the rust.

A big factor in rusting is where you live. In areas where there is little or no snow, cars will not rust nearly as fast as in areas that get heavy snow. This is because of road salt and other chemicals used to clean snow off the roads. This salt and chemicals love to eat cars for breakfast. In these areas keeping a car in a heated garage under these conditions actually hastens the rusting process since in the garage the snow and ice melt and the liquid eats into the metal. Out on the street, where this mixture stays frozen, it can not eat into the metal.

There are two ways to prevent rust. The first is to make the steel the parts are made out of rust resistant. This can be done by adding alloys to the steel that will resist this oxidation. The other is to prevent the oxygen from contacting the steel. No oxygen, no rust.

That is what undercoating and rust proofing products do. They put a barrier between the air and steel to prevent them from combining. The effectiveness of this barrier is dependant on how well it is applied. When I bought my van new, I did the undercoating and rust proofing myself and after 15 years, there is still no rust.

So, the best way to prevent this problem is not the cheapest way. You need to purchase replacement body parts that are galvanized to be rust resistant and apply an undercoating to a clean surface so it adheres to the body. Ziebart does an excellent job rust proofing cars and they can give you an estimate on what it would cost to completely rustproof your car.

To help the undercoat do it's job more effectively, if you live in an area where road salt and chemicals are used, rinse the bottom of the car to wash away these chemicals. Don't use high pressure water, that will blast the undercoat off, just rinse it. Or go to a car wash that does an under car wash. To prevent rust from coming in through the paint, a good quality paint job will go a long way to prevent rust. By give the car a couple of coats of wax (my personal preference is Turtle Wax) every 6 to 12 months will not only keep it looking new, but keep the air from the paint to prevent oxidation.

Okay, here's a bonus question: How much does one ton of steel, completely rusted. weigh?

Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA