92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Mods - I'm guessing this is the right area to post this question. If not, please move it where it needs to go.

I am going to be replacing the rear in my Camaro this winter with a 4th gen disc rear and want to clean up and protect the underside of the car while I have everything out. I have been researching Rust Bullet, POR-15, and Chassis Black and I'm not liking what they are going to cost me.

I was trying to think of a cheaper alternative and was wondering about the epoxy paint for garage floors? I wouldn't be putting it on any of the moving suspension parts as I can powdercoat those myself. It would just be the axle itself and the underside of the car. Has anyone ever thought of this or tried it??

POR and Rust Bullet both claim to be an epoxy paint so I was thinking the stuff for garage floors should work too. Its also a LOT cheaper than either of those. A gallon is $32 at Home Depot vs. $120 for Rust Bullet and $144 for POR(and not counting all the prep materials) on Summit's website.

Here is a link to the stuff I'm looking at:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...6&marketID=106

All thoughts/opinions are welcomed.

spartyon

I cheaped out and bought some farm implement paint made by Majik??? I used their hardener and reducer, sprayed 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of satin black. I am VERY impressed. I tested it with a razor blade a week later and I could even make a scratch in the finish. Materials cost me $9/qt x2 for primer/paint, $17/hardener, $13/reducer. Bought it at Farm King, the local farm supply.

92 Camaro

iTrader: (1)

that rust-oleum won't hold up since it's not made for painted surfaces, mainly concrete.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I've used similar stuff with success on my front suspension. It was a cheap rattlecan farm implement paint. 2 years later and still no scratches or nicks in it. If I could find it again I would use it, but it was at a bargain store(Ollies) and I haven't seen it since.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I know its not for painted surfaces, I was planning on using it on the axle which will be taken to bare metal and cleaned thoroughly. For the underside of the car, I need to remove the dirt and half-assed undercoating job that's there from the PO. I was just going to chuck a wire wheel in the ol' angle grinder to take care of that so I was hoping it would end up rough enough to stick.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

The mention of farm supply stores got me wondering what the local Tractor Supply had so I checked out their site.

What do you guys think of this stuff:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-im...-1-gal-3414185

My only concern is that it may not fully dry and end up being sticky after putting it on.

spartyon

Is there a reason why you continue to choose paint that is not made for metal surfaces?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I haven't chosen anything yet. I'm just looking for something that should be close to POR or Rust Bullet in material and durability, but cheaper. Before I commit to purchasing something, even if its a reasonable price(which I don't think POR is once you consider all the prep materials you have to buy) I always do my research and look for a cheaper alternative.

A lot of the time its the only way I can afford to do any major work or mods to the Camaro. My entire V8 swap + T5 rebuild cost me less than what most members pay for just a used engine that still needs rebuilt.

I happened to be at Lowes today picking up some things for the bathroom remodel the wife wants done so I stopped over in the paint aisle and looked at what they had. Not much info on the Rustoleum box, but I found some similar stuff by a company called Seal Krete. The stuff looks like the same as the Rustoleum and they even have a primer for it to "promote better adhesion". And at $28/gallon, I really like the price.

Not much info on the cans so I called their tech support number on the back of the can. Unfortunately, their support rep said it may work if I use the primer if everything is roughed up with some 150-grit sandpaper, but he couldn't guarantee it. He didn't sound too sure and I don't know if I want to try it on a phone rep's "maybe".

I've been reading up on the farm implement paint + hardener and it looks like it may be a good way to go. It seems like it dries pretty hard, but I haven't seen much about its rust prevention/stopping abilities. I'm going to hit Tractor Supply tomorrow to take a look at what they have.

The underside of the rear of my Camaro doesn't have any major rust yet and I'd really like to keep it that way. With all the prep involved in this job, I want to make sure I'm only doing this once. Parking it over the winter will certainly help, but I don't want something that will chip and crack and let rust start again in 3 or 4 years. I want something that will protect it for the next 10 years at least. If I could powdercoat the entire underside of the car I would. Unfortunately, that's just not practical for the body. The suspension parts will be powdercoated though. If only I could get the axle in the PC oven I built. Oh well.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

I've *heard* { but never seen } stories that tractor paint is very durable, but...?....

spartyon

As long as you wire brush and wipe the surface down with a degreaser, the farm implement paint would be the best way to go in my opinion. Make sure you use the hardener and reducer. It makes a night and day difference. I prefer to mix and spray my own instead of using rattle cans. If find it more durable when I mix the hardener myself.

dirtrides2009

Im sure tractor paint is durable. We have a lot of farm machinery and they are not exactly babied like a car is, but they dont have *much* rust/paint chips. For undercoating I would be fine with using tractor paint, its not the prettiest but you dont see it anyways.

Primetime91

iTrader: (15)

Same here.

That's actually what a lot of the "hot rod" guys who want a flat/satin black paint use. There's some tractor paint that's a lot cheaper than other automotive paints, and a heck of a lot more durable than black primer, not to mention waterproof. Can't remember the name though

1988CamaroSC

iTrader: (2)

i use por15. you get what u pay for. i wire wheel the loose crap off, hit it with compressed air, and brushed it on. works fine for me. didnt need a metal ready etc on already rust metal, ifs its smooth, rough it up.

Project 3.4 Camaro

Imo best undercoating....
http://www.rhinolinings.com/products/hardline
I have no idea how hard the stuff is to get off though(so probably permanent, lol...)...but its what I would use if I didn't plan to eventually put in a bellypan which would defeat the purpose of such a heavy duty undercoat.

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

That's what I used, bedliner:

Project 3.4 Camaro

Yeah, I honestly cannot think of anything that would be more durable, long lasting, or offer better protection to the metal...like I said, if I didn't plan on bellypanning my car someday I would get it, but I'm afraid it wouldn't come off if I did....but thats a good thing otherwise :P

And nice underbody...thats the cleanest 3rd gen underbody I've seen....shiny exhaust, transmission pan, stainless mesh hoses....only thing it needs is a new slip yoke on that driveshaft :P But I wish mine was half that nice underneath...

1988CamaroSC

iTrader: (2)

yeah that reminds me, i need to run new lines too. i dont open the car up past 100 unless im on an empty straight highway. just incase one says POP i can stop the car with the transmission. probably will be a pain in the ***

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

I've tried the spray on bedliner(Rustoleum and Duplicolor) and wasn't very impressed with them. One never dried completely and the other flaked off easily near the exhaust pipes. And yes, I followed normal prep procedures(clean, scuff, and wiped with Prep-All).

As for the Rhino lining, I know it has a great reputation but my dad had the bed of his S10 done a few years ago and it didn't really impress me much. Where it came up and over the top of the tailgate he somehow managed to cut it and I was easily able to peel off a large chunk of it. Maybe the prep wasn't done right I don't know. I should hope it was though for what he paid the shop that sprayed it on.

Project 3.4 Camaro

Well, it more or less acts like a second skin, but in order for it to work well it needs to be right against the body, otherwise an impact might crack it if there is a gap between the two...probably it pulled away from the body at that edge from the sound of it. But idk, never seen the stuff in person tbh, but have heard of it and of people on here using it to undercoat.

Primetime91

iTrader: (15)

I've had some experience with "Herculiner", the spray/roll on bedliner you can buy in parts stores etc. That is some tough stuff when it dries!

But it costs like $90/gallon, and a gallon of it doesn't go as far as a gallon of paint would, since it goes on so thick.

But if you rough the paint up well underneath it, getting it off is nightmarish

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

It was actually about a 1/2" from the edge. The stuff was on really thick, almost 1/4" After he got it done he kind of regretted doing it cause it made it impossible to slide things around in the bed. That's great for when you're driving with a bed full of stuff, not so great when you're trying to move large heavy things like appliances around in the bed.

After stopping at Tractor Supply, I think I'm gonna give the Farm & Implement paint a try. One of the things I like about it is that it can be used at a much colder ambient temp than most other products. All the way down to 40*, which is a big help since I won't get to the underside of the car till sometime in December probably and my garage has no real heat source.

The other thing I like about that stuff is that it can be brushed on. I can't get the Camaro very high in the air since the garage ceiling is only 6' high so it will be almost impossible to use my spray gun under the car.

Yeah, no heat, low ceiling, not enough width to open even 1 door the whole way = my garage sucks. But its better than working outside.

Thanks to everyone for their opinions/ideas. I won't actually be picking up the paint for a week or two yet, so if anyone has any more suggestions feel free to add them. I'll try to remember to update as I go along and at the end of next summer in case anyone in the future is thinking about trying this. I haven't really be able to find any good before/after shots or comparisons anywhere on how this stuff holds up.

chevelle600

iTrader: (9)

i Herculiner-ed my engine bay and half my transmission tunnel. and i plan to do the entire underside of the car at some point. it is very tough stuff. only nicked the surface when i was putting my engine and tranny back in, but that stuff repairs so easily, i just cut the nicked are out and re did it. took me 2 minutes to fix. that product is worth it, just rolled it into the bed of my truck the other day. roughly a gallon and a half did 2 coats on an 8 foot bed and tail gate. had some left. you could easily do your car for $100, and have extra for repairs.

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

How is it holding up to the heat from the exhaust?

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

mine's fine and the stainless gets smoking hot. The pipes discolor to a hay color from the heat. It's tucked up real tight, so far so good.

chevelle600

iTrader: (9)

mines the same condition as turbo's. the ceramic LT's get pretty hot too, and no melting from what i can see. also, my engine was running close to redline hot for most of 500 miles. nothing melting there either. (and no engine problems! haha)

Mathius

For all the claims of the specialty paints.. (yes I've used POR-15) and the cost, the bedliner/rubberized coating route is by far and away the best option, and I can say that with confidence since I live in the rust belt and have lived through 30+ winters of nasty road salt here in OH.

Mathius

mattheguitarman

So im thinking something like this:

First:

http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/p...ART_HDR_ID=665

Then:

http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/p...PART_HDR_ID=67

Finish with:

http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/p...&cat=2,3,4,5,9

What do you guys think??

lonesomeloser

If you have the factory undercoating, that degreaser may not be strong enough. I used a citrus product called Goo Gone in a spray gel. Do you plan on simpy painting over the factory e-coat? Any sanding? I don't know how well that primer is going to work. I would look into epoxy primer in an aerosol can, little more pricey, but should stick and protect better.

mattheguitarman

Yeah ill do some sanding to smooth it out and give it something to grip too but prolly just going to respray over the existing, ill check out that epoxy primer. Would that be good to stick to the existing coating before spraying the enamel?

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Has anyone tried Plasti-Dip as undercoating? You can brush or spray it on. Its supposed to be just like the rubber coatings on the handles of pliers and other tools.