Last weekend I took the pressure washer (with some degreaser) to the undercarriage and did what I could to clean it. The end result was far from perfect, but a lot better than when I started. I also took the opportunity to give the exterior a good waxing using Turtle Ice Seal N Shine:
I washed the undercarriage largely in preparation for addressing the surface rust which had accumulated before my ownership. Original owners clearly did nothing to prevent it, and despite the low mileage, ~5 years of living on the west (wet) coast still resulted in some rust.
This is what I started with:
All fairly light stuff, with the rear corners of the frame being the worst:
I initially started brushing rust off with metal wire brushes (in the drill), but quickly realized that getting the drill + brush in place was a chore in the tight spaces, so I only brushed off what could be easily accessed.
I then liberally brushed on a few coats of
Rust Converter Ultra, and waited 48hrs for it to fully cure. As advertised, it does turn rust black, but you have to brush on several coats for the full effect. The instructions also mention to apply this in temps > 10C, and sure enough, the only time I had to work on the LX, the air temperature was exactly 10C. Not ideal.
The product is a milky, bubbly-like liquid. After drying I was left with a lot of "dried up bubbles," almost like little bits of sand caught under paint. I suspect this is due to the cold temperatures in which I applied the product. Should have done this in the summer!
This is what the cured result looked like. You can see the bubbles I'm talking about, as well as a few spots where I could have applied some more of this rust converter:
I then started spraying everything with the
DupliColor Self-Etching Primer. The Rust Converter product says a primer is not needed, but I figured it wouldn't hurt. I went through two cans, and sent the fiancee for three more. I figure I'll use around four total, to fully cover everything I can access with a few coats.
This type of "handle" makes spraying a hundred times easier. It is a life safer which allows for very moderate, controlled pressure on the spray can's trigger, which then lets you apply very light, very controlled strokes. Can't imagine spraying without it.
After a few light coats of primer I ended up with this:
I still have more priming work to do before I can paint. After painting, I will apply fluid film to the entire undercarriage.
My goal here is to prevent/minimize rust growth & accumulation, and not entirely "beat" rust, which is largely impossible without a frame-off sandblasting/painting/por15 treatment. Removing or masking parts is also entirely too much work, so there is overspray in various parts. Given that this is the undercarriage, I'm not concerned with the aesthetics too much. I do block off (with a piece of cardboard) body panels, and avoid spraying rubbers, hoses, etc. whenever possible.
Time will tell how much my efforts will pay off, but I hope that with this work done, and annual fluid-film (or similar) applications, I can extend the life of the frame & other components by some 5-10 years.
Also primed the TrailTailor recovery points, will paint them apple red and install soon: