1973 Convertible Project: Undercoating Decision Time

Steve McMahan · Tuesday at 12:55 PM

It’s like POR 15, but it includes a variation in language when your hand slips and the wire wheel catches your leg.

midlife · Tuesday at 4:32 PM

POR 15 is a "Paint Over Rust" converter which is a ***** to remove once applied. Lots of folks like it; I do not because it can hide a lot of rust and is extremely difficult to remove to see the actual damage.

Steve McMahan · Tuesday at 5:58 PM

I’m into denial

Steve McMahan · 2024-11-23T19:06:51-0500

Ok, so I’m at that point where I have to decide what treatment I'm going to give the undercarriage. Last week I was 100% certain I wanted to do a bed-liner treatment over the POR-15. Today, I’m hedging my bet. Mostly because of the stories I’ve been reading on-line what other cars guys will interpret I did, or didn’t do, to the restoration of the body pan. I read those before and kinda shrugged them off, but now I’m reconsidering.

Let me make clear how I intend to use this car, and maybe beyond the stupid self-inflicted opinion of my work, will help others give me an informed opinion on what would be the logical treatment to do. This will be my fun to drive car. It will be garaged in Fort Mohave, Az, a very dry climate with very little rain. I don’t see myself driving it in the rain, but it could happen. I also won’t likely wash it a lot; I believe like @Hemikiller that washing is generally unnecessary (I hope I quoted him correctly). I like the look of the bed-liner more than I care for the additional toughness it gives the pan from road objects.

What is your advice?

Sheriff41 · 2024-11-23T19:16:28-0500

Check out Lizardskin coatings. They apply easily and don't have the rough finish of bed liner and traditional undercoating.

cv_72mustang · 2024-11-23T20:03:57-0500

Maybe do nothing. If it's original metal and really no rust

midlife · 2024-11-23T20:04:55-0500

In your AZ environment, undercoating is not needed, even if you drive in the rain on occasion. You're unlikely to encounter salted roads, which is where undercoating can pay dividends (in the Northeast/Midwest).