What company would you recommend for an underseal?

[Eddie Cruiser]

Hi all,

i wanted to preserve my recent purchase of my Toyota. It's an earlier car with low mileage. I wanted to get the car under sealed. Does anyone have any recommendations to a company? I will be interested to hear from anyone with some first hand experience. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Stivino]

Why would you want to underseal your car?

[Cyker]

Usually to stop it rusting and increase the subframe's longevity.

It's quite a common thing people who live near the coast or e.g. in 'the rust belt' do, as their cars get eaten alive by the salt air. People that drive on roads prone to stone chips, mud, dirt etc. often do it too, as do people who don't drive their cars much but park them outside.

The tricky bit is getting a good undercoat and applied well, as it can make rust worse if it traps water, which some badly applied ones can do.

 

[Bper]

There are a few different types of underseal available, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Wax-Based Underseal
Wax-based underseal is one of the most common types of underseal used on cars. It is easy to apply and provides a good level of protection against rust and corrosion. However, wax-based underseal can also attract dirt and debris, which can accumulate over time and cause the underseal to become less effective.

Oil-Based Underseal
Oil-based underseal is another popular option. It is thicker and more durable than wax-based underseal, and it provides excellent protection against rust and corrosion. However, oil-based underseal can also be more difficult to apply and can take longer to dry.

Rubber-Based Underseal
Rubber-based underseal is the most durable type of underseal available. It provides excellent protection against rust and corrosion, and it is also resistant to oil and grease. However, rubber-based underseal is more difficult to apply and can be more expensive than other types of underseal.

Normally it's done by garages who have a car lift as they can clean the underneath and apply it to all areas you can't do without proper access.

[Stivino]

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

Usually to stop it rusting and increase the subframe's longevity.

I know exactly what it's for, that wasn't what I was getting at.

My car is 15 years old, it goes through all the grit through the winter months and sometimes, it sits in the damp for months on end when I go to Tenerife and there's not a spot of rust on it.

People change their cars every gfew years, how long do you want the thing to last?

[Cyker]

Oh you were being *sarcastic*

Anyway, you have an Avensis - Not all cars last like those do (You should have seen my brother's Yaris before he had to scrap it! Now those could have done with some underseal...!)

Mine did better because I used it nearly every day, but as I said if someone doesn't drive much, esp. if they live somewhere cold/damp/salty, then getting it undersealed can be a sensible thing to do to improve longevity.

 

[1.33]

On 10/3/2023 at 12:58 PM, Eddie Cruiser said:

Hi all,

i wanted to preserve my recent purchase of my Toyota. It's an earlier car with low mileage. I wanted to get the car under sealed. Does anyone have any recommendations to a company? I will be interested to hear from anyone with some first hand experience. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

Krown Rustproofing in Birmingham have had some good reviews. Haven't used them myself but their prices seem reasonable.

[Saxmaniac]

Thing with underseal as in bituminous coating is that water gets trapped underneath and the car rots away merrily underneath. Cheap wax such as waxoyl isn't much better. There's better products like from dinitrol but I've been spraying inside chassis members and doors etc plus suspension and anywhere there's poor protection with Fluid Film. It's thin oily lanolin based fluid, never dries and so somewhat messy. It wants doing yearly but I think it works best and I've tried everything over the years! If you do it yearly, you can be sure to inspect yearly and address any corrosion early too