Appearance & Detailing Interior & Exterior Appearance Modifications

Paint for underside of the car?

Old Apr 4, 2005 | 11:04 AM
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Default Paint for underside of the car?

My Formula came from Illinois so it was in a salty environment. The car was driven very little so it's not too bad. However, the bottoms of the floor pans have started to rust. It's very light right now, but I want to kill it before it has a chance to get any bigger. I was going to scrape the rust away, prime it and then shoot a coat of matched paint over it. I'm not too concerned with the "prettyness" of the job since it's under the car. However, I don't want it to stick out like a sore thumb. I was told I could get color-matched paint in a spray can from the dealer. However, they have discontinued that. I could get some matched paint, but then I'd have to use a spray gun. Also, the floor pan looks like a much lighter blue than my Navy Blue Metallic Formula. It's like the pan is almost a baby blue.

I have the ability to do this myself, but I am by no means a professional painter. What would you do? Throw some flat black on it and call it a day? Scrape it down myself and try to put some matched paint on it? Let a pro handle it?

Thanks for any and all replies.
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Old Apr 4, 2005 | 01:06 PM
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I would get it up on a lift then:
-sandblast/sand away the rust (you must get every little bit!)
-paint over it using whatever paint (flat black is fine)
-spray the whole area with several coats of rubberized undercoating

The undercoating is a must, because if you just paint it, any little rock chip, or ding is going to rust. Rust is like cancer, if you don't sand it all away to raw metal, it will bubble back through the paint eventually.
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Old Apr 4, 2005 | 03:01 PM
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You could use some of Eastwoods rust inhibitor paint and brush it or roll it on.
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Old Apr 4, 2005 | 04:51 PM
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Use POR 15. You can paint right over the rust with a little prep and never see it again.
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Old Apr 4, 2005 | 05:49 PM
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I would fix the rust and then just use the spray can undercoating and go to town.
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Old Apr 4, 2005 | 11:08 PM
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Try the Eastwood site then go to their message board and post a question and the Eastwood rep will help you out. Then if you think you can do it try it.

I am thinking the Eastwood rust encapsulator rolled on may do the trick but ask.
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Old Apr 6, 2005 | 04:33 PM
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Thanks for all the replies! I will definitely check out the Eastwood site.

If this were just a beater, I'd give the rust a quick scrape down and then flat black over it. However, I'd like a little better for my car. It's still a daily driver so I don't think it's worth have a professional prep and paint the underside (yet). I'll probably try to find some matched paint then sandblast the rust/area, prime it and paint it. I might add a layer of undercoating and then another layer of matched paint. I haven't decided.

THanks again
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