Hi all,
I just bought a used 2001 Honda Civic and I love it!! Question though...Should I get the car professionally rust proofed? The car has the original factory rust proofing already. I can tell because there is a residue in the trunk, hood, etc. (all 'rust prone' areas).
I am trying to save $$ and I don't want to spend money (around $100 CAN), if I don't have to? However, I live in Ottawa and they put a lot of salt on the roads here as the winters are quite severe.
Thought? Derek
Well, I would do it because I live in Ottawa as well and love my cars.
However, I would avoid the places that drills holes because, well, I do not like that in my brand new cars. Do not take the dealer's RP because they just send it to Rust Check. You can go there for 100 bucks and have it done yearly.
Careful, I have an Honda too and I was told that Krown's product reacts with the seal's rubber and destroys them. I would avoid having them do so, or tell them and they will coat them with some silicon.
Also, go with a thin oil or and oil-base product. Midas (of all places!) uses a grease/oil product that is made my Oil Guard and works pretty well. Apparently, its is the same product used by Walwart, but would you trust you car to those monkeys?
Wax based products could (will) crack and dry off and let water under and promote rust. My 91 teg started rusting when Canadian Tire applied their crappy product (I did not know better then). It clog the drainage holes on my doors and after 5 years, I had rust coming OUT of the doors, and 3 inches of dried white wax everywhere.
Apparently, and I believe this, the technician is the most important in this: all products are pretty good at preventing rust.
Finally, I did it myself on my RSX: I took out the door panels and the rear panels and did these areas myself. I then went to Midas in Bells Corners with the panels off and told them to apply it everywhere they could (just in case I missed some places). They did it without a problem and without drilling holes.
I hope and believe it is worth it. After all, the worst it can do is Nothing. So I consider this insurance. ..and it increases resalel's value
I'm in Ottawa too, and yes, extra rustproofing is a good idea. If you want to save a bit of cash, go to the local Krown outlet and buy a couple of pressure cans of their oil. Last I looked it was about $10 a can.
The main areas to treat are
a) the bottom of the doors. If you can't or won't take off the inside panel, find the water drain holes on the bottom of the doors (2 or 3 holes), and squirt some Krown in. Give the door hinges a quick squirt too: can't hurt.
b) the rear wheel arch inside seam. Open the trunk and move the inside trim out of the way, then squirt some oil over the inside wheel well / side panel seams, and the well behind the rear wheels.
c) the rear trunk lid fold. There's drain holes here too, but you can squirt oil from the inside.
d) If you can get under the car, squirt oil into any chassis holes, nooks and crannies you see.
e) look at other Civics to see where they rust, and treat the same places.
f) if you can find drain holes along the sill panel seams, squirt some oil in there too.
Mop up any excess oil.
Lastly, get a real set of front and rear mudflaps and fit them. Costs about $15 per set from Canadian Tire. I don't mean the 5cm long plastic ones: these are useless. You want something that drops to about 5-8cm from the ground. Cut them to fit as necessary. This will greatly reduce winter road dirt from abrading the paint and causing rust to start.
In winter, wash the car, including underneath as possible, every week or so, or if it gets particularly dirty.
Stewart DIBBS
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