# Rust Proofing the Cruze



## Steelmesh (Jan 16, 2016)

I have 20 and 16 year old GM vehicles with blown out rockers and fenders, rusted away accelerated by the Michigan weather and salty roads. I am trying an experiment on the newest least rusty vehicle I own, a 2013 Cruze. I used Herculiner for the critical areas prone to rock chips and where plastic covers touch painted surfaces (that rub paint, harbor rocks and salty mix). 

For all other underbody areas and wheelhouses that I did not Herculiner, I coated with Fluid Film rust protection. There are a lot of removable plastic plugs in the rockers, so this makes it very easy to coat the inside of the Rockers with Fluid Film, this will complete the rocker protection. I plan to re-apply the Fluid Film rust preventative before winters annually, in the areas prone to washing off.

Tools / Supplies http://i.imgur.com/gFN5PbN.jpg
- 1 qt Herculiner
- Nitrile Gloves, I wore long sleeves and safety glasses too
- Blue painters tape
- Green scotchbrite pads
- Xylene
- Regular bristle brush
- Razor / knife
- Plastic push type clip removal tool
- Torx driver
- Fluid film (I got the 1-gal kit)


Pull wheelhouse plastic covers, lots of plastic push type clips and some torx head screws. After removal of all retainers, they covers come out easily. Tape it off, if you're a messy person or impatient, you should really consider extending the protection of your body panels from splashes. 
http://i.imgur.com/f4A5ycd.jpg

First coat, shows critical rocker area I have covered. Rock chips leads to rust, stop the rock chips, stop the rust is my logic here
http://i.imgur.com/0kJp6WI.jpg

After second coat, tape pulled. I had to use Xylene to touch up areas where the herculiner go under creases in the tape
http://i.imgur.com/pdYu7Z7.jpg

Rocker Focused coverage (cover pinch weld and some buffer)
http://i.imgur.com/uZXCdQa.jpg

Critical area front, the plastic cover is a double-edge sword where abrasive contaminants like rocks, dirt and salty slurry get between the plastic and body paint, then rub away until bare metal, then rust.
http://i.imgur.com/XV3Bd0Z.jpg

Critical area fender lips front and rear, the plastic cover is again a double-edged sword, the plastic + contaminents will wear away the paint and rust like always here. Also note I covered a 5" or 125mm diameter circle around all studs that hold the plastic in:
http://i.imgur.com/5uja7zw.jpg

Plastic installed, inside fender lip
http://i.imgur.com/WwduIPL.jpg

Critical area rear, again, more double-edged sword
http://i.imgur.com/lJUtjee.jpg

Front of rear wheelhouse
http://i.imgur.com/pU0AcQi.jpg

Completed 1 
http://i.imgur.com/gy4CSRF.jpg

Completed 2
http://i.imgur.com/wZpBV77.jpg

Completed 3
http://i.imgur.com/tnE9IkV.jpg


Edit: add detail + images


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## yaygull (Mar 7, 2016)

Whoa...you did a very tidy job! I would have gotten goop everywhere. Looking forward to seeing the results of this test!

(Side note: I just got rid of my '96 Oldsmobile Aurora. After 20 years, it only has a couple of small rust spots developing beneath the paint, near the rear wheels.)


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Fluid film is excellent.


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## Steelmesh (Jan 16, 2016)

money_man said:


> Fluid film is excellent.


I value any comments about vehicle rust prevention from a Canadian


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Our department of transportation uses it to keep their plow trucks in good shape for salting and then sitting all summer.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Splash guards.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

Other than undercoating requiring multiple coats and re application yearly is there a use for a product like this on the underside in its near entirety ? I know of some classic cars with frames to have a thick intense polished protective paint like coat that hardens, but I've heard that it chips and the becomes useless, it's only as effective as its weakest point


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Chevy_Country said:


> Other than undercoating requiring multiple coats and re application yearly is there a use for a product like this on the underside in its near entirety ? I know of some classic cars with frames to have a thick intense polished protective paint like coat that hardens, but I've heard that it chips and the becomes useless, it's only as effective as its weakest point
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That may be POR15. I have used it. If applied correctly it is indestructible. But you must scrupulously follow the directions.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

Tomko said:


> That may be POR15. I have used it. If applied correctly it is indestructible. But you must scrupulously follow the directions.


Thanks for the quick reply! Have you used it on a cruze? Or another similar unibody daily driver? I guess I'm only asking because I want to know of it's practical use for this car being droven more than jist i perfect conditions like the classica ive seen it on, and then compared to it's expense

11 Cruze LTZ 1.4T
04 Ranger XLT 4.0 4x4


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

I have to echo the comments by @yaygull, that is a very nice completed application. Can I be next? <GRIN>


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Chevy_Country said:


> Thanks for the quick reply! Have you used it on a cruze? Or another similar unibody daily driver? I guess I'm only asking because I want to know of it's practical use for this car being droven more than jist i perfect conditions like the classica ive seen it on, and then compared to it's expense
> 
> 11 Cruze LTZ 1.4T
> 04 Ranger XLT 4.0 4x4


I have indeed used it. When my Tahoe was new I spent about a week underneath it and carefully cleaned, prepped and applied two coats of POR15 clear underneath all of that acreage. 

However, I did not place the final topcoat of UV protectant over the final coat. 

At about nine years the first signs of UV damage to the POR15 started to show. At 10 years it started to fail in the wheelhouse liners. By the time I traded it in at 14.5 years old it had failed throughout its application. BUT I didn't have any sign of any rust anywhere underneath the vehicle. 

That Tahoe spent the last five and a half years of its life outside on the driveway. That's when the UV damage to the POR15 started. 

I did not do the POR15 on my Cadillac (as it is a summer only car) or my Cruze as I'm treating it more or less as a disposable car and expect to wear it out within nine years of ownership. 

I live three hours north of Syracuse. I am right in the middle of the snow belt. 122 inches so far this year. Salted roadways are a way of life. 

If I had something that I'd really want to keep AND use in the winter, like a Denali 2500 duramax, I'd definitely do the POR15 again. Just apply the UV topcoat this time.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

Tomko said:


> I have indeed used it. When my Tahoe was new I spent about a week underneath it and carefully cleaned, prepped and applied two coats of POR15 clear underneath all of that acreage.
> 
> However, I did not place the final topcoat of UV protectant over the final coat.
> 
> ...


How much did that application cost you? I have a little room to play with and this car needs to get me some serious use for me, rust has just ruined most of my vehicles thus far and I'm putting up a fight this summer, bought a ford ranger for work and winter diving, now I think I'm out of the clear with the snow, I'll sparingly drive it until I notice street sweepers pick up the salt, but budget is a concern because my truck needs a lot of work, thanks again


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Chevy_Country said:


> How much did that application cost you? I have a little room to play with and this car needs to get me some serious use for me, rust has just ruined most of my vehicles thus far and I'm putting up a fight this summer, bought a ford ranger for work and winter diving, now I think I'm out of the clear with the snow, I'll sparingly drive it until I notice street sweepers pick up the salt, but budget is a concern because my truck needs a lot of work, thanks again
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Well I did it in the last century. So it's been a while. I used two quarts of clear, a gallon of marine clean and a gallon of metal ready. There was a need for two spritzer bottles, disposable gloves, disposable brushes. I'm guessing $125 at the time. No idea what that would be today. But it adds precious little weight to the car, unlike most other traditional rustproofing, like Tidy Car or Tufkote Dinol.


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## Chevy_Country (Oct 16, 2015)

Tomko said:


> Well I did it in the last century. So it's been a while. I used two quarts of clear, a gallon of marine clean and a gallon of metal ready. There was a need for two spritzer bottles, disposable gloves, disposable brushes. I'm guessing $125 at the time. No idea what that would be today. But it adds precious little weight to the car, unlike most other traditional rustproofing, like Tidy Car or Tufkote Dinol.


Thanks! I'm not worried about weight, gas mileage is garbage anyway lol


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