Rust Inhibitors Options

[Zeke]

You guys are pretty tough, especially when I come up with an idea. But I have been pursuing information on a process of rust protection and arrest for inaccessable areas like the rockers, doors, lower rear portions of the front fenders and rear edge of rear deck lid. Things like that. Not to mention the whole 914!

I know there are fleet applications for the military and the likes of UPS. I have found a few candidates for the job. One is sold under the name Carwell Rust Cop.

Another is a cosmoline based product that hardens and seals. Has a fantastic life span as opposed to the Rust Cop which must be renewed periodically. (And that makes marketing sense beacuse Carwell is really in the application business so why would they feature a one time process when they can come back time and again?)

A third is a lanolin base that can be used safely around the interior and taillight housings where it might get on the paint. The cosmoline formula is tough to remove once on.

There is even another 'Vaseline,' or petolatum, based one for a lighter more temporary use in the shop.

Comments? Anyone have any additional info for this type of thing? Seems like with our older cars, we would need as much rust protection as we can get.


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[Zeke]

Stopping rust once it's there is dicey w/o total erradication from what I hear here and other places. That's kind of another topic of it's own.

If you're optimistic, you could believe that if you could prevent anymore moisture and any more air to a rust area, that the rust won't progress. It would be my belief that you could retard it significantly, but not arrest it totally. Another way of looking at the situation is are you going to do nothing? Apparently, that's not how the military and UPS approach it.

My own rust erradication procedure is to physically remove all that I can in any way I can and treat what's left several times with phosphoric or tannic acid. At this point, many would use POR-15 or equivalent. But, you can't always get the complete job done or the POR-15 on all surfaces as is the case with the rockers and other concealed areas. At this point, one needs to turn to another product. I'm looking for the best of that product.

When I first started this, I used Carwell and it has been good. I can use it indescriminately and wipe it up. It's as mucn of a lubricant as anything. I leave alot of tools outside like my floor jack and it stays pretty nice. I don't live in the part of the country where that is just not done. The cosmoline product that I will test here soon is a much more serious product and would seem well suited for inside rockers. Nothing is a substitute for not letting the rockers get funky in the first place.