Hey everyone,

I just bought my dream truck, a 1993 Toyota Pickup with Access Cab and 4x4. The beauty of it is that it has been in the Nevada desert all these years, and there is no rust. I live however in Ohio, so I am wondering about the best way to keep it that way. I am not planning on driving it in the winter (I have an old winter beater for that) but I still want to do some type of rustproofing. I am debating between krown and TST. Krown is some type of oil that gets sprayed on every year. TST is a rubberized compound that gets sprayed on once and you get a lifetime warranty. I prefer the idea of something where you can still see the pristine frame so am leaning towards krown, but would like your guys thoughts/experience on this. thank you

 

Home depot spray rubber sealant.

 

Tough one. I’ve been using a spray oil product, Rust Check. I like to see frame also. I drive mine daily even through the winter. Salt is no joke. I didn’t like the idea of spray on rubberized that you cannot see rust spots if/when rust comes up. Looking forward to moving someplace where salt is not used.

 

fluid film. pretty effective, but needs to be applied every fall. just finished coating the underbody, frame inside and out, and inner body panels over the weekend. used 5.5 cans of the aerosol ($12/can). cheaper than sheetmetal/frame repair.

 

Do not do rubberized.
Go with fluid film, rust check or krown, sprayed inside and out, once a year.

 

I agree, don't go with anything that is meant to dry or harden. Krown is what I use, it stays tacky and will keep seeping around when it warms up. Make sure you get the full treatment - make sure they remove the taillights, drill the doors and spray inside, etc.

 

Fluid film is a great product for the inside of frames and other places where a creeping oil is needed. I also like the oil to wax type sprays on the outside. Boeshield-T9, Rust Guard, Waxoyl, etc. Definitely avoid rubberized sprays. The only time a rubberized spray can/should be used is on a new vehicle. Even on a new vehicle it should be pressure washed underneath prior to application. Most places won't take the time and will just spray right over that dirt, which leads to adhesion problems. Oils are more work, but leave the frame and other parts of the body open to inspection so you can see and monitor the rust.

For basic rust removal I like to use a needle scaler and wire brushes on a right angle drill. Then treat the rust with a converter like Extend or Corroseal on places hard to reach. On places I can reach easily I like to use POR15 paint. Once all of that is done, I then will spray with Rustoleum Rust Converter paint. This is all before the oil and wax treatments. I've been able to maintain vehicles like this for decades with almost zero rust advancement. It takes some work, but it's worth it. Edit: I forgot to add that after the winter season I use a salt removal spray and then pressure wash underneath. There are tons of salt removal sprays for marine applications. I personally like Salt Kleen. Removing the salt after the winter season is a must do to keep metal in good shape.

It would seem everyone has their own concoctions of products to do the job. The internet is full of opinions and mine is only one of course.

-Kevin