Undercoating and rustproofing your vehicle protects it from corrosion and rust. This is especially important for the undercarriage of your vehicle in Minnesota, which commonly comes into contact with water, salt, and other dirt and debris on the roads. Without some sort of protection, the bottom of your vehicle will eventually rust and corrode, leading to part failure, diminished value of your investment and potential safety concerns.

Unfortunately, the “protection” from the factory is pretty nonexistent. Sure, you may not have bare metal exposed on your frame as it’s likely been e-coated, powdercoated, or treated with GM’s frame wax (which is the worst thing created, ever!!), but that isn’t going to hold up long in the face of MN’s DOT salt trucks. Road salt will get trapped inside of your frame channels, your rocker panels, door panels and any other nook/cranny salty water can worm it’s way into. For the best protection and longevity of your vehicle, it’s imperative to get it undercoated before rust develops.

We always need to ensure a vehicle is clean before working on it which is why we start by thoroughly washing and degreasing the undercarriage. Southern vehicles or those that are driven on gravel roads frequently require a bit of extra prep as dirt is often stuck inside of frame channels and body cavities, but we’re diligent in removing dirt/grease. In the winter time, we also use a pH neutralizer (saltsgone) to make sure we’re not coating over any lingering road salt. If your vehicle has existing rust, we can estimate time of removal and treat as necessary. Check out the laser cleaning process here.

We generally don’t sandblast to remove rust on a vehicle’s undercarriage for a number of reasons; blast media can damage many things like body panels, gas tanks, heat ducts, wiring, hoses, floor panels, brake lines, etc. Blast media can and will get past many sealing designs such as wheel bearings, transmission seals, suspension joints, grease fittings, etc. It’s for those reasons we prefer to descale and laser clean.

The time of year doesn’t affect the quality of work we do on your vehicle. However, a couple extra steps need to be taken in the colder seasons; For example, we need to wash every vehicle with a pH neutralizer (saltsgone) before working on it and ensure it’s dry prior to service. Due to colder temperatures, vehicles in for Cosmoline application may also need to sit longer before it’s dry enough to hit the roads.

We use Cosmoline as it’s simply the best ‘dry’ product we’ve come across on the market. It’s a wax-based petroleum product, so you don’t have to worry about it trapping/sealing moisture like rubberized/asphalt based products. It’s not quite as messy as oil/lanolin based products, typically requires less maintenance (oil-based products generally should be reapplied every 1 - 2 years) and we think it looks much better too. It’s non-proprietary to us, which gives our customers the ability to actually research and read about the product too, which we HIGHLY encourage. Cosmoline offers excellent water displacement and rust prevention, while still offering a sleek finish and ease of working on mechanically.

Cosmoline conforms to MIL-SPEC: MIL-PRF-16173E Grade 4, Class 1 and MIL-C-83933. The use of "milspec" is just the informal way of signifying that something meets a certain Military Standard (MIL-STD) or Military Specification (MIL-SPEC). To sum up, Cosmoline is very durable and long-lasting which is a large reason it’s used often in the military.

Woolwax is a top choice amongst undercoating products due to its natural lanolin-based formula, which provides rust protection by creating a barrier to resist water, salt, grime, dirt, and debris. Unlike standard undercoating products, Woolwax stays soft and pliable over time; think of it like a grease. Woolwax has rust encapsulating qualities to it and can be applied directly over existing rust without issue, due to it’s ‘wet’ properties. Once Woolwax has been applied, it is no longer necessary for you to wash the undercarriage of your vehicle and generally discouraged; this is to ensure it lasts as long as possible despite it’s high resistance to washing off. You can read more about Woolwax here.

Fluid Film and Woolwax are both lanolin-based rust preventive solutions, but comparatively Fluid Film is known for being thinner and less viscous. Due to this, it makes for the perfect choice when considering what product we prefer to use inside of door panels, rocker panels, fenders, tailgates, etc; it will do a better job at working itself into tight crevices, nooks and crannies.

On average, we’ll need your vehicle for about 2 - 5 days. The amount of time is entirely dependent on the vehicle’s size, age, condition, cleanliness, product and package you’d like applied. However, during the winter we may need it longer depending on road and weather conditions.

The cost will vary depending on the vehicle you have, the condition it’s in, and the product you’re interested in having applied.

You can find pricing specifics located here.

No matter what product is being used, undercoating is something that requires ongoing maintenance to ensure it’s effectiveness is the best it can be. Wear and tear and is natural and to be expected as a vehicle is driven and time passes, which is something difficult for us to warranty as a small business. This is why we go above and beyond in our service with diligent preparation, premium products, and customer education; we want you to be empowered with our knowledge of the industry.

Here at Carson Undercoating we pride ourselves in offering the best undercoating service possible through honesty and hard work. We’re very passionate about simply offering the best service possible, going the extra mile and doing everything we can to provide your vehicle a service truly protecting it for years to come. We’ll get it done RIGHT; unlike competitors who don’t remove rust and use rubberized/asphalt based products that will cause more harm than good. Our mission is to put your mind at ease knowing you can rely on our knowledge and experience, winter is tough enough already.

Frequently Asked Questions