Buying American and a thought experiment

[85_Ranger4x4]

They missed something on the doors. Both me and PJ have bubbling issues on the bottom center. I need to pull the door cards and address that before they rot through,

Yeah, the pinch weld is a weak spot on the doors and tailgate.

But compared to the earlier trucks the body generally holds up pretty good.

 

[sgtsandman]

Yuck. I know those plastic bedliners turn the bed into rusty kaka real quick.

I never heard of fluid film.

I'm surprised POR15 isn't a thing, maybe its too old school...I saw it at my local NAPA the other day and was tempted to grab a can.

Anyone heard of Steel-It? Its rust proof and weldable. My buddy is a rep for them, its awesome stuff, but not cheap...I might mess w/ it.

As an offered service? Not from a dealer. You might be able to get an independent garage to do it. Most times I see anything mentioned, it’s the person doing the job themselves during a restoration.

Fluid film is a natural rust preventative made from sheep oil. It does a fantastic job but gets washed off from road spray. It needs to be applied at least once a year and gets into all the seams that regular rust proofing doesn’t. A side effect is that any existing rust also gets affected and flakes it off.

 

[sgtsandman]

Yeah, the pinch weld is a weak spot on the doors and tailgate.

But compared to the earlier trucks the body generally holds up pretty good.

The tailgate has held up ok so far. I think I’ve sprayed fluid film in the inside of the tailgate at least once. Easier to get at than the inside of the of doors.

 

[91stranger]

Don't use POR15 unless you know what you are doing. If you put por15 over a bolt head or nut then you will NEVER get that bolt out. period. Our body shop uses it and they said it's good but don't plan on trying to get it off.

 

[Dirtman]

Ummm its just paint? It might be special paint but its no more effective at seizing a bolt than rustoleum...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ummm its just paint? It might be special paint but its no more effective at seizing a bolt than rustoleum...

It might goop up the hex of the bolt/nut so it is hard to get a socket/wrench on it but there are work arounds for that too...

 

[Dirtman]

Yea if you goop up a bolt with paint... any paint... itll get stuck...

 

[97RangerXLT]

POR15 will chemically bond to the rust, so if the bolt is rusted, the part that it is bolted to is rusted, it becomes effectively one piece. a good breaker bar or a bit of strategic sanding/ grinding will fix that though..

And it does not last forever, I did some POR15 on the frame of my ranger in 2012, and it is flaking off pretty good right now. need to hit it with a wire wheel and reapply...

AJ

 

[Ramcharger90]

POR15 will chemically bond to the rust, so if the bolt is rusted, the part that it is bolted to is rusted, it becomes effectively one piece. a good breaker bar or a bit of strategic sanding/ grinding will fix that though..

And it does not last forever, I did some POR15 on the frame of my ranger in 2012, and it is flaking off pretty good right now. need to hit it with a wire wheel and reapply...

AJ

Powder coating only lasts 5 years I think if you drive it alot.

What about that lizard skin they use to coat the wheel wells of old cars with my buddy has a 70 challenger that is being restored and that stuff still looks new.

 

[snoranger]

My buddies father POR15’d the inside of the bed of his ‘56 Chevy pickup. 20 years later when we went to restore the truck. We couldn’t sand that sh!t off... we had to use a grinder.
If you use their products (special cleaner, metal prep, then POR15) and follow the directions, it pretty much lasts forever. UV light makes it look like crap, but it still holds up.