Three years later.. - First Generation Forum

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Three years later..
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 12:44 PM
I finally got some time over the recent holiday weekend to give my Wagon a little post-Winter love, so I thought it would be a good time to give a three year/ three rather harsh winter update on how well my car is holding up - as they say, "talk is cheap" & "a picture says a thousand words", so I'll give you about 12,000 words:













It hasn't been easy and it hasn't been cheap, but the money and effort so far has paid dividends.
I'm not really showing off here, just showing that it is possible to keep these *rust buckets*, rust free if you try hard enough and think a plan through... !




~ Mike ~



Re: Three years later..
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 1:17 PM
Looks Great!!

Hard to believe it has been 3 years already!

Keep an eye underneath as the salt love to silently work its magic there. The brake and fuel lines run along the drivers side on the wagons and the location right behind the rear door is a hard spot to get to. Your methods are a lot easier than mine - I was busy re-painting the hatch on mine over the 3 day break , although I have to say that what I was repainting was a rattle can bomb job done back in '07 so I guess it had held up reasonably well. I have learned a whole lot during then and now!

Hope you can keep your wagon as beautiful the next 3 years Mike!



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Re: Three years later..
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 5:27 PM
Orlen, the underneath is as clean as it is on top.
I had Ziebart undercoat the inside of the rockers, quarter panels, the bottom half of the doors and the lower half of the hatch with wax. I have additionally recosted the lower half of the doors and the entire underneath of the car including all suspension components and the rear shocks as well with a product called Fluid Film. It is a lanolin based coating that never dries. Let me repeat that, IT NEVER DRIES. It does eventually attract enough road dust to encapsulate it, and it is an absolute nightmare to work around, but I have found with a couple of cans of brake clean, you can clean up where you want to work, then go in and recoat it after you are done. The stuff isn't cheap, but it does go far and works incredibly well!
There literally isn't one single spot of rust anywhere on my car...!
I plan on keeping my wagon for at least another five years or more, Lord willing.
I'm trying to approach this the smart way, and it has worked so far !




~ Mike ~


Re: Three years later..
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 10:26 PM
Nice and I keeping this short as the 13hr trucking day is rough.Approve of pics.



Re: Three years later..
Thursday, May 28, 2015 6:28 AM
I would get an old wagon if the wife would let me.



PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
Re: Three years later..
Thursday, May 28, 2015 6:58 PM
Keep up the good work Mike. Looks Great!!

Where did you get the Fluid Film?






Re: Three years later..
Friday, May 29, 2015 12:05 PM
84conv wrote:Keep up the good work Mike. Looks Great!!

Where did you get the Fluid Film?


I purchased it at a local auto body supply house. It's called Hovis Auto Parts, but I'm pretty sure you can purchase it directly from Fluid Film online. I prefer to brush it on, but they also sell spray cans of it.
If I get a chance, I will take a picture of how it looks on the car. It really does protect the undercarriage, suspension and brake/ fuel lines from corrosion!




~ Mike ~


Re: Three years later..
Friday, May 29, 2015 8:57 PM
Brake lines up here in New England are usually the first things to go. Probably due to salt and the corrosive qualities of brake fluid when it has not been changed for years.











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