Underbody protection

There are a number of products for this purpose, based on oil or wax. It is a big thing on the Danish market, so I can think of/choose between Dinitrol (alias Tuff-Kote Dinol, Pyrmo, and Proflex), Waxoyl, Mercasol, Tectyl, Teroson, Carlofon, and local brands Pava, and Tektrol.

It will be hard to find a place in the country where the nearest specialist center is more than 5 miles away.

All is easily available in aerosol (amateur/touch up), threaded tin cans, pots or drums.

I would normally go for the tin cans, as they screw directly on a spray gun.

In English it is normally called underbody seal/protection. In fact the germans use a much more precise word for this: hohlraumshutz = Cavity Protection.

That is what it is all about: A car rusts from the cavities and the welding seams. Getting a penetrating oil/wax in to close and protect these places is the vital job.

Visible seams can be protected with a brush or with a brush equipped oil can.

As to effect of each product and compatibility between them, these are my general obeservations:

• The international market leaders tend to claim their product can be applied over any other thing, but subsequent application of anything else is outside limits of warranty etc.
• Smaller brands tend to be more liberal claiming more general application terms "oil/wax based penetrating product", "oil/wax based wear protection".

Seems to be like petrol/gasoline: Some customers prefer Shell, some prefer Exxon, yet others simply go by the price and octane rating.

Links to some scanned and/or translated documents

• Translated general spray instruction from a vendor.
  Above translation is from Danish as to my best effort. Any remarks or linguistic improvements, particularly as to technical terms will be most appreciated. Just drop me an email.
• Spray scheme for Lancia Beta Coupe, 1974 edition. Use only to compare with more recent 1980 edition below. There is a substantial number of additional holes to drill and cavities to find and protect in the latter one. In the mean time they quite apparently learned in just how many hidden places such a car my disappear.
• Spray scheme for Lancia Beta Coupe and Spider, 1980 edition
• Spray scheme for Lancia Beta HPE
• Spray scheme for Lancia Beta Berlina
• Spray scheme for Rover P6
• Spray scheme for Volvo 140
• Spray scheme for Volvo 240

Own recommendations

• I would never do it without a spray gun and a proper workshop with a lift. Then I have always had access to such.
• Wet and cover the floor with thin, protective painter's plastic. Everything will end up sticky.
• For your own cover and protection use a disposable boiler suit with hood.
• Consider goggles!! Your face will end up sticky and you may get something in your eyes.
• If your classic has survived in a climate like the Danish, it will have been previously protected, presumably from factory. Old protection will be dry and cracked. Therefore my and the professional recommendation is to use ONLY the thin and penetrating oil, but do it twice.
• Of course if you have been cutting and welding or have scraped off everything from some areas you may/should finish off those areas with the heavy product.
• If not already fitted consider interior mudguards. Lokari is the classical brand. They have a wide, although rather mainline, range. I know a Danish supplier who make such for brands and models that are not covered by Lokari. Although not on the stock list, they also have cutting schemes (so make to order), for aluminium ones for a lot of others - including my P6 Rover and my Lancia Beta HPE. See more examples in my album.

Enjoy...Anders H L

Last update 23.2.2006