Rust- A GM only sort of thing?

"BJL" (simplifyandaddlightness) 01/21/2018 at 20:14 • Filed to: Rust

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Vehicles rust. I get it. You can’t help but look down the street however and see that cars seemingly fair a lot better than trucks do- and they are closer to the salt spray.

This said, I bought a 08 GMC that had been parked in a field for a while, and the underside had a good bit of rust. I was shocked however to learn that when trying to prep for POR, the frame was never painted. On the 80 degree day, if I touched the frame with my hand, I was turned black. I later learned that this is because gm, since the late 90s ‘waxes’ they frames. I was able to see bare metal after spraying my frame with purple power.

Armed with this knowledge, I went to NAIAS this weekend. I checked all the manufacturers, and you guessed it, GM is alone in the waxing game. Plus, the Colorado and Canyon both have painted frames. It is strictly the full size trucks that get this special treatment. (This was tested with the fingernail test) BTW, toyota’s frame paint seemed to be best.

I love GM vehicles, but this whole wax frame deal is kinda weird to me. People say that the wax is the best way to prevent rust- while it very may be, it certainly is not and never will be as tough as paint. Even though not a huge issue, I like my things to remain nice, so I don’t want to buy something that even remotely has the chance of rotting within 30 years, even if I don’t own it that long. Thoughts?

My bird IS the word > BJL 01/21/2018 at 19:56

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Rust pisses me off to no end. Porsche has been hot dip galvanizing their cars since 1978, and you will not find one speck of rust on one of their cars unless it has been in an accident.

There is literally no excuse for it in today’s day and age.

Echo51 > BJL 01/21/2018 at 19:57

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Paint and then the wax/underbody coating ontop. Are they seriously raw untreated steel frames with just some wax on them?

BJL > Echo51 01/21/2018 at 20:01

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Yes, no paint at all on gm full-size trucks

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:04

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The undercoating I get on my Accent every year is the waxy stuff! But the underbody is painted, so...two layers of protection!

E92M3 > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:11

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That is crazy. I wonder how it holds up to pressure washing. I imagine a lot of trucks get muddy from offroading, and get pressure washed at some point.

My dad (who is 76), says GM vehicles have always been bad about rusting compared to Fords. I have noticed quite a few GM cars and trucks that aren’t 15 years old with rusted through wheel arches/quarter panels.

benjrblant > My bird IS the word 01/21/2018 at 20:14

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Except cost. Probably the only viable excuse for not rustproofing components is trying to keep the MSRP down. Or in the case of some manufacturers that design for a 36mo service life, the short lifespan of the car might not justify such forethought.

Thatredcar > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:17

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Google engineered to fail.

You can design a product to last a finite period of time (i.e. 10 years), so the consumers feel satisfied with the life of the product and ends up buying a new product once the life of the product finishes.

Very common in the field of electric tools, cars and consumer electronics.

My bird IS the word > benjrblant 01/21/2018 at 20:18

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The truth is we like to use cars longer than car companies want us to.

benjrblant > My bird IS the word 01/21/2018 at 20:23

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CONSPIRACY!

My bird IS the word > benjrblant 01/21/2018 at 20:24

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Planned obsolescence.

crowmolly > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:27

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GM got hit with a recall on this in the mid 00's. I’m surprised they didn’t rustproof in 2008.

Subpar. But still better than Tacomas from the same time period. Those were awful.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > crowmolly 01/21/2018 at 20:37

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To be fair, that was a supplier(Dana), not necessarily Toyota.

wafflesnfalafel > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:45

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GM certainly isn’t the only vehicle to rust. Older ‘yotas, VW’s, older Subies all had significant issues. Wax the dickens out of everything.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > benjrblant 01/21/2018 at 20:50

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Well sure, why would they design a car that withstood the test of time? Rust is a good way of taking well-maintained vehicles out of the market.

Mercedes Streeter > BJL 01/21/2018 at 20:59

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My 2005 smart uses wax for rust protection. The bare metal is waxed, then primed, then painted. Like other Mercs of the same vintage, it can rust really easy. Uggggh...that’s why I don’t drive it in the winter.

boxrocket > BJL 01/21/2018 at 21:06

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Generally Mediocre lives down to its cost-cutting reputation quite well. If you have even a speck of rust anywhere past the cab, then it’s time to start shopping for a new truck. Also make sure to drop your spare tire at least twice a year and lubricate the hell out of...well, everything, because when you need it, it’ll be seized in place.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > BJL 01/21/2018 at 22:36

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Rust isn’t just a GM thing...

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > BJL 01/22/2018 at 08:13

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I don’t know what they did to the 1st gen Colorado, but I’ve just started to get minor surface rust in the last year or so. 2010 Truck. I haven’t done anything supplemental (oil spray) to it, though every winter I’ve meant to.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > BJL 01/22/2018 at 09:08

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Probably saves them enough money over painting the frame. If they really wanted to make a quality product they’d paint and undercoat straight from the factory.

Pickup_man > BJL 01/22/2018 at 09:16

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I design and engineer truck accessories and spend a lot of time underneath all of the big 4 trucks and yeah, GM is the only one to do this. It’s on the 1500s and the HDs. I hate it, when doing any work near the frame that crap gets everywhere, your arms, your face, your skin, your hair, and it does not wash out easy. I don’t know how well it protects against rust but it’s just another thing that keeps turning me off of GM.

Pickup_man > My bird IS the word 01/22/2018 at 09:18

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Tell that to the floor pans in my old‘79 924. Overall the rest of of the car was in really good shape, but it certainly wasn’t rust free.

Future next gen S2000 owner > BJL 01/22/2018 at 09:19

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All frames should be powder coated.

adamftw > BJL 01/22/2018 at 10:43

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My 05 Silverado is pretty damn clean underneath. Toyotas are MUCH worse. I’m painting mine this spring/summer. If you live where rust is a thing, EVERYTHING will rust to dust unless you actively take steps to make sure it doesn’t.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 01/22/2018 at 14:32

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Yeah, anyone who complains about rust on other cars always receives this image. No one does it worse than early 2000s Mazda.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/22/2018 at 14:33

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My mom’s 2004 Colorado still has no rust ~250k miles later.