SHOP TALK: Are You Protecting Your Entire Vehicle?

Written by: JT Photos & Video by: JT

Hello my fellow gearheads. I pray this finds you all happy, healthy, and enjoying some sort of high horsepower. Today I write “part 2” about elite level vehicle care. If you haven’t checked out “part 1” which featured paint correction and ceramic coating, please click here and give it a read. I did my best to explain the many benefits of this type of elite level vehicle maintenance.

This feature article will discuss how to care for your undercarriage and chassis. There are a few different products available that depend upon the condition of your chassis. For example, NHOU makes a product called Boss Wax for new vehicles. They also make a product for “newer” used cars that have minimal corrosion called Hybrid Wax. Both of those products are wax based and do not drip after application. After a lot of research and investigating numerous products and shops that perform this type of service, I decided to focus on the NHOU oil product and one of their licensed elite level pro shops called Outlawed Specialties in Newton, NJ.

Joe Toscano Jr. is the owner and lead technician at Outlawed Specialties and performs all of the undercoating applications himself. He doesn’t just apply NHOU coatings, his shop provides elite level rust repair in both fabrication and body work. This should be extremely comforting to an automotive enthusiast who wants an undercoating, but is unaware of a looming and disastrous chassis or suspension part that is corroded. Outlawed Specialties will advise you of all possible problems before applying the coating.

The process on my 2013 GMC Sierra began with a thorough inspection of all of the chassis components. This is done to see if there was any danger of parts failure due to severe corrosion. Then the focus shifted to the actual corrosion that encompassed my entire chassis. (Yes, the entire chassis) To be fair and clear, my chassis was showing signs of rust the day I purchased it new back in 2013. The dealership told me it must have sat on a container in a port before being delivered. Fast forward 11 years and this rust consumed my truck. I needed to address the situation and come up with a plan to stop or at a minimum slow down the corrosion. My truck has only 60K ish miles on her and still looks new inside and out, just not underneath.

Joe at Outlawed Specialties began the long, tedious, and dirty process of removing all of the loose corrosion and scaling. This was an extremely time consuming process which should be noted when you receive an invoice from this type of service. Outlawed Specialties does not just apply a coating. They do their best to remove corrosion to ensure the NHOU product has direct contact with the metal so it can permeate inside the metal. Speaking of permeating / weeping into the metal, this product works its way up to 7 inches from the initial point of contact.

Once the chassis and undercarriage was completely descaled and blown free from dust and debris, Joe suited up from head to toe and precisely and methodically like a pro auto body painter (which he is) applied the product to my truck. This process also consumed a lot of time as his attention to detail and ensuring complete coverage was not overlooked. I was fortunate to watch this entire process and develop a respect for a service that most people discount as easy and quick. From start to completion this process is by far an easy one with an expert approach. Imagine the oil mist that is left in the air while spraying. It falls on everything! The shop, the lift, the tools and the technician. Joe’s white Tyvek suit was black when he was complete.

Upon finishing the application process, Joe took a high powered flashlight and once again inspected every inch of the chassis to ensure complete coverage. He then wiped any excess oil from the driveshaft, and rear shocks, as well as other areas that had a distinctive look and did not need protection.

I almost forgot to mention the spare tire was removed to not only get the NHOU product on the chassis and undercarriage but to protect the spare rim as well. I was thoroughly impressed with that level of detail.

I had this work completed during a heat wave in my state of New Jersey. Joe warned me that the oil would smoke on the way home as it burned off the exhaust and other high temperature areas. He also advised that it would drip for a few days due to the volume he sprayed on my severely corroded chassis.

His advice was spot on. My truck looked like it was on fire during the 30 minute ride home. Thanks to Joe’s advice I parked on the grass when I got home to avoid dripping oil on my freshly seal coated driveway. Due to the heat wave, my truck dripped for more than a few days. I called Joe and asked him if this was normal. His response is a great tip for anyone interested in having this work done. He stated, “In this case it is completely normal. I sprayed a lot under your truck to ensure complete coverage. We also applied it when the temperatures were near 100 degrees for two weeks straight. That kind of heat helps this product drip. The best time to apply the NHOU oil is late Fall before the snow. The colder temperatures stop the oil from dripping excessively when applied.”

So my tip to you, my fellow gearheads is to schedule this extremely early in the year for a September / early October application. Trying to get an appointment last minute at this time of the year is going to be extremely difficult as everyone wants this service done.

Two months have passed since having my truck treated by Outlawed Specialties and I am extremely pleased. There is no more smoke. No more dripping, and no more visible rust making my beautiful truck look less beautiful.

A word of caution: There are mobile companies offering this type of service. They certainly make it convenient by coming to your location and applying the product on site. I do not know how they could professionally assess the vehicle by laying under it, yet alone thoroughly applying the product. You must also factor in the incredible mess this service is accompanied with. The price may be lower due to less overhead of having an actual shop, but as with anything in life, you get what you pay for. So make sure you do your due diligence and find a shop that covers all of the bases that I outlined in this article.

In closing, I do have only one regret, and that is that I did not get this done many years ago and stop the corrosion then. I tend to avoid the things I cannot do myself and need to be convinced that someone is as proficient, technical and detailed as I am before I give them permission to work on something of mine. Thank God I can do just about anything automotive related and can limit my anxiety of finding someone to do it for me. Outlawed Specialties has my stamp of approval and will treat all of my vehicles with rust prevention from now on.

Until next time - Keep Wrenching

FROM THE NHOU BROCHURE:

NHOU OIL UNDERCOATING is a powerful, heavy-duty rust protectant that will creep and penetrate to the base metal to displace moisture and protect your vehicle from road salt-brine and rust. The exclusive formulation is available in Clear and Back-N-Black, which leaves a smooth, glossy, black finish. NHOU Oil Undercoating provides up to 12 months of protection to undercarriage, seams, crevices and hidden areas.

-Exclusive Formulation

-Stops Corrosion

-Displaces Moisture

-Long-Lasting

-Creeps

-Minimal Drip

-Eco-Friendly