Currently have stock clean bottom on 17,000 mile '72 Pantera L. Should I, (1) leave it be, (2) use rubberized undercoating, or (3) use something like "chassis saver" epoxy paint to protect from rust?
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Are you planning on driving on gravel roads like Dukes of Hazard?
My vote is clean the belly, good epoxy primer and a good paint color of your choice and be done with it.
My vote is clean the belly, good epoxy primer and a good paint color of your choice and be done with it.
I assume you have thoroughly checked all the regular rust-prone areas? Hammer and center punch is my standard method. You have drilled the suggested additional drain holes in chassis/suspension areas? You have checked the drain holes in the doors and side rocker panels?
If the car is to continue seeing little use, and is stored indoors, there should be no problems just leaving it as it is.
A good soap and water cleaning should provide good 'bite' for additional undercoating, but painting the underside needs clean metal.
One little addressed issue is the ability for road debris to be flung off the tires and into the bottom of the front fenders, leaving minor pimples on the outer surface. A thick layer of spray-on undercoating on the fenders' undersides is easy to do and provides the needed protection.
Larry
If the car is to continue seeing little use, and is stored indoors, there should be no problems just leaving it as it is.
A good soap and water cleaning should provide good 'bite' for additional undercoating, but painting the underside needs clean metal.
One little addressed issue is the ability for road debris to be flung off the tires and into the bottom of the front fenders, leaving minor pimples on the outer surface. A thick layer of spray-on undercoating on the fenders' undersides is easy to do and provides the needed protection.
Larry
What Larry mentioned is worse with bigger, stickier front tires. So much so that one vendor who uses Hoosier DOTs to run Silver State events on real roads, now sells inner front fender liners to protect against high-speed rocks thrown by your own tires. Rear fender dimpling seems not to be so much of a problem- maybe because the fronts clean the roads of loose gravel!
Much in the same vein as Larry's remarks...hard to advise w/o knowing your intentions.
If not going to drive it, then I would not coat it. My opinion is that it's only original once... after you coat it, there is no going back. If you're going to drive it, then you may want to coat it. I would only advise rubber undercoating if you're going to see foul whether. In my book, a car is less appealing with undercoating. Clean paint...now that's another story.
Tire fling ding remarks are real and valid concern. Regardless of what you do with undercoating, you may want to glue a piece of felt or alt method to protect the tops of the fenders. And, if you car doesn't yet have the fender inserts, not a bad idea for the reasons mentioned.
my $0.02....
If not going to drive it, then I would not coat it. My opinion is that it's only original once... after you coat it, there is no going back. If you're going to drive it, then you may want to coat it. I would only advise rubber undercoating if you're going to see foul whether. In my book, a car is less appealing with undercoating. Clean paint...now that's another story.
Tire fling ding remarks are real and valid concern. Regardless of what you do with undercoating, you may want to glue a piece of felt or alt method to protect the tops of the fenders. And, if you car doesn't yet have the fender inserts, not a bad idea for the reasons mentioned.
my $0.02....
Adding to Rob's comment... copy the "wheel well foam", like what's used on an AC Cobra aluminum replicas (e.g. Kirkham or AlloyCars)