is there truely a way to rust proof your car?

Personally speaking, I never drive my classic cars in the rain. I never wash them with a hose either. Both will cause rust to start or get even worse. Thats what daily drivers are for.

I agree. Here in the snowy north, cars are disposable objects that salt eats. As such, we always keep an extra car or two on-hand as a spare.

But seriously, there are some great products that will inhibit rust but eventually the rust will win unless the car and ALL it's metal are dripping in the stuff — especially if there was rust originally.

The big problem with the Pantera (and many other cars of the era) are the trapped cavities where water and moisture eventually find their way. It's hard to get all of them, even with a good creeping protectant. The best advice is to move to Arizona or Nevada and never get your car wet.

A good repaint will cost anywhere from $8—10K and well upwards, depending on body condition and who is doing the work. Doing a full strip/repair/repaint will cost as much as you want to spend having someone else do the work. Do it yourself and it will be less, but people often say "pay for the restoration and get the car for free" when buying a restored car. There's truth to that statement. However, like many of us here, you may get the most pleasure out of creating your perfect car yourself.

Enjoy the journey!

Mark

It is common knowledge that in different climates, cars rust in different ways. Up north with salted roads, where cars rust from the underside first, sand blasting, etching primer or epoxy primer then paint may be the best solution. Here in Florida the salt is in the air. Any unprotected area like the inside of the rockers, inside window pillers, inside frame supports must be treated or the rust will start from the inside out. Sand blasting will not get these areas, if the car is stripped to a bare shell, perhaps dipping the car would be best. I have personally treated my cars starting with the inside of the rockers and sub frame areas by using a pump sprayer filled with "Ospho" (forgive my poor attempt at spelling) Phosphoric acid. By removing the seat belts from the rockers gives access to the inner rocker pannels, inscerting the sprayer into drainage holes in the wheel arches, sub frames will help insure rust from the inside out will not be such an issue.
I also totally agree with Italford it is best not to allow the car to get wet, there are just too many places for water to puddle and not enough drainage. I like everybody else wish they thought of that when they designed the car, perhaps that is asking too much. BTW be sure not to get the acid on any fabric in the car, or allow it to drip on to concrete.

Do what all the top end car manufacturers do after a bare metal paint job. Rustproof the car. If you install rustproofer inside the bare metal cavities and at any connection of the body that flexes that cracks paint, you will not have any issues and your car will not melt in the rain.

Again, I said rustproofer, NOT UNDERCOATING. Rustproofing is the best defense for non coated inner cavities.

It is difficult to get information on the body shop rustproofers, but this is what you want. Either from PPG, Wurth, or any other major manufacturer of chemicals for the auto body shop.

Best of luck,

Mark

The absolute best way to never get rust again is to remake every body piece and panel in Carbon-fiber and then glue it all back together. This will also help the car handle better and get better milage. However, it is important to avoid fires as the stuff that holds the fiber together likes to burn. Remember, no metal means no rust!

Agreed with all the points above. I had the undercarriage and front trunk stripped to bare metal and I stripped the rest of the car. I sprayed POR15 after prepping the metal all over the undercarriage and front trunk. Be careful as POR15 fades in sunlight so you have to topcoat it. After doing all of that I painted it on the insides of the doors, inside on the floors and everywhere I possibly could before applying the sound deadener. It is a lot of work but worth it. I poured a little of it in the rockers and had to go back and drill the drain holes back out. No rust so far. Then again, I live in Colorado.

I did the POR15 route on #6656, but I know what it is like to use!!! So I paid my buddy's girlfriend who always wants to help and knows everything (right!!)So I asked her to spray and roller and brush it on. I told her to wear some clothes she was going to throw out...

Boy was she bent when she found out the only way to get it off your skin is to let it wear off... I never liked her anyway

Update on her 6 months have passed and she is gone now.

Here are my two friends (dad and son) both know how to go fast

Take one of those huge sealable plastic bags. Second hold it open and drive the car into the bag. Next seal the bag and fill with a inert gas...argon or nitrogen will do the job leave car forever...it will NEVER rust now! Jk.