Frame & undercarriage advise!

[Fode140]

Hello All! I've been looking around and reading and there are a lot of good threads on the forum about this subject! SOOO many and SOOO many options that my head is about to explode! LOL. Anyway, to get down to specifics of my project, it is a '91 last year square body Suburban. Relatively clean as although Chicago based, spent a lot of winters vacationing in AZ by the previous (and original) owners. It is a light resto (mostly mechanical and cosmetic) project for my 2 young sons and I to make it their first vehicle in a couple of years. I do however as part of the project want to scrape, clean, and re-spray the undercarriage while I have the opportunity and have all the brake and fuel lines, exhaust etc. off as they are all being replaced. This will by no means be a frame off restoration. I've heard anything from simple Rust-O-Leum to POR-15 and Eastwood products to spray on bedliners. I've always been mechanically inclined, was a mechanic and restored cars before, but never much on body work, mostly the mechanical and cosmetic, and I do not own a paint sprayer and would be more comfortable with a spray can application. Being that this is a light resto and will be a driver, any suggestions??? Thank you!

 

[bucket]

Imho for a driver, just keep it cleaned fairly often and hit it with spray paint, as needed.

The heavier and stronger coatings tend to retain a lot of dirt and moisture when they inevitably gain some surface imperfections, which can cause major rust that could go unnoticed for a while. Then it's either too late to save the metal, or you've got one heck of a chore to remove the failed coating.

 

[RattleSnack]

Imho for a driver, just keep it cleaned fairly often and hit it with spray paint, as needed.

The heavier and stronger coatings tend to retain a lot of dirt and moisture when they inevitably gain some surface imperfections, which can cause major rust that could go unnoticed for a while. Then it's either too late to save the metal, or you've got one heck of a chore to remove the failed coating.

I'll second that.....and take it one step further, and suggest a rust preventive like Fluid Film. I use it on all my vehicles and had pretty good results. I spray the undercarriage, inside the doors, fenders, tailgate, etc.

But I also keep my squarebodies hibernated in the garage for the winters!!

 

[bucket]

I'll second that.....and take it one step further, and suggest a rust preventive like Fluid Film. I use it on all my vehicles and had pretty good results. I spray the undercarriage, inside the doors, fenders, tailgate, etc.

But I also keep my squarebodies hibernated in the garage for the winters!!

Do you use the regular Fluid Film or the black?

 

[Grit dog]

Wauconda! Small world. I grew up in Grayslake.
If you’re cleaning it up then it makes sense to paint it.
May as well get a paint gun. You’ll be buying stuff by the case if you rattle can. But up to you.
Pressure wash. De grease. Wash again Completely.
Get any flaking rust down to solid metal. Anything that is more than surface corrosion I’d do Ospho or Por 15 etc. Then paint it all with chassis paint. Some good hard single stage paint.
If it’s not going to be a winter rig, that’s a 20 year resto for fair weather. If the kids are gonna wheel it all winter, spray the under carriage every year with whatever your favorite oil is. Fluid film Krown whatever.
If you’re not down with doing all that, I’d rattle can everything that isn’t oily and send it.