Painting undercarriage....over restore or not?

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Of course it will depend on what kind of car you are building, a restored original or a Hot Rod/Clone, etc. If it's a rarer model I'd keep it as original as possible. IMO the act of painting the bottom of the car to be all new and shiney "Jumped the Shark" a long time ago. A more factory correct look is the current trend that I see more and more these days. To me it looks even more attractive to attempt making them look as they really did. In any event I'd choose between painted and the over sprayed look of my car above, I wouldn't use any kind of Lizzard Skin or other undercoating product, it gives the look of someone trying to hide rust or other ills to most onlookers.

If you are worried about corrosion think about how you plan to drive the car. Most of these cars never see more water than the end of a hose in your driveway to wash them off occasionally, it's not likely the bottom will rot out of it if you don't coat it in some kind of bead liner/POR15/Rust shield product, especially if you do a good job of getting rid of all the rust that is there in the first place and do a proper metal prep before adding a good primer/sealer and quality paint job.

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I did paint mine fully underneath and I don't regret it (yet) but I'd probably go with a more stock look if I did another. Whatever I do I will never use bedliner or anything remotely similar and would avoid undercoating as well (except for the wheelwells). I like to be able to see the metal, joints, etc. and don't like anything covering that up.

The OP's car isn't exactly a stock resto, so I'd say "fill your boots" but I'd still avoid the bedliner and similar products...just don't see the need.


Dave

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Use the the bedliner unless you want to park it over a mirror and stare at it like some do.

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my car lasted 40 years with nothing but the factory primer underneath and needed only one small floor patch. Given it's "non daily driver" status and the fact that it is fully painted and not winter driven, I calculate that it will last for approximately 100 years this time...Bedliner just isn't needed unless you are planning on mounting up some snow tires or going 4x4ing with your car.

To the OP, yes it sounds like that "lizard skin" is similar to textured rock guard or something similar. I still wouldn't use it as it covers up the detail in the metal as Scott said. Only you can decide what you want, but I stand by contention that a good coat of paint is all that's required for 99% of us with classic cars.




Dave

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I used rock-it bed liner on my challenger. Looks like undercoating but will spray clean when washed. I know not everyone likes it, but this car will be driven daily. They like to use tar and chip on the roads here in summer also. So painting it wouldn't be a good option for me. I do like the factory look over paint. Paint looks pretty until its back on the ground and not seen much, so unless it's a show car, I see no point to it.

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Bedliner just isn't needed unless you are planning on mounting up some snow tires or going 4x4ing with your car.

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I live on a partially black topped driveway. The cost would be too much to finish it to my house and it's basically mud when it rains here. So grab the hose with a nozzle when I wash it and I can spray the underside clean. I have my reasons, no need to go as extreme as snow or offroading In a few months, when the tar and chipping starts, you can't go 5 miles without having to deal with it.

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Bedliner just isn't needed unless you are planning on mounting up some snow tires or going 4x4ing with your car.

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I live on a partially black topped driveway. The cost would be too much to finish it to my house and it's basically mud when it rains here. So grab the hose with a nozzle when I wash it and I can spray the underside clean. I have my reasons, no need to go as extreme as snow or offroading In a few months, when the tar and chipping starts, you can't go 5 miles without having to deal with it.

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They don't do that tar thing here and my driveway is concrete. I don't doubt your solution works for you, my point was (and is) that 99.9% of peoples cars, given their useage, would hold up just fine with a good coat of paint.

I was mainly posting to counter the ridiculous contention by a previous poster that bedliner should be used on all cars except trailered show cars with mirrors underneath.

some people get completely carried away; many of these cars lasted for decades with nothing but a coat of primer underneath....and when they were new, most were daily drivers and not treated with any special care for the first 10 or 20 years of their life.



Dave