Manx Club

Whats the best thing to use to protect the floor pans from rust? being what i have is going to be open bodied, im sure it will get wet from time to time, I was actually thinking about spraying it with Ryno Bed liner, then the carpet. any suggestions?

Paint it with POR-15. Follow the directions and you will not be disappointed. I'm not a big fan of "bed liner material". It is just about impossable to remove it if there is work to be done to the pan and there are many automotive chemicals that cause it to peel.

RUST BULLET will leave POR15 for dead..and requires less prep work.BARMASTIC is also a good choice and unlike POR15 requires less prep to the surface requiring treatment.I used Barmastic on mine as Rust Bullet was not available in Australia at the time...Google search "rust bullet" and compare.......good luck.

I have used both products and they both require the same prep work. Rust Bullet (RB) states that it cannot be applied over oily surfaces as does POR-15 (P15). P15 makes a product available to clean the oily surface (Marine Clean). p15 makes available "Metal Ready" to improve the adhesion and deaden the rust on the surface before coating but it doesn't have to be used. RB requres 2 coats, P15 only requires 1 coat. I have built several buggys over the years and the Manx I am driving now has the pan done with P15 that last buggy I built was done with RB. I had no problems with rust on either buggy but the buggy pans done with RB had areas under my feet that had worn off in just 2 months time. I have nearly 3 Summers on the P15 pans and there is no area under my feet where the P15 had worn off. Just my observations.

I am not a painter, but I found that POR15 is very forgiving. If the part was from new oiled bar or tube stock, and not just from the sandblast tank, I preped with Marine Clean and then Metal Ready - simple to use and really enhances the way the coat goes on. I attempted to paint a backing plate that still had some oil spots on it - it dimpled where the oil spot was (inside so I did not repaint), so the prep is really worth the cost and minimal effort. I found that POR15 when applied with a foam brush is self leveling and leaves a great glossy finish. There is a warning that it is NOT UV tolerant so it may not be the best choice to use on an exterior part. Black, Silver and Crystal Clear POR are the products that I have used. I put the Crystal Clear over some of the less expensive China Chrome that is available. ( I call it my Chrome Condom) - I used Marine Clean first on those parts. O yes, you are correct, there are no pictures yet..... but its getting closer! Chassis is together, front end is on, tranny will be bolted to the chassis tonight. Hope to dry fit everything before the end of the month.

We would be very open to some teaser pics!

These are the best I can do...the floorpan in this buggy has been painted with POR-15. The POR-15 has been applied for a couple days so we began using the pan for a tool storage bench This picture was taken after 1 full season in the dunes....

are you guys doing just the floor pans, or the entire chasis??? with these products. I know in my experiance with auto body the "undercoating" is probabbly one of the worse things you can put on a frame, it starts to crack, but doesn't peal, and moisture and dirt get trapped between the undercoating and the frame, which really excellerates the rusting process.

Barmastic...new floorpan to replace the 4 year old one done with the "por" product,which rusted to bits......does a lot of beach work though..i figured if they could paint oil rigs with the stuff(Barmastic) then it should be good enough for a buggy.Have topcoated with killrust blue,just for cosmetic purposes...

boozer wrote:are you guys doing just the floor pans, or the entire chasis??? with these products. I know in my experiance with auto body the "undercoating" is probabbly one of the worse things you can put on a frame, it starts to crack, but doesn't peal, and moisture and dirt get trapped between the undercoating and the frame, which really excellerates the rusting process.

I do the entire thing, pans and "frame" with POR-15.

I agree...if your gunna do it paint the whole thing.The bits you dont see are the parts that rust away... [QUOTE=newmanx59]I do the entire thing, pans and "frame" with POR-15.[/QUOTE]

Good advise on the Rhino lining, Yes it would be tough to remove and even tougher to patch up if i had to make some repairs. So i think ill stay away from that. Ide love to sheet it in Diamond plate Aluminum, but that usually only looks good the day you put it in, unless you going to repolish it every time you set your feet on it. Thanks for the help and reminding me of what i might of overlooked.