Pros & cons of using bedliner on bottom of car?

[747mopar]

I used this on dad's truck, really nice product.

 

[Mike67]

Here is the point I am at with my 69 RR. Metalwork should be about done and will be getting it sand blasted in a month or so. I have always epoxy primed, base, and cleared the bottoms. And then sprayed Resto Rick's undercoating in the wheel wells. The guy painting the exterior stopped over today and said he has sprayed tintable Raptor upol underneath the last 2 cars he did.
What are you guys thoughts one way or the other? Not a show car and will be driven.
Curious as to where a guy would cut off the bedliner at the front? Really wouldn't want to see any when you open up the hood, but the bottom and outsides of the front rails along with the front wheel wells should be covered, I would think.
Anybody got any pics of how they did it?

View attachment 1082704

That's what I used. Very nice product.

 

[threewood]

Here is a wheel well with U-Pol Raptor. The finish looks similar to a factory undercoat. The kit came with a gun. I sprayed wheel wells and spot hit the trunk extension seams.

 

[blue69runner]

No flex seal please. That stuff in junk. It don't stick to metal worth a darn. You can peel it right off. It is over rated.

 

[Kern Dog]

I gotta admit, having the underside painted a lighter color (or even body color) rather than black
has GOT to help when it comes to working on things under there in the future - better visibility
of components, eh?
I know it's pretty dark under Fred when I get under there and the black just soaks up the light from
the work light.

Our hero from UNCLE Tony's garage painted the engine bays of his cars WHITE for this very reason.
It looks odd when the car is blue but it does make sense.
My shop feels like a basement with a 20 watt bulb sometimes.

 

[Beep!Beep!]

I've shot a lot of bedliner scorpion is what the shop I worked in used ,and many don't realize that it was made to adhere to paint and is only as good as what is under it. To me I think if it would trap water ,it would be worse because by the time you discover that a lot of rust could form, so paint because it is easier to spot problem and to repair. Just me

 

[Kern Dog]

When I first jumped back into Mopars in 1996, I wanted to build a car that was the best of my money and ability. I looked at cars at shows and noticed that even some really nice looking cars had a sloppy appearance underneath. I wanted to do better.
The undercoat/bedliner stuff looks great when new. It looks durable and consistent. I've seen numerous Mopars in junkyards and in daily service that were fully undercoated and sadly, that beautiful black color they had when new fades to a tan color after years of rain, dust, snow or just regular crap a daily driver will deal with.

Add in some oil leaks and the color changes.
The paint on mine has some chips and scrapes but it still shines.

 

[hunt2elk]

Here is a wheel well with U-Pol Raptor. The finish looks similar to a factory undercoat. The kit came with a gun. I sprayed wheel wells and spot hit the trunk extension seams.
View attachment 1083678

As far as coverage. If a guy was doing both the front and rear wheel wells and not inside the trunk, would the 4 quart pack be enough, or should a guy buy the 8 pack kit?

 

[barbee6043]

When I first jumped back into Mopars in 1996, I wanted to build a car that was the best of my money and ability. I looked at cars at shows and noticed that even some really nice looking cars had a sloppy appearance underneath. I wanted to do better.
The undercoat/bedliner stuff looks great when new. It looks durable and consistent. I've seen numerous Mopars in junkyards and in daily service that were fully undercoated and sadly, that beautiful black color they had when new fades to a tan color after years of rain, dust, snow or just regular crap a daily driver will deal with.
View attachment 1083984

Add in some oil leaks and the color changes.
The paint on mine has some chips and scrapes but it still shines.

View attachment 1083985

I understand your point. I also have to wonder IF a bedliner material will not have the same discolaration of the OEM type undercoat? If the underside is ride of any rust, a good epoxy primer ( several coats) and a good acrylic urethane should be very durable for a cruiser. If a car is daily, I like the protection of an undercoat myself.
I have a 62 Lancer (roadtoad) that really is not worth man$$$ IMO. I fixed the floors and undercoated with BodyShcultz for protection. Not the rightway, but what I did. I have a Pontia bud that is real redneck. He keeps old ATFin his trunks of his old GTO and such. Stinks but they never rust in the trunk!!!!!ha

 

[747mopar]

When I first jumped back into Mopars in 1996, I wanted to build a car that was the best of my money and ability. I looked at cars at shows and noticed that even some really nice looking cars had a sloppy appearance underneath. I wanted to do better.
The undercoat/bedliner stuff looks great when new. It looks durable and consistent. I've seen numerous Mopars in junkyards and in daily service that were fully undercoated and sadly, that beautiful black color they had when new fades to a tan color after years of rain, dust, snow or just regular crap a daily driver will deal with.
View attachment 1083984

Add in some oil leaks and the color changes.
The paint on mine has some chips and scrapes but it still shines.

View attachment 1083985

You cannot lump bedliners and undercoatings into one category, not even remotely the same thing. Undercoating is just that, a messy coating meant only to protect metal, it doesn't cure (stays soft), it shrinks, dries out and was never designed to look nice nor be painted etc. Urethane bedliner is Urethane just like paint, it seals, it's not pourus, washes easily, can be tinted or painted and provides way more protection than paint. Being up north protection is more of a priority plus I liked the fact that if I'm working under the car and scratch the surface I won't expose metal.. it's bedliner, you can't hardly hurt the stuff. I have no chips or scratches after 17,000 miles. Don't get me wrong I prefer the beautifully painted underside of a car like yours but where I live, chip and seal roads, gravel driveway, etc... It wouldn't look that way for long.

 

[threewood]

As far as coverage. If a guy was doing both the front and rear wheel wells and not inside the trunk, would the 4 quart pack be enough, or should a guy buy the 8 pack kit?

Yes. It took 2-3 bottles to do both wheel wells and the inner quarters. I did one slow coat at reduced pressure for more texture. And I remember having enough left over from the 3rd bottle that I was looking for seams to cover underneath.

 

[barbee6043]

I used Body Schultz the first time about 1990. Not sure when "bedliner" first came out, but BS must be a type of urethane??? It does set up hard.
Back in the 90's I went to Mopar Nats every year and couple times to Carlisle. Back then the highest regarded cars were those restored to exactly OEM as they left the factory. I love looking at perfect cars and even those done by the 18 years old kid as is first attempt, BUT I guess today the standard is ultra shiny bc/cc and bedliner for undercoat!
I just fix mine best I can and drive them I admit.

 

[MoparMur]

Thumbs up for Body Schutz. I built a Jeep CJ-7 in '94, and I had the body tub sandblasted underneath and inside, then fixed all the usual rust. Then we applied 3M Body Schutz over the clean, bare metal. I used the lighter, beige-coloured stuff instead of the black as I was going to paint it Hemi orange. After the Body Schutz was applied on went the paint (DuPont Centauri at that time). It turned out perfect, and 26 years later my son owns it now, and that stuff looks as good now (perhaps not quite as shiny) as it did the day it went on. The 3M product has held up perfectly. If the job doesn't need to be 100% factory-correct, I would use the Schutz. Carmen's '64 Polara resto will get the same treatment.

 

[MoparMur]

Forgot to mention that I sprayed the tub underneath and inside, and painted everywhere also. I seam-sealed all the joints before the Schutz. When the Jeep was done (360 Plymouth motor added, 4 wheel discs, factory air, lift, etc.) I used it off-road extensively and beat on it hard. Always washed it properly, and that damn thing has never rusted since. Now my son babies it on the street, and it cleans up perfectly.

 

[barbee6043]

Forgot to mention that I sprayed the tub underneath and inside, and painted everywhere also. I seam-sealed all the joints before the Schutz. When the Jeep was done (360 Plymouth motor added, 4 wheel discs, factory air, lift, etc.) I used it off-road extensively and beat on it hard. Always washed it properly, and that damn thing has never rusted since. Now my son babies it on the street, and it cleans up perfectly.

I first saw BodySchultz back about !1987. I was just getting into the old Mopars and my second Mpar car I ran into was pretty decent AAR Cuda. I had a young guy that worked in the local small town body shop do the car in his garage after hours. He replace a qtr that had already been replace twie before!!!! He did the whole car perfect and heap too. He used that Body Schultz and it help up perfect for 6-7 years before I sold it. Been using the stuff ever since. I like it.
I am right now working on my first 50's car ,a 49 Dodge. I has undercoating inside and that stuff is like heck to get off except where it has a little surface rust underneath. That sucker is builtlike a tank!!!! If it does not just want to come off it can stay another 72 years!!!! ha

 

[blue69runner]

Been under my car putting the exhaust on. The bed liner is not scratchy at all. Not hard to light up under their either. It has a good clean look to it now and it has been on their for three year's. But not been on the road yet that will be the final test. What every you like is up the the owner of the car. Mine is not a show car for say. But the out side sheet metal work and paint is what I am showing off.