I am in the process of purchasing a Fit, but will need to park it outside due to no garage space. What are your thoughts about getting it undercoated and paint protected by a place like Ziebart to ensure it won't rust? I'm concerned that the elements won't be a good fit for my Fit.

 

I'm not a northerner so I don't know for a fact. But typically they are a waste. Proper maintenance goes much further.

IMO, get a waterless car wash and go to a car wash that offers a under-car spray.

 

dont waste your money. just keep it washed as much as you can. do
under carriage wash.

my FitS's is my dd, outdoors 24/7. i try to get the road salt and crap
washed as much as possible, weather permitting (meaning, above 20F).
i run it through a touchless wash and get the undercarriage service.

all in all, all the factory bits look good, some surface rust, but no biggie.
it's the aftermarket bits that get corroded REAL FAST.

 

A good coat of wax around all of your door seals and jams goes a LONG way.

 

+1 ^^^ Wax

 

+1 wax...got mine in sept. and must have waxed her 30 times since... i am now particularly fond of the new Tech Wax 2.0.... it creates a ridiculous shine and says it will repel water for 6-9 months (i have had mine on for a month now and am repelling water far better than turtle wax) as for undercariage... i just washed mine as often as possible...

 

if you want long durable protectant for your paint, you should get a sealant, not a wax.

try the griot's sealant. they shine like crazy and will last a very long time... advertised 1yr.


but it's not the finish that im really worried about... it's rust.

 

have to agree with above posters on maintenence.

besides the paint issues i had with my bumpers peeling and now needing another repaint to fix the FIRST repaint, my paint overall is still looking pretty good, and this is my 2nd winter with my fit. i keep it washed and waxed and there ya go

 

Wash weekly and wax quarterly. Once a month add can of alcohol free injector cleanewr to full tank.
Check Consumer Reports some years ago for testing exactly your question.

 

I got the undercoat only in the hopes of it deadening the road noise a bit :P

newer cars don't rust so easily as long as you keep them clean.

I've got so many rock chips and scratches I'm thinking of just using touchup paint as best I can with a bit of scratchx and polish/wax.. then when it really needs it then get a repaint... or maybe see if there are any services that can get rid of just rock chips cheaply.

if it's a daily driver don't fret over the appearance too much, like trying to keep it scratch/chip/scuff free.. it'll drive you crazy.

 

Wax won't stop your car from rusting through. It's a great product for protecting paint. BTW, the paint on the outside of a car does a fine job of protecting the outside sheetmetal from rusting without EVER being waxed. Cars that rust through generally rust from the inside out. Meaning that the crappy coating on places you can't see (never a high gloss finish that is found on the sheet metal you see) rusts first. These areas are where water is trapped from trunk and door seals. They are designed to drain but over time (espeically when left outside) the drains get clogged with crap from trees, etc and start holding water.

The best way to avoid this is to park inside. That's all there is to it. Ziebart uses a process and chemical that coats these areas that aren't so finished from the factory. But if left outside, you're still going to have the problem with the drains getting gunked up and have water standing where you don't want it to. This is particularly bad where they use salt and you get a nice spray of salt water in these areas with no where for it to go. The Ziebart process will slow this down, and they do offer some sort of rust through warranty. How they stand by that warranty I don't know, but it may be worth looking into if you plan on keeping the car for very long.

The good news is that cars have come a long way and typically the drainage is much better and galvenized sheet metal is more rust resistant and used much more than in past years. If you plan on keepnig the car for only 5 or 6 years you'll probably be fine even parking it outside.

Wax to your heart's content, but you're only making it look pretty.

 

If you decide to go ahead with rust protection....

I had my last vehicle sprayed inside each panel with plugs etc. with Crown Rustproofing for about $150 a year. After investing $750, I noticed I had rust showing at the bottom inside of a door, they told me that no SEAMED areas are covered.

Essentially all that was covered was a random rust through in the middle of a door/panel etc. Not very likely.

I think it helps retard the process but it doesn't pay the cost of repair if you end up with rust.

Here, they throw down salt after 3 snowflakes! Geesh!
I pass a $1 spray wash on the way to work and visit it a lot!

 

Most rust proofing programs are a waste of cash.
I refused all undercoating and rustproofing when I bought my Fit.
And I worked at dealerships for many years, I know the deal.....

 

I always get my cars rustproofed. My main reason living in Buffalo NY with salted roads is that the brake lines and fuel lines under your car are bare steel. Takes about 5 to 6 years and those steel lines rust through if they arent covered by rustproofing. Then you have a nasty bill to fix those lines. Way more than the cost of the rustproofing. I generaly keep my cars for 10 years and if rustproofed the lines will last. If not 5 to 6 years and they blow.
Used to work at the chevy dealer as a tech but dont bother asking a tech at a dealer as when i worked at the dealer i never worked on old cars. Mostly new stuff or just 2 or 3 years old. After that most people stop using the dealership and go to places like goodyear since there cheaper. So techs at a dealership never see that kind of work much if ever. I do still do repairs at home on the weekend and i see alot of rusted out brake and fuel lines even though the overall car looks fine.

 

Every dealer I have worked for doesn't recommend undercoating. They said that if you get any tears in the coating it will hold water or anything else in that tear which will causing rusting. Also I don't understand the previous post of coating your lines to keep them from rusting. Because when a line is installed from the factory the person undercoating it doesn't unhook it to spray all sides of it. So you have one side of it towards the body of the car not getting undercoated. And the lines under your car isn't bare steel or they would never last. They do have some sealent on them or else when they were getting installed they would rust from the installer touching them.

 

One other thought for driving your FIT in winter - invest in a block heater. Much easier to start the car on a cold day and it warms up much quicker. Saves gas too. I think they go for about $50 US.

 

x2 and don't bother with a battery blanket because it a waste of money. when u use a block heater and u get in ur car to start it in the morning u have instant heat.

 

The lines are heavy gauge steel so they do last unprotected for about 5 years or so. Jack up your car and take a look yourself, maybe the Fit lines are painted MY 2001 CRV lines werent.
Rustproofing GREATLY helps in stoping the steel lines from rusting. This is from years of experince working on cars and living in Buffalo. I have seen it dozens of times. The steel brake and fuel lines arent covered with anything. There not painted or covered with anything that i can see.Of course there might be some cars that come with them being painted or covered with something but i have never seen any. I used to work at the chevy dealer as a tech(15 years) and new cars had no apparent coating on the steel lines. Now its true the lines wont be perfectly sealed with rustproofing but Ziebart covers them up very well were the life of the steel lines is greatly increased. Believe me or not, just my 2 cents worth.