A question for the ages. I’ve got an entire truck that needs rust prevention, so what best to use? I watched a friend use Eastwood products on his Sprite (English sportscars of the 60’s rival US vehicles of the 70’s for their ability to spontaneously dissolve), and thought they worked pretty well. After some basic research, my original thought was to use Encapsulator in an aerosol can, but as I dug into the online materials a little more, I came to understand that Converter was better suited to my needs. Converter is a two-part acidic paint that converts rust to an inert oxide, while Encapsulator seals rust off and keeps it from spreading. Yes, I need to seal it off, but Eastwood says Converter is better for heavy rust, which is what I’ve got. Then, as I hovered over the Add To Cart button, I saw that they offer a quart bottle for only $6 more than a 12oz. aerosol can. Such a bargain!
Encapsulate or Convert?
Posted on | | Posted in Purchasing, Repairs
Mike Carey says:
to the extent that you can just cut the rust out and have a crack at welding in new metal – i hate to say it but that is probably the best long-term solution. i know in mine if it werent for the carpet, the seats would have fallen through the floor. i think all the rust molecules were holding hands. i think the biggest negative with “treating” rust is that the strength really is gone. i did something like the converter in my VW Squareback – i dont think there was much tensile strength left to the sheet metal. the metal was hard, but brittle. i would be suspicious of it in the floor where anchor bolts were, etc.
bill says:
Mike–
Cutting out and replacing is definitely in the long-term plan for this Scout. For right now, I just need to stop it in its tracks as much as possible, until I can get my dream garage built and set up with the right tools. Most of what I’m converting is surface rust anyhow–the exception being some rust under the cowl that I can’t reach from the top.