In a message dated 1/3/07 2:24:57 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM writes:

> VW used some sort of undercoating material during manufacture, then
> painted over the top. Anyone _know_ what that was

seam sealer is sprayed on some areas of the underbody, if thats the rubbery
stuff your referring to.

ask for the kool patch  - tar, asphalt, same thing..
smear it on the underside of your van, and your van will rot out faster.

i live in the salt belt.  they used to have places here that specialized in
undercoating cars.. Ziebart was one..   they all went out of business..
people discovered cars that were undercoated after they had been on the road for a
few years rot out faster than those that havent been aftermarket undercoated..

you spray on undercoating on a car thats been on the road for 15+ years, you
will never have a virgin surface for the undercoating to stick to... you spray
it over dirt, grease, 15+ years of road grime..  since it doesnt adhere to
that, it creates pockets behind the undercoating that trap dirt, water and
salt..

how do i know this?  from experience.. i did the same thing.. to a van about
10 yrs ago.. before i junked it, i poked around on all the rust holes, the
undercoating came off in layers with dirt trapped under it...

some of the most solid vehicles i've seen are ones that have never been
undercoated..with factory paint still in the wheelwells..

chris