Time to Acclimatise
It's common for us to see vehicles imported from Japan. These imports often have barely any original underseal since the climate in Japan is different to ours and they don't use salt on their roads. .
We are very excited to offer our underside restoration and rust proofing treatment to acclimatise imported vehicles to the British weather and protect them from our salty roads.
Underside RustRepairs
Sometimes under what appears to be surface rust lurks nasty surprises in form of pitting and holes. These can range from a couple of minor areas to huge sections of failed metal. We offer a complete solution no matter what the scenario is, from minor patches to panel fabrication or even new sills we've got it covered. '
Underside RustProofing
We have developed (over twelve years, starting from needing it on our own 60's classic) a complete longterm solution to keeping the underside in good condition and fight off the cancerous corrosion. We get the underside prepped back to good metal then apply our multi-layer RustOust treatment to the entire underside.
Cavity Wax Injection
Cavities are prime suspects for letting water, damp mud and silt build up. Any ladder chassis or chassis with cavity sections is prone to the problem and of course where the wet stuff accumulates, the metal quickly starts to corrode and rust away. We blow cavities clear then apply a thick filling of wax to combat it.
Be The Best Custodian
Our Motto
We don't see cars as disposable commodities to swap in every couple of years! We choose to get the maximum lifespan (and value for money) out of our vehicles. The underside of a vehicle is so often forgotten about and taken for granted yet more vehicles are scrapped due to structural corrosion than mechanical failures. Don't wait until the MOT Tester can make holes with his hammer, preventative maintenance is always cheaper!
We're proud of our workmanship and give a full 5yr guarantee.
What happens if you want to book in
An Overview of the RustOust Rust Treatment and Protection Process
1: Free Assessment
We like to start with a FREE initial assessment of the current condition of the underside. Just pop in during opening hours. We'll have a look, maybe poke around under there and then have a chat about what we find. From this we'll have a good idea whether the vehicle is likely to need RustRepairs and how long for booking an appointment.
2: Arrange Booking
Once we know whether we need to allow for potential repairs or extra preparation we can arrange a booking for you. We only do two treatments per week so sometimes there is a delay for availability. Bookings are usually 4 - 8 weeks in advance and we like vehicle to arrive on a Saturday or Monday with the intention of being ready at the end of the week.
3: Pre-Treatment Prep
The treatment is pointless unless the rust is removed first so we have a comprehensive preparation process to do. First all the trims, undertrays and wheels have to come off. Then we jetwash, steam clean with TFR, another jetwash, then air needling, sand blasting, air scraping, wire brushing etc to get down to good metal. How much dirt and surface rust dictates time.
4: Is there repairs?
The preparation process will soon expose any troublesome areas or holes. Repairs can generally be categorised as minor, major or needs fabrication or replacement panel sections! We will be in touch at this point to discuss our recommendations and the costs. We like to send pictures (via WhatsApp ideally) so you can see the problem areas and decide what you want to do.
5: Underside Protection
Once we have a good underside (repairs completed if necessary) we can apply the treatment. The idea is for the treatment to take the wear and tear in place of the car. We have developed a tried and tested multi-layer process that has been proven to last for a minimum of 5 years subject to an annual inspection. Click Here for more information.
6: Cavity Wax Injection
An important part of the process in vehicles with any sort of underside cavities. We blow through the cavities during the preparation ready to inject hot waxoyl or lanoguard into them using a special injection nozzle that gets inserted right along the cavity to treat throughout and leave lasting protection. This generally gets topped up at each annual inspection.
7: Bathtime & Hometime
Every vehicle gets a final quality control check. Then all the trims, undertrays and wheels have to be put back on before being washed and cleaned (even with the proteactive covers there is alway some minor overspray to remove) ready to come home. Pictures from the process are downloaded from the techcams and sent to you via WhatsApp for your records.
8: Warranty Paperwork
We prepare a paperwork pack for you consisting of your detailed invoice (and breakdown of hours and products used) which also details the date the first inspection will be due. Then theres the Certificate of Warranty confirming the warranty information, terms and rollover confirmation. Finally there's the service record sheets which we will stamp each year to confirm the inspection was done.
9: Annual Inspection
We need to see the vehicle once a year (usually in the anniversary month of the original treatment, although some prefer to move it to coincide with the MOT test date) as an essential part of the warranty. You can wait whilst we do the inspection and stamp the book. The inspection consists of us topping up the cavity injection and checking for damage (and repairing if so) to the treatment surface.
A few of Our Import Car Treatments
Some of our Previous Customer Vehicles
A few of Our Underside Rust Treatments
Corrosion Status Levels
Understanding the degrees of underside Corrosion & Contaminates
STAGE 1
Typically new or nearly new
Usually less than 1yr old
Minimal preparation required
Contaminates & dirt expected
No pitting, holes or repairs
Simple preventative treatment
STAGE 2
Usually less than 5yrs old
Surface rust & failed underseal
Minor pitting & small holes
Contaminates & dirt expected
Needs more preparation
Likely to need Minor Repairs
STAGE 3
Typically more than 5yrs old
Flaky loose patches of rust
Minor pitting & small holes
Major corrosion & bigger holes
Needs major preparation & repairs
May need fabrication or repair panels
Rough Pricing Guide
These are not fixed prices!
Majority of imports are Stage 1 at the point of arrival in the UK, leave it a year and they tend to be Stage 2, if they've been here more than two years the vehicle is highly likely to be Stage 3. Unfortunately if its been here more than five years without any protection, it may be extremely rotten.
Stage 1 Rust
All Inclusive of Labour & Products
- Takes 3-4 Days
- Fully Guaranteed
- 5yr Rolling Warranty
- Includes Preparation
- Includes RustProofing
- Includes Cavity Injection
Stage 2 Rust
All Inclusive of Labour & Products
- Takes 5-7 Days
- Fully Guaranteed
- 5yr Rolling Warranty
- Includes Extra Preparation
- Includes RustProofing
- Includes Cavity Injection
Stage 3 Rust
All Inclusive of Labour & Products
- Takes 7-14 Days
- Fully Guaranteed
- 5yr Rolling Warranty
- Includes Extra Preparation
- Includes Minor RustRepairs
- Includes RustProofing
- Includes Cavity Injection
Estimates, Quotations & What You Pay!
Important Things To Note About Pricing
We cannot offer fixed pricing for our rust treatments. This is because there are so many variables on this process. Understandably we need to be paid for any labour time spent on your vehicle and any products we use on your vehicle.
A guide price should in no way be considered as an estimate or quotation! Guide pricing is just that, a guide price based on the average bills for a percentage of previous jobs done. For anything more accurate you need to attend for the FREE Initial Assessment so we can see what we're dealing with.
At your FREE Initial Assessment we will likely give you either a more accurate GUIDE PRICE based on what we've seen under your car or a verbal ESTIMATE (written if preferred, just ask). An estimate is an approximate calculation of the expected price we can offer you the work anticipated for. This is not a fixed price and is subject to variations, however almost all work invoiced will match or be very close to the estimated price.
We cannot offer a QUOTATION (verbal or written) as quotations only apply to work that can have an agreed fixed price.
Why are there so many variables? Simply because until the preparation commences it is impossible to be certain that there isn't hidden stage 3 corrosion that hasn't been apparent during the visual assessment. What looks like flaky surface rust can be hiding a nightmare. Similarly although we are good at estimating the product quantities needed, there may be an extra litre or so needed.
Naturally, the more rust there is and the greater the repairs needed are, the higher the costs will be. We can stop the process at any point and you can decline further repairs, we will only bill the labour to that stage. Obviously once we start the preparation, any holes that appear can't be magically undone unfortunately. By booking in and leaving the car you accept that any holes mades during preparation are to be expected.
The all important "FROM" before the guide pricing references that this is the cheapest we have been able to provide the service. The bigger your vehicle, the more time and product required to treat it so expect a higher price if you have a van for example! The best way to get a price that's actually relevant to you and your vehicle is to pop in for the FREE assessment.
The RustOust Team Rustproofing Limited
Rust Proofing Warranty
5yr Warranty
Subject to an Annual Inspection we offer a 5yr Warranty as standard on our treatment. Warranty can be rolled on after 5yrs with continued Annual Inspections.
Certification
With your invoice you will receive a certificate of warranty confirming the guarantee on our workmanship and detailing the terms and conditions.
Service Book
Also provided with your invoice and certificate of warranty is the service book for us to stamp with each years inspection creating rustproofing service history.
Inspection
The idea is that the treatment takes the wear and tear in place of the cars underside. We need to inspect it each year to check for any damage and do any top ups.