Rust proofing a Delica - necessity?

[snelson]

Evening guys, I'm getting ready for the white stuff to hit the roads - snow and salt! I'm just wondering who if anyone has had their Delica rust proofed? Is it a 'must have'? I've never had it done to any of my vehicles before, but being as old as these gems are, I wondered if I should get it done?

Thanks for any thoughts/experience....
Steve

[mararmeisto]

Evening guys, I'm getting ready for the white stuff to hit the roads - snow and salt! I'm just wondering who if anyone has had their Delica rust proofed? Is it a 'must have'? I've never had it done to any of my vehicles before, but being as old as these gems are, I wondered if I should get it done?

Thanks for any thoughts/experience....
Steve

You live in Calgary and don't rust proof your vehicles?

[snelson]

Nope - I've always been foolish in the past an bought band new vehicles.....

[konadog]

Rust-proof? Oh yeah, did the wax spray in the doors and seams and crevases and then had her undercoated. I also do regular undercarrage washings year round, but esp. when the roads are salty. Sure wish there was a better way to melt ice

[JMK]

I've read that electronic rustproofing is a scam. But the annual spray at KROWN may have its merits. Now that you've brought it up, you've got me considering it.

The Calgary KROWN franchise is Airways Brake & Muffler. They are at 1936-30th Ave. N. E. Calgary, AB T2E 7B2 (403) 291-1951

The question is what will they charge for a Deli? They list the price for a minivan at $120.00. They list a full size van at $140.00.

Anyway, as you live in Calgary and I'm in Banff, I hope you'll be the Guinea Pig and let me know how it goes!

I found the following comments here.

Here is a history of Krown.

The idea was invented by a Canadian airline pilot who flew for TWA. He made a deal with TWA to spray all their transatlantic aircraft due to ocean salt. The company he formed was Lear Chemical. This pilot also happened to have a summer place at Shallow Lake just north of Owen Sound. Consequently, the first RUST CHECK was started outside Shallow Lake attached to a local autobody. Soon after, this pilot realized he did not have the time to run a retail franchise operation so he sold the operation to a bunch of guys that turned out to be dead beats. However, the deal was they were to use the chemical spray from Lear.

After years of a few planned bankruptcies by the Rust Check dead beats and watering down of the chemical and a very long litigation, all the Rust Check dealers were released from their non competition clauses and Krown was formed as a co-operative.

Now it is not a perfect world and Krown dealers differ so beware, however the two sprays they use are vastly superior to those of Rust Check. As for the Krown dealer at Markham and Eglinton, if they are the old Polish or Ukrainian couple from Leaside that have the shop tucked away at the back of a plaza on the southeast corner, they are the original Rust Check people of the entire GTA and are beyond excellent.

The Krown people in Owen Sound are the original Rust Check ppl period. That's where I get my vehicles done. The Army gets all their vehicles done there as well from the ultra modern Army base outside of Owen Sound that occupies 20 miles of prime Georgian Bay water front and that was stolen from the locals in 1942.

Krown applications are more like $135.00 I believe plus tax. If I was in the GTA I'd get it done every 2 years.

Krown is best applied in summer as heat allows the chemical to creep faster/further. June is a good month because the dealers are dead at this time. Bad time is fall, anytime from Sept. 1 to X-mas is very busy and obviously the opportunity to spend more time on each car is not there.

For the 99% of you ppl that never see the undersides of your car and the massive and complex wiring connectors and harnesses, particularly with automatics, together with brake lines and fuel lines, it might be hard to rationalize this service. However, any mechanic can tell a Krown car and to a lessor extent a Rust Check car when it is lifted up in the air. Everything is in such better condition namely the electrical connectors and the steel hydraulic lines regardless were the car has been driven.

Civics do not have galvanized steels fenders or inner fenders and are most in need of this service regardless were they are operated. Porsche are all galvanized.

Owner's who actually do the spraying have the best service. Krown shops are like Midas; some good some not.

The drilling of holes is a complete non issue.

Remove your trunk liner yourself before you go. Chances are you will get a better application.

Tell the Krown shop to load up your trunk lid. Some don't because ppl complain that it's too messy.

[snelson]

Thanks for the great reply JMK.

Mind if I ask what you do there in Banff?
I was just there today. I had an interview with the Town of Banff this morning - crossing my fingers it works out.
I was checking out houses in Canmore on the way back and passed a blue/silver Deli up on Wilson Way....

Thanks again for the detailed rust prof reply! I should mention that what I meant by rustproofing is actually undercoating - I didn't realise they are two different processes, but I plan on getting both done. I'll post back with results for sure.

Steve

[Erebus]

You live in Calgary and don't rust proof your vehicles?

You live in Calgary and bother?!?! I've lived in the east. Calgary uses about as much salt on all roads all winter as Montreal or Ottawa use on one street in one week.

The hazard in Calgary is wiping out on the ice and crashing into things.

[JMK]

Hi Steve,

I work for Parks Canada. Normally I am assigned to the Protection Operations Branch in the Banff District East Field Unit, but at the moment I'm filling in for a guy in the LLYK (Lake Louise-Yoho-Kootenay) Field Unit until Nov 21. I'm on the highway a lot every day, and I've seen a number of Delica's lately, including one a few minutes ago on my way home.

Are you going to try that spray treatment in the NE? If so, I'd be very interested as now you've got me thinking about it, whereas it hadn't really been on my radar before. What kind of got me thinking was when I read that one of the benefits of doing it was most of your cables and underside bolts, etc., were much less prone to seizing up, etc. For those of us take vacations 'under our Delicas' instead of 'down under', that sounds like it is worth it alone.

Good luck with the TOB job. Maybe I know the position as we work closely with a number of the TOB departments, PM me with more info if you like.

[snelson]

Hey JMK - well I was successful with the TOB job, so looks like there'll be one more Delica prowling the streets of Banff/Canmore next month!
Set the wheels in motion to get the block heater install done, haven't had time yet to look further into the undercoating/rustproofing at that place here in cowtown, but will keep you posted.
See you around town
Steve

[JMK]

OMG, that's too many Delica's for Banff, now I'll have to buy an Isuzu Bighorn to be unique!

Actually it's not my daily driver so mine is not seen very often, but they have sure been around. A few weeks ago we were packing our Delica to go to the Icefields and another Delica identical to mine comes up my street, the driver makes a U turn when he sees me. I think he turned 'cause he saw my Deli, but in fact he had not even noticed it, he only pulled over to ask me how to find a Subway sandwich shop (it was Pavel who posts in this forum the odd time). Just then my significant other comes out of the house and see what she thinks is our Delica now out on the street, magically somehow getting out of the driveway that was still blocked by her vehicle, full of strangers, and that the woman in the passenger seat is very good looking. Wondering what the hell I'm up to, muttering about the strange things that happen when I'm left unsupervised, she mounts a search and rescue mission around the side of the house to see our own Delica still parked there. That was quite an interesting event.

Then last week I'm going down Banff ave in the Deli and I pull up at a red light right beside an Exceed from B.C. Two young guys in it looking peacefully ahead. For about a good minute I'm sitting there looking at them and finally the passenger looks over at me and gives me the thumbs up. Then the light turned green and we left the intersection in a Double Deli dousing of black smoke.

Anyway congrat's on the job, get in touch when you arrive and we'll get together. What are you going to be doing? BTW, that will now be 4 Deli's in Banff.

[Erebus]

Hijack alert! Don't forget about the Deli meet in Cochrane (not Canmore) on the 16th of November. Hope to see you both there.

[JMK]

I had the KROWN treatment done in Calgary on Wednesday at Airways Brake and Muffler. While I haven't crawled under it yet to see the results, and I didn't stick around to watch them, at this point I can say that I was happy with my dealings with them. When I returned the owner asked me some encouraging questions about trying to access some areas he had been trying to get at. The bill was $120.00.

[jessef]

Just a head's up you guys.

These frames are prone to rusting. Big time.

Montero's are rust buckets unless you're on top of them.

They pop out of the same factory/line as (Japan/NA) (Delica/Vanwagon and Pajero/Montero).

Winter's here. Rust proof them !

Best bet is oil/wax sprayed in all nooks and crannies.

[miked]

hey there.

I as well just got the KROWN treatment on my 92 Delica that I got in August. It was 130 bucks, and they washed teh car for me. I am in Toronto, so the amount of salt used in the roads scared me a bit. Its worth the money if you ask me.

As an aside, the gentleman informed me that it is usually best to get the treatment done in the warmer weather, August or September. Apparently it adheres better.


All the best!

[JMK]

Argh, just my luck, I did it on the coldest day of the week. Next year I'll do it in Sept.