Bad Undercoating Job

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Taarman

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Nov 14, 2020
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I just went to get a service done for undercoating for my truck. Tell me if I'm wrong, but this looks like a pretty half assed job right?? I paid $690 for this by the way. I got it professionally done so that I could avoid doing it myself and making it look like this, not sure what went wrong.

So it's pretty reasonable to have them take it back and touch up all of those splotches right?


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Yes that’s pretty shitty, when I was a GM tech I got stuck doing all of the undercoating at our dealership. I wouldn’t drop the tank or anything underneath but I’d get the top of the frame pretty decent and above most stuff by just being careful, but I avoided shit like engine, trans and axles because they get hot and it cooked the stuff we used off plus it smelled fucking terrible when it was hot. Also pretty pointless to do the tank since they’ve been plastic for like 25 years now I also didn’t hit suspension components with the undercoat because it just didn’t look good I’d hit the with semi gloss black instead.
 
Okay I thought so, they didn't even do any prep work. They literally coated over some chunks of mud and didn't sand down some of the spots of rust that were flaking. I also noticed that the spare tire wasn't lowered to hit above it...there is just a straight cut off line where they couldn't get passed haha. Had taken out the fender liners too so it could be easier for them to get to the top of the frame, but they didn't even bother getting in there.



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Taarman said:
Mhm...yup....probably could have done a better job for less then half that price with spray cans really....
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I know there's some sort paint on coating you can get. Might be able to salvage the rest that way.
 
TheBrettster said:
I know there's some sort paint on coating you can get. Might be able to salvage the rest that way.
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I would feel more comfortable using some sort of paint on for sure, if there is one.
Think I'm going to try to get a a hold of them first and tell them I was charged for an incomplete job, just hope they will be understanding and go through it again properly this time. There is no reason that a body shop with access to a car lift and proper tools should have muffed it up so bad.

Otherwise I'm sure I could do a better touch up in the parking lot of my apartment haha.
 
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Taarman said:
I would feel more comfortable using some sort of paint on for sure, if there is one.
Think I'm going to try to get a a hold of them first and tell them I was charged for an incomplete job, just hope they will be understanding and go through it again properly this time. There is no reason that a body shop with access to a car lift and proper tools should have muffed it up so bad.

Otherwise I'm sure I could do a better touch up in the parking lot of my apartment haha.
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Duplicolor bedliner in a can is bomb. I did the rockers on my 04 and even with probably 1/4-1/3 of my driving on gravel(and fairly aggressively) with that truck with MT/Rs it held up for the few years I had it. Just hit it with 80 grit and where there was metal it got some self etching primer.
 
Tylers88 said:
Duplicolor bedliner in a can is bomb. I did the rockers on my 04 and even with probably 1/4-1/3 of my driving on gravel(and fairly aggressively) with that truck with MT/Rs it held up for the few years I had it. Just hit it with 80 grit and where there was metal it got some self etching primer.
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Is there any significant difference between using a bedliner rather then undercoating for the undercarriage?
 
Taarman said:
Is there any significant difference between using a bedliner rather then undercoating for the undercarriage?
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Only difference I’ve noticed is most under coats I’ve dealt with never really dry 100% but bedliners do. Bondo brand undercoat does totally dry, I just found that duplicolor stuff and always stuck with it
 
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Tylers88 said:
Only difference I’ve noticed is most under coats I’ve dealt with never really dry 100% but bedliners do. Bondo brand undercoat does totally dry, I just found that duplicolor stuff and always stuck with it
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You think it would have any adverse effects as far as bonding with the pre-existing undercoat already on there?
 
TheBrettster said:
I'd imagine yes it would. Probably best to strip the entire frame then do it.
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Well the people got back to me and this was their reply.

"We can get it on the Schedule for this Thursday for you. It is impossible to get the gun up in all the cracks and crevices underneath some vehicles. We will be able to touch up those areas."

I understand that maneuvering around there with a spray gun can get tricky, but I really don't think it is a valid excuse for not giving it a uniform coat on mostly everything. I'm going to send them that first video I posted for reference with my response, not really sure I can sugar coat it for them, that a pricey job like that should come with those expected results. I'm not just exaggerating right?
 
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Taarman said:
Well the people got back to me and this was their reply.

"We can get it on the Schedule for this Thursday for you. It is impossible to get the gun up in all the cracks and crevices underneath some vehicles. We will be able to touch up those areas."

I understand that maneuvering around there with a spray gun can get tricky, but I really don't think it is a valid excuse for not giving it a uniform coat on mostly everything. I'm going to send them that first video I posted for reference with my response, not really sure I can sugar coat it for them, that a pricey job like that should come with those expected results. I'm not just exaggerating right?
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They couldn't even drop the spare or ask you to. All those areas u displayed should be easily accessible if the truck was on a lift.
 
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TheBrettster said:
They couldn't even drop the spare or ask you to. All those areas u displayed should be easily accessible if the truck was on a lift.
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Mhm exactly, don't know why they are going to make that excuse, but I pretty much sent them these pictures and told them I want everything more "completed" and pointed out the lack of any prep work.
So I guess I'll see what kind of work they do on it this next time around and I will post pictures of how it turned out.
 
Taarman said:
You think it would have any adverse effects as far as bonding with the pre-existing undercoat already on there?
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If the factory undercoat on the frame is still the same as it was about 10 years ago the stuff just scrapes right off with a putty knife and what’s left wipes off with acetone on a rag
 
$690?


What product did they use to undercoat? We pay $150-$200 for a vehicle up here in Northern Canuckistan, but that's for proective films. Was this to make everything look black again under the vehicle?
 
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