oh...just one more thing...

My solution is to keep up the regular dirt road trips. Then it is always blasted clean and no rust!!!

Hi 222 (Geo),

While it is clean I would coat it with something so that it does not rust before the next outing.

There is a product I use for the underside of the guards on the cruiser. It is called Gravitex or something like it and I get it from the local paint shop who also service the local panelbeaters. It comes in 3 colours as I recall, they are, black white and grey.

It is a stone guard type product and resists stone abrasion pretty well. I live on a dirt road and encounter the problem you describe all the time.

Hope that is of some help,
Cheers, Bruce.

hi geo
cold galvinizing paint is not cheap but a good product that will withstand abraisive road gritcomes in a spray pack or tin for brushing it on
cheers

Thanks for the replies - I'll get it coated forthwith...

Geo

Geo - It depends on how durable a finish you're prepared to pay for. You can get epoxy coatings that will resist virtually anything, but they run to about $100 litre or more.
I'd suggest that you visit a Protec agent or examine the Protec catalogue, to see what might suit your budget and aims.

The Protec Barrier EP-488 is highly recommended as a complete solution, but it may be too expensive for you.
You may find some other 2 pack epoxy polyurethane paint is adequate for what you want.
Go through the Protec catalogue until you find the "Barrier - Heavy Duty" heading.

Many years ago, I painted a Mack truck chassis with a 2-pack polyurethane paint from Croda Paints, and it was the most durable painted coating I've encountered in my life, apart from the specialised epoxy/ceramic coatings.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=protec%20488%20barrier&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CGcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.protec.com.au%2Fsecure%2Fdownloadfile.asp%3Ffileid%3D1002559&ei=1bnRT57eEoPmmAWp-dW-Dw&usg=AFQjCNGZm-5qU3c2ayrfiwIMN5IAJZooww

Cheers - Ron.

222
Wanna see our Trak Shak

She had been towed over heaps of deserts, and outback Roads, and is roughed up a little.
I thought about a total refresh and painting her all over, before we did the Canning, and the Kimberley, but then thought to myself, just get everything right,
(ie.. suspension, and seals ect) rather than make it look pretty, only to knock it about during our trip.

I cleaned up the chassis once we got home, but it is again sandblasted, from another 2 trips outback, since.

If you are really worried, then sicaflex on some alinimium checkerplate, the the vulnerable points, otherwise just clean it up and spray on some clear coat, and that may slow down the sandblasting effect, but it will never stop it.
Cheers
Bucky