The sticker on the door jam tells everything.

[mmagic]

This should be a great car and great buy at $3,200 based strictly on that Ziebart sticker on the door jam. If you are not familiar with this product it is about the consistency of bees wax and is sprayed into every conceivable body cavity. I had one car done with it and not only did it permanently mitigate rust issues but it also took care of quiet and any hidden weld squeaks. It is entirely different from a dealer bump the price underside coating.

The fact that the original owner invested in this tells something about him and the way he took care of it. If my stable wasn't full I'd be be all over the buy it now price sight unseen.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Studebaker-Commander-Base-1966-Studebaker-Commander-Base-3-2L-/190882225430?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c71779d16&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1182

[JoeHall]

This should be a great car and great buy at $3,200 based strictly on that Ziebart sticker on the door jam. If you are not familiar with this product it is about the consistency of bees wax and is sprayed into every conceivable body cavity. I had one car done with it and not only did it permanently mitigate rust issues but it also took care of quiet and any hidden weld squeaks. It is entirely different from a dealer bump the price underside coating.

The fact that the original owner invested in this tells something about him and the way he took care of it. If my stable wasn't full I'd be be all over the buy it now price sight unseen.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Studebaker-Commander-Base-1966-Studebaker-Commander-Base-3-2L-/190882225430?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c71779d16&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1182

It tells me something different. In 1978, while living in Syracuse, NY I bought a new 1978 AMC. All my local friends highly recommended Ziebart, and said without it the car would be pile of rust in a few short years. So I took their advice, and Ziebart guaranteed it would not rust from the INSIDE out, but would not guarantee from the outside in. It held up pretty good, except they did not coat things like suspension components. I sold it in 1985 while living in California. There, it would never have passed for a "west coast car", since even to change shocks would have been an all day job and probably require a cutting torch.

So, this car's Ziebart sticker tells me it has been in a geo-location where rust is a major problem. Also, better look closely at the underside mechanicals.

[skyway]

Yup, had my Mom's than brand new '78 Volare Z-Barted.
Apparently they closed up a bunch of drain holes or something, and it rusted pretty well, albiet HIGH on the bad panels.

[studegary]

I remember seeing many well rusted cars with Ziebart ID on them. Like with any rustproofing system, much is up to the person applying it. One dealership where I worked, the quality of the job depended on how much the applier liked you and/or how much you tipped him. I used to do my own cars (not while I worked there).

[52hawk]

I've cut quarter panels and door skins off of cars with Zeibart,and comparable products. On many of them you will see a squirt of product across the inside of a body panel,with absolutely NONE of the product reaching rust prone areas. [Wheel well pinch welds,door skin pinch welds across bottom,for example] It probably depends completely on how the tech handles his WAND!! Any car will rust wherever there is a seem,or overlap of sheetmetal,and it is virtually impossible to get any thing into some of those areas.

[Blue 15G]

I agree with the replies to the original post. Ziebart rustproofing was commonly used in the Pittsburgh area back in the day, and although it was a help it didn't make the car totally "rustproof."

My dad bought a new '79 Dodge pickup and got "Hercules" rustproofing on it. Their guarantee, unlike Ziebart, was that they would repair the vehicle if it rusted out. Sounds good, except it was too good a deal for the customer and Hercules Rustproofing soon went the way of the dodo bird. We still have the truck and it looks very good, but I think that's because it only has 50,000 miles on it and it wasn't used much in the winter, not because of the Hercules rustproofing.

Dave Bonn
'54 Champion Starliner.

[warrlaw1]

I use "OIL Tech" which is similar to Zeibart. My cars have held up well, but I put the full treatment on once a year (and more often if I get hit or have body work done). My 22 year old Acura gets the most abuse. The 55 Stude has the inner fender kits as well as the rustproofing, so I haven't seen any rust flares yet.

[mmagic]

Obviously some others have had different experiences with Ziebart than me. It is a franchise so some difference in result would relate to policing of the franchises. I know my drain holes were clear because I checked them and the Ziebart bottom side was good. Definitely no rust from the inside out.

[showbizkid]

Regardless of the Ziebart, the condition of the seats and dash make me think "Winner!"

[sweetolbob]

This should be a great car and great buy at $3,200 based strictly on that Ziebart sticker on the door jam. If you are not familiar with this product it is about the consistency of bees wax and is sprayed into every conceivable body cavity. I had one car done with it and not only did it permanently mitigate rust issues but it also took care of quiet and any hidden weld squeaks. It is entirely different from a dealer bump the price underside coating.

There was a local independent undercoating shop in Midland, Mi called Henderson Bros. that used exactly the compound that you are describing. They'd spray every place they could see and and open up areas that you couldn't see. I had several cars done by the as i tend to keep my cars for quite a number of years. I never had one rust from the inside nor did I ever hear of some one that did with this system. They made a good living because the product worked and was less than a dealer applied undercoat. They're on to other things now though, that business just isn't what it used to be with the OEM guarantees.

The major downside of this coating was it leaked all over the place for a day or two, you had to park on a tarp or cardboard. It never truly hardened but became stiff, waxy coating as previously described. Excellent stuff.

Bob

[warrlaw1]

LOL. Exactly, Bob. Never had my cars done on a hot day. Wait for the cool weather and park on gravel for a day or two. It hardens up like wax and then it's easier to work on your car without getting covered. I waited until AFTER my dual exhaust was installed before the yearly spray. Thought I'd save the installer some grief (and a couple cans of hand cleaner).

[mmagic]

Wish I had a set of those long spray gun extensions arms they used. I'd be coating every crevasse and cavity on this rebuild!

[jnormanh]

What flavor is the door jam? Grape?.....Sorry, I couldn't resist.