Whered you see that about water in the trans fluid? Ive never heard of that. As far as I can see it looks great, should be pinkish. Wish mine looked like that.

 

I just looked it up on google, heres one such article: https://cartreatments.com/transmission-fluid-color/

And another here: https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/...mission-fluid/

I hope im wrong about this, thats a repair ive been dreading but if it has to be done then so be it.

 

So I had someone from a different transmission place call me back and tell me its supposed to be that color. so I dont know. I dont notice any issues with it so i'll get it looked at but i'll forget it for now.

 

So the last thing I want to ask here, has anyone used Seafoam Trans Tune in their Transmission and/or Seafoam in the gas tank/crank case? I want to take care of my car, I put a lot of money into it and I need to protect my investment, so I wanted to buy some stuff to keep the machinery working in good order and maker it last a slong as i can. Ive heard that seafoam is good, I wasnt sure between that and Lucas. Ive never used anything before so I dont know. I plan to use the high mileage in my crank case at least once a year to burn off carbon and help free gunk from the engine, ive had the intake manifold gasket and the timing belt cover gasket both replaced so I dont think any gunk getting free with cause an issue.

 

So as an update. I decided that I am going to do the rust removal myself. I will thoroughly scrape all the rust off the undercarriage off with an orbital sander and a dremel and then prime it, paint it and maybe clear coat it, then get it professionally undercoated. I had a question though, is there anything under the car, other than the exhaust piping that I cant get paint on? is it ok to get paint on the suspension assembly? I will be very careful where im painting of course, but I just want to know just in case. I also might paint those a different color, just so they aren't bare metal. I assume it would be ok to just spray it all down since it gets wet and dirty under there and that doesnt affect it, I mean cars are made to get wet on the underside, but im not 100% sure so I thought I would ask.

I may also do the undercoating myself, but i'm not sure. I would just buy a bunch of these and spray it:
I'm also thinking of buying a spray paint gun and just spraying the underside with that once i get all the rust off. I know its going to take a long time to do but im willing to put the work into it as long as I know what to do.

I was thinking of fixing and respraying the body of the car, but i think i will leave that to a bodyshop, that may be outside my ability, although I watch this youtuber and it made it seem possible to paint a car with rattle cans:
But if i'm going to spray it with that 3M stuff, do I even need to paint it at all? or is it a good idea to add that extra layer of paint and clearcoat to protect it?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

 

So, just my take. DO NOT use rubberized undercoating. That can potentially absorb and hold moisture. I would want an undercoating much like what GM put in the wheel wells (it is rough in texture, nothing absorbs into it). Working with a Dremel for body work is not all it's cracked up to be. I would wire wheel the loose debris and I believe mentioned earlier, use the POR15 system. That is some serious stuff! Done right, that would pretty much be your undercoating. Clear the debris, use there metal prep spray, and since it is the underside, I would brush on the POR15. It will make a strong shield. It will only re-rust if something was not coated completely.

 

Ahh, ok, yeah i'm glad I asked. I'll have to get an angle grinder and get an underbody wash before I start working. I could use the dremel for lighter harder to reach spots that i cant get to with the angle grinder. So I wouldnt paint the bottom at all? just grind all the paint and rust off and use the POR15?

Also, which POR15 stuff would you recommend for doing the entire underbody? I see they have a ton of different products. Paint cans, sprays, top coats, metal preps, smaller kits. Maybe this?


and just get a sprayer and spray it on?

 

My experience, wire wheels and how aggressive/abrasive they are varies depending on the tool. Brass wire wheels are softer than steel. A grinder with a brass wheel is pretty aggressive (I doubt you will need a steel wheel with a grinder). A dremel with a brass wheel I find next to worthless. For a dremel, I would use steel wheels, but honestly, a dremel with even a steel wire wheel is going to be worthless for under body rust and paint removal. Because the wires on a dremel wheel are thinner than any of the other two tools (they end up being "soft" and not stiff enough to really do anything). I personally feel the dremel is going to be close to worthless (even if you use a grinding stone, as there is nothing you really want to grind). But, if you decide to use a dremel, look at a company called WidgetSupply.com for supplies (great prices).

I would use a brass wheels with a grinder. Brass and steel wheels with a drill. You can also get wire wheels of different styles (such as ones that are "cup" wheels). You can also get different types of nylon wheels as well. And something like this can also be helpful:
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-in-s...-pc-60753.html

If you are using the POR15 system (which POR stands for Paint On Rust), you don't have to strip everything to bare metal (but bare metal is preferred). The big goal is remove loose debris, peeling paint and scale from the metal. Admittedly, the cleaner you get the metal, the less likely you are to have problems return. Once the metal is cleaned up, do NOT prime, paint or apply anything to it that is not part of prepping for POR15. The link you sent is the material I am talking about (plain, ordinary black). You also need their metal prep, this stuff:

The main reason to top coat it is to protect from UV that can cause it to discolor. And honestly, you can top coat with any spray paint.

How much you need, I am not sure. Odds are if you do the entire underside, you might go through a full gallon or more. Brushing it on will use more material than spraying it. But, brushing it for an undercoat I think will make for better results.

If you are doing the underside of the car, surfaces that will never be seen unless the car is on a lift being serviced, I would brush the POR15 on (no need for their thinner, just brush right out of the can, on to the prepped metal). Now, some things about POR15 I am aware of:
1. - WEAR GLOVES! They do NOT joke, if you get it on your skin, NOTHING will take it off. I tried hand cleaners galore and even acetone and paint thinner. No luck, it is on their under time allows it to come off. And if you are working under the car, protect your face and eyes.
2. - It can make some crazy metal-to-metal bonds, even re-sealing the lid to the can. When re-sealing the can, put a double layer of plastic wrap between the lid and the can.
3. - Let's say you bought too much POR15 and you want to save it. JARS! Get jars, baby food jars can be nice. Pour the POR15 15 paint into those jars. Double layer plastic wrap between the jar and the lid. You should now have POR15 product saved for a future use. Sometimes it will form a thick skin at the top of the jar and you might have to poke through the skin with a screw driver. Ultimately, try to buy what you need. Saving it in jars is not a guarantee, but has proven better than saving it in the can.

No matter what you do, prep is usually the most critical. But keep in mind, you will never get into certain seams and crevices because it's just how the car is built, so you can only do so much.

Once you apply POR15, I am not sure you need to worry about any other coating. But keep in mind, things like the rocker panels rot from the inside out most of the time. Unless you can find a way to prep and coat the inside of the rocker panel, you are limited to some degree.

The Monte Carlo is known as a "W-Body" or "W Platform" car. This is also shared with the Century, Regal, Grand Prix and Impala. All of these cars are known for rocker panels rotting out. There panels are a little different, but same basic issues. Here is a guy who went through extremes to fix his rocker panels:
https://www.autobody101.com/forums/v...ic.php?t=13467

That hopefully gives some good visuals. Again, you are talking about a big investment into your Monte. That being said, I would seriously consider finding a different car to use as a daily driver and even with any undercoating or body repair, avoid putting it through continued winter weather.

 

Thank you for the long and detailed response, yes I will be doing the entire underbody of the car, and every single little nook and cranny i can find. I know I cant get every spot but I will certainly get every one I can. I will go to home depot and get a nice new drill and some wire wheels and and orbital sander. I will definitely be using the POR15 system for sure now. Im actually glad I don't need to paint the underbody first before applying the POR15, that just saves me a ton time and $1,288 for the paint.

I am really curious to see what's under those rocker panel moldings though, I know I should take them off, but if there's a problem there, i need to know about tit. I can honestly just have a body shop cut out the rust on the rockers and weld new metal there, then i can cover it up with por 15, but it wont need to look good since the rocker moldings will cover it up anyways. I was thinking of getting a borescope and shoving it between a gap in the plastic to see what's going on in there. By the way, how do I remove those clips on the plastic? no matter which way I push them they dont budge. I have some replacement clips here in case they break but idk if they are the right ones so I will order correct ones before attempting removal, if i even attempt it at all. I think the borescope idea is better.

I know its a lot of work but im willing to put the time and effort and money into it. They're beautiful cars and they are really nice to drive. Plus its my dream car, and the sentimental value is there, and its a nice learning experience too, so I dont mind putting time and money into it. I eventually want to learn how to change my entire suspension system by myself, it doesnt seem too hard, most of it is just bolt on, except for wheel bearings which need to be pressed in.

I noticed machined holes in the frame, is there anything i can spray into those to keep them from rusting? or anything i can cover them up with?

Also, here is a list of all the things that have been done to it since I have owned it, the stuff closer to the top is newest:

Left Front Wheel Bearing

Wheel Speed sensor wire harness

Right Rear Wheel Bearing

Oil Filter Replacement

Right Front Control Arm

Right Front Bushing

Four Wheel Alignment

2 Rear Stabilizer Bars

Evap Vent Valve

Wiper Washer

2 Wiper Arms

6 Spark Plugs

6 Engine Ignition Coils

Ignition Wires

Intake Manifold Gasket

Thermostat

Fuel Injection System Cleaning

Transmission Lines

Fuel Filter

Timing Cover Gasket

Coolant Resevior Tank

Water Pump

Serpentine Belt

Interstate Brand Battery

Left Front Control Arm

Four Wheel Alignment

Rear Right Brake Pad

Left Rear Wheel Bearing

Strut Replacement

Front Tires

New Rear Rotors

Ignition switch tumblers rebuilt

The mechanic that works on my car at the Belle Tire I take it to is a Monte Carlo enthusiast himself, and he has a blue 2004 SS which I thought was cool, since I know that if i need something fixed, he knows those cars pretty well.

 

I only had the rockers off my monte once. Sadly, I don't know the removal process well enough to explain it. I know one of the items needed is a release tool (kinda like a thin Y shaped fork, you wedge it in between the ground fx and the door sill).

There is plenty of EASY stuff to do with these cars. As for the wheel bearings, they are part of an entire hub assembly. Plenty of YouTube videos explaining this and I find them easy (takes me about an hour per).

Learning the difference in "good for maintenance" (as in I know the odds of the life span of a part and if it will leave me in danger or stranded if it fails) vs "does it really need done" is a learn by experience. I say that because I looked at that list you posted.
- Why the ignition coils (there are only 3, not 6)? I find these SUPER reliable and don't degrade in a way other parts do. This is not the old cap and rotor distributor. GM has used these same coils for YEARS (early 90's) and extremely reliable. Many cars go to the junk yard with over 200K miles and still the factory coils.
- Ignition switch tumblers rebuilt - Why? I have never heard of such a thing. These rarely fail and usually if they do it is something odd with the Passlock chip on the ignition cylinder.
- Why the wiper arms? Did someone damage them?

Much of the rest of your list, without knowing the car, no way to truly know if the stuff needs changed or not. Odds are, probably should given age of the car. Surprised I don't see tie rod ends and stabilizer end links. Before going for an alignment, handle ALL your suspension parts that affect alignment. And there are other parts that shouldn't, but might as well tackle those too.