Underbody protection for Kubu

As we all know, Toyota is known for long-lasting cars.

Many years and hundreds of thousands of kilometers are often no problem.

That is why they are so popular worldwide. Especially the Hilux,

a workhorse, indestructible and popular as a base vehicle, especially among long-distance travelers.

Good supply of spare parts and very reliable, what more do you need?

But of course, Toyota also has its weak points, including the Hilux.

Rust is, in my opinion, the biggest enemy of our new Toyota.

We had a Toyota HiAce in the company I worked for.

A great van, impossible to kill. It forgave everything, no matter who drove it. The technology, the engine, the transmission, and so on were extremely durable. But in the end, unfortunately, only the drive unit was left, the actual car had disintegrated. Rust had taken it away.

That is why it was extremely important to us to have our new Hilux as soon as possible,

to seal. Underbody protection was needed. It was important to us not to drive around too much so that the car didn't get any dirtier than necessary. The frame in particular needed to stay as clean as possible and not allow dirt to settle in the cavities.

Since we don't drive the Hilux in winter anyway, we had time over the winter to find the right company. So, on April 23 we went to Kassel in Germany to a small company that we had found on YouTube.

Here in Norway, the selection is somewhat limited and since we wanted to visit our family in Germany for Easter anyway, this was perfect.

The whole thing took about 3 days, but the result is more than impressive.

Here is a link to a video where a Hilux is sealed:

UBS headquarters, Toyota Hilux new car = rust bucket? Sealing with Dinitrol

Unfortunately, we have to realize that even a brand-new Hilux is already rusting. Small rust spots were already visible all over the frame.

The car comes from the factory with, let's put it politely, sparing protection against rust.

The frame in particular has only a thin coat of paint and unfortunately starts to rust very quickly.

Even though the car is designed as a work vehicle, Toyota would have to do more here.

This won't last long, especially in Northern Europe. And at the end of the day, the Hilux is definitely not a bargain in terms of price.

At the beginning of the work, the car is dismantled as much as possible and necessary so that you can get to every part. Everything is also cleaned again with a high-pressure cleaner so that no dirt is overlooked.

Front-wheel arch, right side. Everything is dismantled as far as possible in order to get to the important places.

rear-wheel arch on the back left side. Here it is particularly important

to seal it. It tends to rust away unnoticed under the wheelhouse liner.

You can already see the rust spreading at the weld seams. A lot of rework was required here.

The frame had to be prepared extensively so that the rust would not be trapped under the underbody protection. Here on the frame in the front right wheel arch.

After the frame had been sanded down, it was time to mask it off so that not everything came into contact with the underbody protection. This was also a time-consuming process and had to be carried out meticulously.

And then we could finally get started. The underbody protection was applied.

The result is simply outstanding.

You can't do it any better. If you didn't know better, you would think that this was work straight from the factory. Unfortunately, you have to have your car reworked at your own expense.

I don't think we'll have any problems with rust for many years. All the cavities have also been filled with wax. That's all you can do.

In summary, it can be said that subsequent treatment with underbody protection is absolutely necessary. Toyota basically forces you to spend money again after purchasing the vehicle in order to have your expensive vehicle protected against rust.

We were lucky to find someone who did his job with passion and attention to detail. The result couldn't have been better.

There are different ways and methods to have your vehicle sealed.

It is important that you have it done so that you can enjoy your vehicle for a long time.

Even if the vehicle is not new, such an investment is worthwhile.

It also makes sense when you think about the potential resale. You simply get more money for a properly maintained vehicle than for one that has become completely worn out after just a few years.