Hey folks, here’s some info on my Surface Shield lanolin undercoating service here in Highland Park, Saint Paul, MN.
If you’re ready to roll, jump to the bottom, check out the specified details I’ll need, and click Contact to send me a note.
Undercoat Price
- $350.00 for small to mids
- cars, crossovers, compact pickups (Maverick, Santa Cruz), and small to midsize SUVs (4Runner, Wrangler, GX, 250 LC, etc.)
- $450.00 for mid to bigs
- midsize trucks, minivans, and full-size trucks/vans/cars/SUVs (LC & LX)
- 20% On-Schedule Recoat discount (up to 2-year window from last coat)
Rust Prep (Add-On)
Most vehicles don’t need any prep, even if they have some surface rust started. Lanolin coating can be fully effective as long as it can soak and creep into the root of the rust. Vehicles with more than just surface rust may need additional prep work to effectively undercoat - I’ll bill this work at $120/hr.
Any deep/pitting/flaking rust, or peeling coating needs to be scraped, brushed, or needled off. I consider this to be minimum required prep because these hotspots would be the first to kill the car. Thus, if you don’t stop the high-risk rust spots primarily, then coating and protecting the rest becomes irrelevant.
Light brushing prep can commonly be an hour or less. Heavy work has taken from a couple up to like four hours. Those aren’t fun for anybody, but may still be worth it if you’re trying to buy a couple more years of life out of your workhorse. I have seen lanolin coating effectively stop serious rust and holes from progressing for multiple years if you keep them soaked with oil. Furthermore, if you get a good soaking first-time application on, you can much more feasibly recoat and maintain coating on rust holes or other limited wash-off spots on your own with aerosol cans of Surface Shield.
I can usually estimate based on photos or description about how much rust prep time may be needed. Also, once I have it up in the shop I’ll check in with you first to confirm before proceeding if there’s any change to the estimate.
Undercoat Product
- B’laster Surface Shield (‘clear’ color) for your vehicle undercarriage to stop/slow/prevent rust.
- Applied on the undercarriage and inside frame/structural/suspension parts and where holes are accessible.
- More extensive coating available on request, quoted separately (deeper dive may include removing body panels and taillights, drilling additional access holes, etc.)
Process
- Pre-wash is optional - usually not needed unless it’s salt season or if it’s dirty or muddy underneath. There’s a touchless carwash with underbody flush close by here that works well. Or if you can get it washed the day before it’s convenient to have it fully dry on drop-off.
- Drop off at my shop in Highland Park, St Paul, then come back to pick up when it’s done. I have a key lockbox for contactless or any-time dropoff/pickup convenience.
- Figure a half day block (4 hrs) for standard application
- Figure a full day (up to 8 hrs) if rust prep is needed, or if you’ll be running it through the carwash on the way to drop-off (I’ll run fans to dry it out before application)
- Cash or check payment avoids fees. Card/PayPal/Venmo/Apple/etc online payment available on request, adds 3% fee. ACH adds 1% fee.
Notes
I’ve been spraying wet film lanolin undercoating for 10+ years, spraying for clients here at my sole-proprietor shop.
Bonus eyes on your vehicle: by my inspector nature, I’ll be taking a close look at your vehicle while I’m under there. I usually take a short video or photos before and after application, showing you how it looks and noting any observations, recommendations, etc. (state of rust, oil leaks, missing or stripped fasteners, repair or maintenance recs…).
I switched to spraying Surface Shield (from Woolwax) in 2025. I like how it performs: it’s thinner, so it sprays and creeps into seams a bit better. B’laster rates SS for a two-year recoat schedule (vs one-year for WW), and I’ve extended my On-Schedule Recoat Discount to match those two years. That said, a couple SS vehicles I’ve seen at one year were thin enough where the recoat was worthwhile, especially around the wheel wells and suspension parts. I’ve seen tests showing SS holding up against pressure washing a little better than WW, but can’t say that I’ve personally seen a big difference between them. I’ll have more data after another year or two when I’ve seen more client vehicles coming back.
So my general recommendation is still to recoat every year here in the salt belt (essentially a severe duty corrosion environment). It’s what I do on my own vehicles. I’d especially recoat at one year to build up thickness and coverage if you’ve only had one coat so far. And at minimum I’d recommend checking it annually, since wash-off can vary widely based on mileage or other driving conditions.
Ready to get on the schedule?
Send me your vehicle year/make/model, any rust condition notes, and when you’d like to schedule. I’ll email you a price quote/confirmation, scheduling plans, and any prep notes if needed.
NickWorks, Insured
PS - A sampling of happy vehicles, all coated up for winter ;;)
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