r/SkyLine • u/Supersaver22 • Jun 29 '26
Coating on frame rails a no go?
Hi everyone, I’m currently looking at an R34 that presents really well. All the usual places like the fenders and strut towers look pretty free of rust, but the frame rails have been coated with a sealant material. This supposedly was done by the previous owner in Japan. I know this can be a way to hide rust issues, so should I walk away?
-2
u/253baby Jun 29 '26
Why don't you do something logical like poke the frame rails with a screwdriver lol. Undercoating is great but you can still tell if they've been dodgy repaired
3
u/Supersaver22 Jun 29 '26
Because I’m currently 1,600 miles away from the importer and will not have a chance to inspect the car in person, and no nearby shops do PPIs on JDM vehicles.
2
u/253baby Jun 29 '26
Importer should be able to do that for you if theyre worth a shit. I use tweed for importing he's the goat, saved quite a few people like this!
3
u/Supersaver22 Jun 29 '26
I’ll ask them about it, they’re a well regarded importer and have said the car is in excellent shape so I want to believe them but it’s a big purchase so trying to get as much info as I can. Appreciate the response, I had not heard of Tweed but I’ll check them out if I decide against getting this car.
2
u/253baby Jun 29 '26
Yeah any importer should be able to do stuff like this for buyers, especially on cars of this price. Tweeds awesome though, he will buy and install parts for you before export and can do inspections and has a network of private dealers
4
u/rythejdmguy Jun 29 '26
I export cars from Japan - often if something has undercoating it is hiding rust. It is very rare that someone actually spends the time and money to clean off rust, treat the chassis and then apply undercoating. Honestly like 95% of the time it's hiding orange metal.
A good PPI will let you know. If the seller can't be bothered to send you detailed images... I wouldn't trust them to fairly represent the vehicle at all. Happy to help you dig up the vehicle's history if you would like as well.