The last time I had one of my cars "rustproofed," they rustproofed most of my paint (lower half of the car)...took forever to remove it from the paint and then the paint finish was never the same...today's cars don't rust like they used to...skip the rustproofing...if you're religious about keeping your car clean (i.e. washing at least once a week..and rinsing underneath)...then you shouldn't have any problems.

 

Here's a pic of the factory wheel well rust proofing.

1 = Black spongy stuff
2 = Paint
3 = Base metal

Notice how the base metal is exposed and even goes right to the fender lip.

I noticed the same thing with the 03 E-250 even after I bought the $175 rustproofing (which basically called for spraying the spongy stuff under the body panels).

 

also there are several areas noy covered when you get the rust proof/undercoat done. I know rolled lips are not covered. Is it still called the protector??

 

That would explain a lot.

 

The black spongy stuff is not rustproofing, its sound deadener. If it wasn't there you'd hear every grain of dirt hitting the inside of the wheel well while you are driving down the road.

Also, what you labeled as 3 (base metal) is not bare metal, it's got e-coat on it. Here's an article explaining what e-coat is and how Ford was a pioneer in this.

Ford's Paint Innovation Helps Bust Rust

 

E-coat will still fail within 5-10 years sometimes less. I do not have nearly as much faith in galvanized steels and hot dipping as some other people. If I am wrong, we wouldn't see any rust on 1970-up Fords.

I don't intend to swap cars every 5 years. Check out the rust on this 05-up GT:
http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showth...113#post797113