Fair Advantage Rustproofing

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Fair Advantage Rustproofing Eastern Iowa's Rust Protection & Vehicle Preservation Specialists. Protecting vehicles and preserving value through meticulous rustproofing and undercoating.
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10/12/2026

"It's just surface rust."

We hear that one a lot. 😅

Sometimes a customer's interpretation of a "clean" vehicle and ours can be a little different.

We offer several different coating systems because every vehicle, owner and preservation goal is different. But sometimes a vehicle gets here, we get it on the lift, and the plan changes after we actually see what we're working with.

This truck came from Arizona, and it absolutely IS clean in the sense that there's no major rot and the body is completely intact.

But...

Surface rust is still rust.

Putting a hard coating over active corrosion without properly addressing what's underneath can allow that corrosion to continue underneath the coating where you can no longer see it.

That's why on vehicles like this we'll often lean toward oil or softer coating systems. Yes, they can be messier, but they pe*****te, creep and continue protecting areas where corrosion has already started.

We'll always err on the side of caution and treat your vehicle the same way we'd want our own treated.

And while we're here, a quick shop update:

We're BUSY.

I still personally handle the vast majority of what happens out here. That helps ensure extremely high quality, thorough work and no skipped steps, but it also means these jobs take time.

If you've called and I haven't gotten back to you yet, DO NOT be afraid to call again or send me a text. I promise I won't be upset. 🙂

There are points throughout these jobs where something is drying or curing and I can break away, sit down and get back to you.

I genuinely appreciate all of the calls, messages, referrals and support.

But no matter how busy we get, I will not sacrifice the quality of one customer's vehicle just so I can cram another one through the door.

Preservation Without Compromise.

10/08/2026

What's this cost? What's Our process?

First question...

What's your vehicle worth to you?

You can easily spray oil all over the bottom of a vehicle in 15 minutes to an hour and call it "undercoating."

That's not our process.

We spend an average of 1–3 HOURS sometimes just washing, cleaning and flushing the frame and body cavities before we ever start applying a product.

I could own five different stores and I still wouldn't rush through this process.

You can go somewhere else and have their process done. It may be a great process, it may not be. That's why I try to video portions of nearly every vehicle that comes through here and keep you informed along the way.

There's no fancy app required to do that either.

If you're coming to us, you can trust that you're getting one of the most thorough preservation processes you'll find.

If you want something different, we can absolutely accommodate that. But that will be a decision made between you and us based on YOUR vehicle, YOUR goals and YOUR budget.

It will never be because we're in a hurry to jam the next vehicle through the door.

So what's it cost?

We charge by the hour.

We'll create an estimate based on what we typically see with vehicles like yours. As we get into it, we'll keep you informed, show you what we're finding and help you make the best decisions for your situation and the level of preservation you're looking for.

There are places we can adjust a job.

Proper prep work isn't one of them.

That's the Fair Advantage.

Preservation Without Compromise.

10/08/2026

Chad with CME Shine was actually the very first person I reached out to when I started Fair Advantage Automotive Services LLC, the parent company of Fair Advantage Rustproofing.

At the time, I told him I was considering doing detailing, mechanical repair, and rustproofing. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to step on anybody's toes or bring any weird competition into the area.

After seeing how many detailers already existed locally, combined with the fact that I live on gravel, I decided detailing wasn't for me. I wasn't really interested in going back into mechanical repair either because, frankly, I didn't enjoy it anymore.

So I chose rustproofing as my specialty.

I've loved every moment of it. It's given me a way to tie together so many of the skills I've picked up throughout my career and turn them into something of my own.

And Chad has been there since the very beginning.

He's stood by my side, sold me products, answered questions, supported what I was building, and most importantly, given me friendship throughout this entire process.

For anyone who doesn't know Chad, he's in that very high-end, highly skilled class of detailers we have here locally. He's someone I've had a tremendous amount of respect for long before Fair Advantage became what it is today.

Now it's our turn to stand behind him.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Chad and his family as he takes on a battle that unfortunately far too many Iowa families know.

Living and working in a state with one of the highest cancer rates in the country, it seems like nearly all of us know someone who has had to face this awful disease. 😕

Chad Emerson ❤️

You've got this, buddy.

We're all behind you.

10/07/2026

How important is product migration?

Extremely!

Having a product with strong creep and migration is important because try as hard as you will, you simply can't get product absolutely everywhere.

This is actually leftover Platinum Rust Protection oil from the LAST truck sprayed on this lift.

A small amount was left on this plastic hoist pad cover, and after this truck has been sitting here for a day, the left over overspray oil is literally crawling UP the frame.

That's impressive.

We're not brand loyal at all. We currently have around 7 different product lines sitting in the shop because different products have different strengths and applications.

But when a product shows us an impressive characteristic, we'll absolutely give credit where credit is due.

PRP gets a "holy crap, it really does that" today.

The product you choose matters, but proper application matters just as much. Even the best product isn't going to perform properly if it's poorly applied.

We'll save the viscosity discussion for another video. 😎

Preservation Without Compromise.

Northeast Rust Proofing

10/06/2026

Flushing cavities!

We love all of our gear from Salts Gone!

We have their 360 flushing attachment, Dosing pump and salt removal solution.

Many blow these areas out, but air doesn't carry dirt out drains it just blast it around.

Parking lot guys can't typically do this without a water source.

We do all our flushing on a two post lift for full access to everything. We spent about 2 hours under this one for maximum cleaning. It then spent the whole weekend with fans on it.

If this isn't being done it's just a recipe for failure.

10/06/2026

Have you been informed of the risks of undercoating?

Not everything underneath a vehicle can or should be sprayed.

In fact, blasting oil or wax all over everything can actually create bigger problems than the ones you're trying to prevent.

Which begs the question...

Does your undercoater understand vehicle construction and sensor function?

Have they checked for TSBs or manufacturer information applicable to your vehicle before spraying it?

Do they carry insurance, and will they stand behind their work if an issue is created?

Are they running a strong enough business to still be there three years from now when you need them again, or are they just flying through parking lots trying to score the next job?

Rustproofing and undercoating are absolutely specialty trades.

Many detailers see undercoating as another service they can add for extra profit. Some mechanical shops do the same, but their business model may depend on getting that lift freed up quickly for the next higher-paying mechanical job.

Neither automatically makes someone bad at rustproofing.

But this service requires knowledge, time, proper preparation, and an understanding of what you're actually spraying.

Ultimately, be careful who you allow to perform this service on your vehicle. Make sure they're someone who will stand beside you when issues arise, because eventually they will.

We've had some of our own.

We've dealt with melted GM frame wax. We've created creaking leaf springs. Some lessons unfortunately get learned the hard way.

The difference is what happens afterward.

The best in this industry will admit when they're wrong, figure out what happened, make it right, and change their process so it doesn't happen again.

That experience doesn't come from buying a spray gun and a bucket of undercoating. It comes from years in the automotive industry, working on different vehicles, understanding different systems, making mistakes, learning from them, and continuously improving.

We love our followers and enjoy bringing this type of content to your attention.

Follow along for more!

Preservation Without Compromise.

10/03/2026

So many don't bother to do this and it's not okay.

Fender liners should be removed especially on older vehicles. These lower fender areas get packed with leaves and mud and will create a fast rusting slurry.

Make sure your Rustproofing service is doing this, even if you cost extra it's well worth it. If you don't do this your just wasting your time.

10/02/2026

Our goal? Make it look factory!

We aim for that goal on every job we do. If we're not happy with the finished product, it doesn't leave the shop.

We have the skill, equipment, and knowledge to handle everything from a simple oil spray to help get you through another year, all the way to a full-blown high end wax or paint based vehicle restoration and preservation project.

We are the "Fair Advantage." We provide what others won't and do what others don't.

We love phone conversations, and generally we can make your day a little better with a simple chat. You're not just a number here, you're a new friend.

And the best part? We're friends with other rustproofing and vehicle preservation specialists across the state. So even if we're not the right fit for you, chances are we know who is, and we'll happily help connect you.

Preservation Without Compromise.

10/01/2026

Brand New cars with rusted parts?

Yes that's absolutely a thing!

OE manufacturers are cheap and they'll cut corners where they can. Typically that involves cast iron parts and driveshafts.

If using a wax based coating we treat these items with rust conversion formulas so we're not just spraying over bare rust.

If we're using an oil based coating there's no need to do anything more than just spray over it as it'll soak into the pores and keep it protected.

Any coating you use is not a one time application. Anybody that tells you otherwise is selling you on false hope and snake oil.

Warranties against rot out are just a bad idea, vehicles with foam are going to rust regardless what we do all we can do is slow that process down. We can absolutely add years and years of extra life with these services when properly maintained but there's still going to be little areas of rust on bolt heads and high wash areas.

The other down side of warranties is, how well will they actually repair rotted out areas? Will parts still even be available? Do they pick the shop or do you? Will they replace all the effected components? Will your warranty with them continue after those rust repairs?

Best thing you can do: Just maintain your underside if it's an oil coating get it inspected once a year. If it's a hard wax coating be sure and keep up with any type of breached or broken type of coating.

We love discussing these things as it greatly interest us. If you disagree put it down below. I always like hearing others opinions 🙂

09/29/2026

We're busy out here! Check out this clean OBS

This truck got our full service including some actual repairs.

We used a mix of UnderGone by Salts Gone and PRP in all the internals and clean parts of the underside.

We still mask certain things even on oil based jobs getting a black coating.

This rig is washed and ready to go home!

Address

22046 90th Street
Anamosa, IA
52205

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