Auto Parts: Suspension Replacement, sway bar links, rust proofing

Question
How is it possible to change the shocks & sway bars after rustproof undercoating has been completely done to the car less than a year ago?  Is it a big deal? Thanks.

Answer
    Well, this is going to be harder than if you had foregone the undercoating (just about no car built in the last 20 years can benefit from rust-proofing, but the dealers love to sell it at a fat profit).  The obstacle, of course, will be getting at the fasteners.  First piece of advice: don't use a torch.  Most undercoating products are highly flammable, and the entire car could go up in flames.  The best way to to do this is to identify each fastener that needs to be removed, and scrape the undercoating off of it.  If this is a normal car, with normal shocks and sway bar links, you could simply cut off the studs on the ends of the shocks and through the middle of the end link.  You will be replacing those parts anyway.  Anything else will have to be scraped clean enough to get a wrench on it.  At this point, an impact wrench would not be a bad idea.  If you believe that the undercoating is keeping something from moving, you could heat it with a hair drier.  That will soften it considerably.  Most of this stuff is pretty soft to begin with, though, so that really shouldn't be necessary.  Then, when you buy the next car, don't get it rust-proofed, please.