And that is why he has partnered with
Krown, who makes a petroleum based product with rust inhibitors that are designed to slow down or inhibit corrosion on vehicles.
Fiduccia first learned about Krown via a random message he received from a follower on his
Facebook page
back in 2017 named Brian Courtney. Courtney is an employee of Krown who covers the same region where Joe is based. As an avid fan of Transformers himself, Brian decided to see if Joe was interested in protecting Optimus with their product.
"I was not expecting the message, and at the time had no idea who Krown was," explains Fiduccia. "I take such good care of Optimus on the visible components like the paint and chrome. And it turns out Krown provides a way to do the same thing underneath in areas I can't get to. So I had to give it a try."
Courtney and Fiduccia worked out an agreement to bring Optimus to
Armor LInings, one of their Krown application facilities based in West Middlesex, PA. Owner Ray Lucich was onsite and ready to see what he could do for Optimus.
"Our facility is the only one within 500 miles that can accommodate a big rig like Optimus Prime", says Luchich. "We have the space and equipment needed to raise Optimus up and get into every nook and cranny from top to bottom."
Fiduccia has so far been pleased with the product. He says it does as it claims...not removing rust, but preventing it from getting worse. He also received a case of Krown in the form of spray cans that he uses for touch up, and to get into the smaller areas of Optimus that the larger facilities can't reach.
"The first time I got the treatment in 2017, we sprayed Krown along the entire frame above and below", says Fiduccia. "The problem came in from driving. A lot of the product would sling up from the drivetrain, covering the aluminum tanks, cab rack, and stacks. Making it much more difficult to prep Optimus for the next show."
But that problem was remedied when Fiduccia returned to Armor Linings in 2018. He goes on to say: "this time we took much more care in protecting certain elements while applying the product to only specific areas on the truck. By the time I made the 4-hour drive back home, you could barely see any residue."
You can learn more about Krown and the application on Optimus Prime by watching the videos below from the Optimus Is Here
YouTube channel.
