Absolutely FoxChassis! The exterior coating is the one you indicated but there also was a wax seam material that was added on the interior panels around the rear wheel well areas which was what I was referring to. For reference, the body panels were all zinc coated (galvanized and many times hot dip method especially in the front fenders as it held up better) when the steel was manufactured prior to stamping. The steel in it's untreated form could stay unrusted for approximately 3 months. When the panels were stamped an additional coating was and still is added to keep them rust free until they hit the paint shop after initial assembly. Since the car was painted and had the galvanized metal there was little or no need for rust proofing as the car was designed.
The fact really was that the methods and materials were changing in the early 80's for production and people still had the misconception that they absolutely needed the aftermarket rust proofing of the 70's. My dad was one of the testers and evaluators for that wax coating process in 1972 when it was developed in Germany. Our car lasted over 6 years before the first sign of rust without the extreme use of galvanized panels which was a breakthrough in those times. This newer coating process later was used in conjunction with the galvanized panels in the early 80's and allowed for longer periods without rust.
In general, the advent of E-coating and the use of these corrosion protection methods in manufacturing actually just about destroyed the aftermarket rustproofing companies. Interesting history!
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