Re: Salty winters == rust!

[tnas@euronet.nl (Tom Nas)]

ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com (Fluhr) wrote:

>How do you people with salty winters keep your cars from rusting out?!?

>I went and looked at an '86 4Kcsq during lunch.  It had spent its first
>7 years in NY, and showed it.  There were little rust spots or rust
>stains in lots of nicks and crannies (e.g. door jambs, trunk area, etc.)
>, even though the body looked to be in excellent condition.  Also, much
>of the engine showed signs of rust, especially the fuel system, heater
>hoses, ISV, basically anything that wasn't alloy was corroded.  Yuk.

>Shame, too, since the interior was in good condition.  Car only had 116K
>on it, never hit, original paint looked real nice.  Engine looked like
>it was at 216K, though.

>Is in unreasonable to expect to find a 4Kq with virtually no rust on it?

We have _lots_ of salt here in winters, too (road owner, i.e. local or
national government, is liable for the damage occurring when you go
waltzabout on black ice) but my '88 80 still looks great. Weren't the '86
cars galvanised? A regular application of a high-pressure washer keeps
underside and engine bay looking good, too. Some rust on the heat shield of
the exhaust manifold, but not a lot else. OK, my car's got the plastic
shield under the engine bay that keeps out much of the muck, but still...

FWIW, I've looked at an '84 90Q recently, with an intergalactic mileage
that still looked very good. Original paint, just one slightly rusty spot
on the leading edge of the hood. Engine bay looked great, too! IMO, it's
mostly non-use that makes cars go rusty in the engine compartment.

HTH,

Tom

 _______________________________________________________________________
 Tom Nas                                          Zeist, The Netherlands
 tnas@euronet.nl

       'What are you going to do when you grow up as big as I?'
                  asked the father of his son. 'Diet.'