Rustproofing a longhood - possible?
 

I realize this maybe a very heretical question, but what do you think? I was just thinking how this summer has really been more of an extended spring, which means less fun driving days, and how long the winter is. It would be so cool to be able to drive my car in the winter, even if only once a week or so. But our roads are ridiculously salted, both rock salt and that liquid stuff, and we regularly get thaws with lots of moisture. Add an ungalvanized car to that mixture and you see why I call the white stuff "kryptonite".

But is it possible to adequately rustproof an early car?

Feel free to tell me I'm delusional! :)

I "oil sprayed" an '84 coupe once. When Walmart Automotive used to provide the service, I had a friend that worked there and I had hime really spray everywhere (NO DRILLING!) once I brought the car to him sans carpet in trunk (smugglers box exposed) and covered up some delicate engine stuff with plastic. I just made sure it was decent wax type with NO TAR based junk so I could keep it relatively clean and from dripping everywhere as well as be able to wipe off/remove without any damage after if I wanted to get rid of the stuff. That was all in the effort to drive the 911 everyday (really, I know what these Canadian winters are like). You're right about getting some thawed out days, and I wanted to be there with 911 at hand for fun and daily driver.

Impossible. Even the modern cars, with composite panels, fender well liners, galvanized steel and Dacromet-coated fasteners and suspension bits all get corrosion in the presence of salt and moisture.

Rustproofing a longhood is about as viable as corrosion proofing an amphibious airplane-- sure you can do it, but unless you are working the asset economically to provide for a complete teardown and overhaul every few years, it doesn't make sense.

That said, anything made by Man can be restored by Man. . . restore to 100 and drive down to 80.

Possible. All you have to do is recreate the unit body in Al or stainless steel.

I would say it is near impossible to 'rust proof' any metal object in a harsh environment. And southern Ontario in the winter would be considered harsh to cars.

If you insist on driving your car in the winter, lets hope it's not a pristine example. As well, I would recommend some rust inhibitors like Krown or similar. It is an oil/wax based product that seeps and creeps into all the little places that didn't get directly sprayed. A lot of the Landcruiser guys use this with decent resultsd, and we know how rust prone some of those models are.

Stainless would do the trick I'd think.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1248215653.jpg

Martijn, where is that car located? It would be a great concours reference car!

Sure, anything can be done for enough money, but when is it not worth it? Clearly for some fun driving, it's not worth it!

I don't insist on driving in the winter, that's what I had a beater 944 for, until I got sick of fixing it. My 912 isn't concours, but it's far from being a beater.

Ok, so it didn't float. It was worth asking!

Christien

When I restored my '66 I stripped to bare metal then coated the underside of the tub, inside of the fenders and inside the cabin with POR15 over that I put Wurth undercoating (not in the cabin). During the winter I have driven the car on dry days but with generous salt on the roads. I don't think my treatment is guaranteed rustproof but it will take time to for sure.

My '73 is my weekend commuter year round and with a set of blizzaks it has seen any kind of weather for the past year. So far it is in good shape and if the rust gets to be a problem I'll just fix it. Panels are available and sheet metal is cheap.


John

The stainless '67 is in the "Deutches Museum" in Munchen. Supposedly the last one of three as the other two crashed. 95000 Miles and no rust.

Check out this product http://www.zero-rust.com/zero-rust-prep-step.html

Coating cars with grease and oil might delay the inevitable rust, but it is a m****r f****r to deal with during restoration. I must have removed 50 lbs of filthy grease from under the fenders and rockers and there are places I will never get it out. I've cursed the PO who did that every day for the last year. And I've still got rust in the all the usual places...

that has got to be about the COOLEST thing I've ever seen.

John DeLorean, eat your friggin' heart out!!! :p