Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 07:49:39 am
Who else drives in the winter? What steps do you take to thwart or stall the rust bug?
Post by: Irish_Alley on February 01, 2012, 10:24:39 am
Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 11:18:02 am
Post by: black85k10 on February 01, 2012, 11:18:48 am
Post by: pholliday1 on February 01, 2012, 11:19:15 am
Post by: PromiseKeeper on February 01, 2012, 11:55:25 am
My personal observation is that anything done to prevent rust on these trucks is a step in the right direction. We do need to remember that rustproofing was a very big business back in the 70's and 80's and lots of trucks had it put on them. Even so, most still rotted away when exposed to salt. It's a two sided thing. If you drive it, you're going to have rust. If you don't, then your enjoyment of the truck is about cut in half. Just for a reference, I priced having mine done last year. The quote was about $400.
Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 12:01:15 pm
Who quoted you? A local shop, dealer or a chain? What kind of product were they going to use? How bad would you characterize the rust on your truck?
Post by: thirsty on February 01, 2012, 01:35:22 pm
The undercoating around here that is used the most is Fluid Film sprayed on. I had some wax type stuff also all over my new cab. That stuff worked great by the looks. It was terrible to clean off though.
Best thing you can do is not keep it in a heated garage and run it a lot. Sitting and especially sitting in a heated garage with salt on them is what kills them quicker then anything in my opinion.
Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 01:41:00 pm
Here in northern NH it is like what pholliday1 described. You drive over rock salt and sand and can hear it going up in everywhere. Then (living in ME you know I'm sure) you got the big salted snotsickles that hang down off your rig all winter.
The undercoating around here that is used the most is Fluid Film sprayed on. I had some wax type stuff also all over my new cab. That stuff worked great by the looks. It was terrible to clean off though.
Best thing you can do is not keep it in a heated garage and run it a lot. Sitting and especially sitting in a heated garage with salt on them is what kills them quicker then anything in my opinion.
I have talked to some folks and they say garage it at all costs come winter while others say the best thing to do is run it while taking preventative measures. Some people seem a little too fatalistic about rust.
I know all too well about "snotsickles". Kids call 'em snow boogers.
Post by: thirsty on February 01, 2012, 02:00:45 pm
Bottom line unfortunately is that if it sees road salt it is going to rust. Best thing is to find a winter beater to drive and then put your truck in the heated garage before it snows and tinker on it all winter ;D
Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 02:08:39 pm
I don't have a heated garage, is there some inherent disadvantage to an unheated one if I did not plan on working on it?
Post by: thirsty on February 01, 2012, 04:29:50 pm
As long as it is dry and your antifreeze is good so your block doesn't freeze it would be fine
Post by: PromiseKeeper on February 01, 2012, 05:57:30 pm
Not sure which chain it was, maybe Ziebart? I didn't have it done. My truck sits in a heated garage all winter and has never seen snow. I do spray some oil underneath to keep things protected.
If Vile were around, he'd be telling you to use body shutz (Where are you anyways, Vile?) Do a search of that on here and read up on it.
Scott
Post by: Donut on February 01, 2012, 06:51:44 pm
Maybe I will do that next year. One winter shouldn't kill it, especially with undercoating on it and since we have had a relatively snow free winter here in central Maine.I used to live in the Capital area, my old one came from the dealership with a plow, so it saw winter (and rust).
I don't have a heated garage, is there some inherent disadvantage to an unheated one if I did not plan on working on it?
My garage was a big pine in the yard. So non-heated garage, like mentioned catch a cold, and frozen fingers.
Other than everything mentioned, not much else to add. When I was rebuilding the truck, the cab bottom was painted with epoxy (new inner fenders also) Frame was needle scaled and Rustoleumed, easy touch ups.
My '86 was a southern truck. Cab corners are showing rust holes and the cowl to engine bay is worse than my '73 ever thought of being.
Post by: Blazin on February 01, 2012, 08:34:46 pm
I sand blasted , sanded the who;e under side of the cab. Sealed all the seams with seam sealer, and sprayed three very heavy coats of SEM spray on bed liner on it. Sprayed three coats to the floors from the fire wall seam, to about 6" under the back window inside the cab with it too. I will need to replace the fenders and doors in a few years as they were used / repaired when i put them on. They are starting to show some blisters. I keep saying i'm going to oil it but never seem to do it!
Post by: bladerunner on February 01, 2012, 08:42:37 pm
Quite the process you have, but seems reasonable. Maybe a beater next year and garaging my truck is the way to go.
Post by: zieg85 on February 01, 2012, 08:54:33 pm
Post by: 1978 454 Big 10 on February 01, 2012, 10:07:19 pm
Post by: Blazin on February 01, 2012, 11:09:39 pm
Post by: bake74 on February 02, 2012, 06:23:50 am
My sister on the other hand lives in Michigan. She has problems with her cars and rust. So when she bought a new car I set her up with a under carriage wash for here and her husbands truck for their driveway, set up with a light beam to trigger it, and timers to shut it off and a second timer to blow the water out with air to avoid freezing.
Now granted, finding a car wash with an under carriage wash will do the same thing and can keep the salt from rusting your vehicles, it just can get expensive.
Mixing salt and water will create a brine solution, and if not removed will given enough time eat through anything. We sell electrocoagulation machines at my company (part of the process is adding a brine (salt/water combo) solution to break particles in water out for cleaning purposes ), and it has no problem eating through aluminum or even AL316N Stainless steel.
If you drive in winter, wash often and use some kind of protection on the metal is the best thing for your trucks.
Post by: bladerunner on February 02, 2012, 07:28:41 am
My dad's last car was an 01 Explorer. He used to be one of those people who never washed his car, thinking it a waste (he had been in the Navy so long he forgot about Maine winters). Anyway he brought that Explorer back here and drove it for 10 years, just replacing it last year. The tranny mounts rusted completely off and the trans fell right out! That whole thing was a basket case. Needless to say, he washes his 2011 Mercury Mariner religiously now.
Post by: gto109 on February 02, 2012, 02:06:53 pm
Post by: Cabcorner on February 03, 2012, 06:33:50 am
Post by: bladerunner on February 03, 2012, 10:18:03 am
Post by: fitz on February 03, 2012, 03:40:42 pm
Now you have to figure out a game plan you can live with.
My thoughts? Mix & match everyones advice. Spray the underneath with oil and drive it as often as you can.
Pick up a $500 beater for those days when the snows comming down and the sanders are out.
As Thirsty pointed out, the more you drive it the more you will get to enjoy it.
Like Blazin said, power wash it often,
In Mass the highways get treated with salt sprayed with
Magnesium chloride
It will eat your truck alive if not washed off.
On snowy days like that, hide the truck in the unheated garage and let the salt eat away at the winter beater
Post by: 1979C20 on February 03, 2012, 04:09:54 pm
Post by: 74GMC on February 03, 2012, 04:15:18 pm
Post by: velojym on February 03, 2012, 04:26:44 pm
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 08, 2015, 11:38:47 am
Anyway, this is a good thread. Wish i was around when it was active. I just gave my truck a heavy coating. I'm trying to finish off a gallon of wd40, so i mix it with some synthetic oil i had laying around. The cool weather is giving it a thicker feel. I have switched to blaster lubricant though, its thicker and applys well. But no one hates salt more than me. Any of you new englanders know what i mean.
Post by: Stewart G Griffin on December 09, 2015, 09:48:17 pm
i mean you never see the roof rusted or the hood/trunk/upper body areas etc.
As far as the oil, it seems to me that chevy recommended 10w-30 for small blocks (at least the ones from 70's on?). So 10w-30 should be good for winter imo.
Although 5w-30 would flow quicker when cold? Getting sleepy, don't have time to research.
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 09, 2015, 10:09:07 pm
Post by: Irish_Alley on December 10, 2015, 04:21:00 pm
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 10, 2015, 10:05:36 pm
Post by: SkinnyG on December 10, 2015, 10:17:33 pm
(http://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/photo-960x576.jpg)
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 11, 2015, 11:53:26 am
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 12, 2015, 04:56:08 pm
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/12/b168f861674b8432d054866ab6f38b09.jpg)
Post by: Trailnut on December 14, 2015, 07:00:29 am
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 28, 2015, 10:50:30 pm
Post by: enaberif on December 29, 2015, 11:01:52 am
(http://i.imgur.com/a1l4QbBl.jpg)
Post by: Trailnut on December 29, 2015, 11:43:13 am
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 29, 2015, 11:50:16 am
Post by: enaberif on December 29, 2015, 12:03:57 pm
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 29, 2015, 02:27:27 pm
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Post by: Irish_Alley on December 30, 2015, 07:04:08 am
Post by: philo_beddoe on December 30, 2015, 03:55:24 pm