Hi Ron,
I think it's salt and neglect more than anything else that causes
rust-especially the salt they put on roads-gets all underneath and who steam
cleans the bottom of their car regularly (Besides me and Dave, that is...)
My last Spitty was a California car and when the previous owner got it,
there had been quite a bit of water damage due to the fact that the woman he
bought it from lived on the beach at Newport and there has been a flood and
poor Spitty got the worst of it. However, there wasn't any rust anywhere-and
it still had it's original paint! (The bonnet was a bit crackled-the
rest-fine). My Spitty in Italy had belonged to Navy people before me, so it
had been in a seaside environment, before being shipped to Italy and living
in another seaside envirnment. And believe me-it rains a lot in the area
around Rome! No rust on Arthur either. And the Spitty I have now hasn't any
rust-it was a mistreated California car before Dave got it and did a frame
off restoration-and found not a trace of rust. I drive it everyday and live
2 miles from the sea-and still no rust.
On the other hand, I knew someone whose 7 year old Thunderbird-which had
seen 6 northern Michigan and 1 Colorado winters-and that puppy rusted from
the road salt. One cold morning he went out to start the car, put it in
reverse, there was a noise and everything just seperated! Incredible! Like
out of James Bond-but not as entertaining!
So, there's my two cents worth-for what it's worth!
Laura G. and Nigel (in not so sunny southern California!)
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Roach <rroach@direct.ca>
To: spitfires <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 1999 4:09 PM
Subject: rust and rain
>
> Hi gang!
> Due to a recent accident where are grocery getter tercel has been written
> off, we're left carless until we find another, or I could insure the
> spitfire and drive it until another car comes along. Problem is, my spit
is
> almost completely rust free, and we live in Vancouver, BC... the heart of
> the rainforest!
> My question is, what really causes rust? Is it driving in wet weather (no
> salted roads here), or is just plain moisture in the air? My car is in a
> dry underground space. Would driving for awhile on wet roads start the
road
> to destruction? I'm curious to find out how other owners treat their
spits.
>
> Ron
> '78 1500 w/ 43,000 orig miles
>
>
|