[TR] Emailing: triumph

[Randall]

Aaron wrote :
>	Randall,
>
>	
>	I agree with you for the most part regarding your rust statement but
only 
> because most of the US is not near the salt air of the ocean.  Cars that
spend a
> great deal of time in the sea air most definitely rust quicker and in
places where
> cars exposed to salty roads don't normally rust.
>	
>	My sister bought my grandfathers seldom used Pinto and drove if for
awhile, 
> until one day when she went out to get in it and one corner of the body
was sitting
> on the ground.  My grandparents house was in Southwest Harbor, on Mt.
Desert
> Island.  Wonderful place to visit but not the most healthy place for a
car.

Well, I live within just a few miles of the ocean, and for quite a few years
parked my TR3A with a view of the Pacific every work day.  Old cars with
indifferent maintenance are quite common around here, and it's very rare
that one sees significant rust damage on them.  Certainly nothing like
growing up in the midwest, where it was very common to see cars less than 5
years old with tin worm.  My HS English teacher bought a brand new Ford  my
sophomore year and it was perforated in multiple locations before I
graduated.

And they at least used to salt the roads on Mt Desert Island.

So while I agree that salt spray contributes to the problem, I still think
road salt is by far the worse enemy.  The combination of the two is worse
yet (as your sister apparently found out).

BTW, friend of mine owned a Pinto almost on the Mississippi river delta
(literally crawdad mounds in his front yard), and it never rusted out
either.  Finally burned a valve with some 180,000 miles on it, but very
little rust even when he junked it.  

Randall