Surviving the Winter?

[Forcus]

I am thinking about downsizing to "just" two vehicles, our Volvo, and my 87 Grand Marquis I "inherited" from my grandpa. I drove the GMQ through one winter a few years back and I could tell it took a toll on the chassis and underside. I was wondering if you who use your cars daily had any tips for trying to make your cars survive the salt and grime.

I was thinking of wiring wheeling / blasting / cleaning everything underneath and then PORing the underside. However I have noticed some rust creeping up in places like the seams where the door skins fold over the door shell. I know enough about body work to know the rust must be removed and / or encapsulated sooner rather than later, and it is very hard to get rid of once it is entrenched. I feel like with the design of the car (old style - hidden seams, limited rust proofing, poor drainage, etc) that I might be fighting a losing battle and I should forget about using it as a winter car and just keep it covered in my shop (where it spends most of its time sitting) during the winter.

Thoughts?

[1987cp]

Rizzo (AKA_Rizzo, 97cv, whatever) talked about putting waste motor oil in an insect sprayer and shooting that all over the underside, especially inside the rocker panels. Just a thought.

[Forcus]

Rizzo (AKA_Rizzo, 97cv, whatever) talked about putting waste motor oil in an insect sprayer and shooting that all over the underside, especially inside the rocker panels. Just a thought.

I did remember reading something about that, especially in Canada (?) using either an off the shelf product or some kind of diesel / oil mix to shoot in to crevices. I wouldn't say I wouldn't do it but it would be garaged and washed regularly during the winter so I would think that might get messy.

[Piece-it pete]

Iirc truckstops used to do that, wonder if it's true?

Pete

[1987cp]

That'd be convenient, just wheel your car into the local PETRO travel center and ask them to spray down your undercarriage? Maybe?

[GM_Guy]

Here in Canada we have various places that spray rust inhibiting oils in/under your car. I have my cars done yearly in the late fall. Holes do get drilled in key places to get access to blind hollow areas (ie: rocker panels, door a-frame), oil gets sprayed into doors, onto the underside of everypanel, underneath the entire car, into the rockers, trunk lid, hood seams, etc. Firewall, axles, exhaust, wheels don't get sprayed (just overspray). Takes a little over an hour per car.
Then go for a drive outside the city cause your car will smoke like hell as the oil burns off the exhaust. And for about a week after you'll see smoke come out of the wheelwells when sitting at an extended stop light as some more oil drips onto the exhaust.

It works. You just need to look in a junkyard for proof. You always know which car was oiled and which where left to be. Even ziebart (which gets a bad rap these days as being to hard/chips/rusts underneath) puts a big halt to the rot that occurs. Not so easy anymore to find in junkyards, but back in the 80's it was also evident when you had a ziebarted car infront of you.

Cost is about a hundred bucks for a passenger car.
A couple of the more well known places;

http://www.krown.com/#default

http://www.rustcheck.ca/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=71

http://www.oilgard.ca/

http://www.nationwideoilsprayrustproofing.com/

Alex.

[P72Ford]

Rizzo (AKA_Rizzo, 97cv, whatever) talked about putting waste motor oil in an insect sprayer and shooting that all over the underside, especially inside the rocker panels. Just a thought.

I believe he learned that from me. He wanted to smear the rockers with axle grease, and I pointed out that cars rust from the inside out. You need to get the oil in between the seams to prevent the rust.

My Dad has been doing it for years, and I was religious with the red box, and now my truck.

Just did the truck last week.

Took the taillights out, and made an apparatus to get the oil all over the rear wheel houses, and down in the seems. I also did the bed cross members, the frame and crossmembers, the doors and tailgate, rockers, cab cross members, cab corners, and hit the front suspension a little. My front fenders have nothing to oil, and neither does the front bumper, etc.

I don't spary the floors entirely, because I usually rinse them every time I wash the vehcile in the winter (at least once a week).

Plus, its hard to get the oil thin enough to spray and still stick. But, if you thin it, spray it, and race the car down a dirt back road, you have a better chance.

I also keep the frame and under carriages of my vehicles really clean, and painted (do that during the spring/ summer months).

[1987cp]

:lol: I suppose with your technique, it helps to know where to find a dirt road in the vicinity? :p

[P72Ford]

Yeah, but I live in an area where they're not hard to find.

I know where the nearest dirt roads are, because, you know...

I've been pinched for trespassing in those areas before.

[1987cp]

[hemihotrod402]

[threadjack]

Question....do you guys just take it to the car wash to rinse off in the winter? Because I know we disconnect our garden hose and shut off the valve.

[/threadjack]

[Forcus]

[threadjack]

Question....do you guys just take it to the car wash to rinse off in the winter? Because I know we disconnect our garden hose and shut off the valve.

[/threadjack]

Main thing I do is try to shoot the water up underneath to get salt brine off. I am actually less worried about paint and trim and more worried about the underside because it is generally less protected than painted surfaces.

[Brown_Muscle]

if there is salt on the road...i do not drive my panther on it. since you have two vehicles maybe you can drive the volvo in the winter time/when salt's on the road and save the grand marq for better driving conditions? just a suggestion.

salt freaks me out haha

[P72Ford]

Andrew, my father has a shop where we wash our cars. The hose is inside, and we bring it out to wash, then roll it back up and put it inside.

I wash the underside thoroughly, spraying a heavy duty soap underneath with an agricultural sprayer, letting it sit, and then rinsing.

[marquisman]

Here in Canada we have various places that spray rust inhibiting oils in/under your car. I have my cars done yearly in the late fall. Holes do get drilled in key places to get access to blind hollow areas (ie: rocker panels, door a-frame), oil gets sprayed into doors, onto the underside of everypanel, underneath the entire car, into the rockers, trunk lid, hood seams, etc. Firewall, axles, exhaust, wheels don't get sprayed (just overspray). Takes a little over an hour per car.
Then go for a drive outside the city cause your car will smoke like hell as the oil burns off the exhaust. And for about a week after you'll see smoke come out of the wheelwells when sitting at an extended stop light as some more oil drips onto the exhaust.

It works. You just need to look in a junkyard for proof. You always know which car was oiled and which where left to be. Even ziebart (which gets a bad rap these days as being to hard/chips/rusts underneath) puts a big halt to the rot that occurs. Not so easy anymore to find in junkyards, but back in the 80's it was also evident when you had a ziebarted car infront of you.

Cost is about a hundred bucks for a passenger car.
A couple of the more well known places;

http://www.krown.com/#default

http://www.rustcheck.ca/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=71

http://www.oilgard.ca/

http://www.nationwideoilsprayrustproofing.com/

Alex.

i do the same. i use krown rust control. it makes a huge difference. i think there are locations in the states.