If you live in the Midwest you know of the dreaded deicer that eats cars from the underside..... I try my damnedest to keep my car washed in winter. I have a garage and so I can let it dry overnight without refreezing the next day. Anyway, even with having rustproofed my wheel wells when I got the car... and keeping it washed and even using a deicer neutralizer spray, I got some rust in the rear fenders. Checked my manual and it was the ONLY 'low spot' that Mazda didn't treat with a PVC spray on the backside. Shops wanted about $3600 to weld-in new quarter patches. Another wanted $2700 to do a bit of metal work but not new quarters. But I wasn't about to spend that on a daily driver with an $8100 book value. I went with a family friend's who ground and/or cut out the worst sections, re-worked the seam that allowed the rust to start, and treated the heck out of everything for $850. I am very happy with the work they did. I also took the opportunity to treat the rocker body seams. They were in EXCELLENT shape. I ground a few sports of very minor rust (mostly at the inboard jacking points) and treated it all with KBS Coatings' 3 part system. Just finished-up the project this past week. Hopefully I've added years to the car and will get some more use for the money.
Looks like a good job done there. The way the EPA is today, it's simply amazing how corrosive that swill is that's spread around up North. I work in the heavy truck equipment industry and it boggles the mind how fast some of our components have bit the dust underneath plow/spreader trucks.
I have the factor body manual and wheel well lips are the only 'low spot' piece of bodywork Mazda didn't treat with PVC on the backside. I have a garage so I do try to keep it washed in the winter. The underside of the car is surprisingly in excellent shape. The control arms, etc, have some rust on them but not much. However, the paint of my springs and sway bars is in sad shape. I also have a deicer neutralizer called NutraRinse. It's meant for commercial floors- tile, wood, concrete, etc. My brother is a construction super and someone left a 5 gal. bucket of it behind. I emailed the company and they said it'd be perfect for use on cars. I spray the heck out of the car.
Is Peoria in the midwest? I remember cars rusting on the way home from the dealership! Are you old enough to remember Porkies Drive-in where they had weekend large cruise nites? Still have one of those windshield decals from way back on the 55 Chevy wagon.
Yes, went to Porkies a few times. Our local chapter of the Sports Car Club of America also had a few shows there. Never did hear why it closed....
Everything good never seems to last. Besides, their tenderloins were great ! We used to camp at the membership park at the NW curve of I-80. Always got lost trying to get out of town!
Don't know the last time you were at the campground, but that corner has been the 'it' spot for homes the past 15 years or so. Very built-up now and afternoon traffic is a crawl off I-80. --campground in red--
(A) I would never live where they put salt down in the winter. (B) IF I had no other option, but to live where they put salt down, I would definitely have a junk winter beater. I couldn't see buying a new car so that it will rust away before you're done making payments.
KarlT thanks. As of now we've lived in Florida 20 years so it's been awhile since we camped there. I only remember a few houses and maybe small business along the N-S road off I-80. Last time there we took our orange 1977 Vette and stayed in a rental unit. Took the Vette to Porkies. This was eary 90's! Sadly most of those membership campgrounds were sold and most became subdivisions. Even the one we stayed often near Orlando. Land is too valuable to let people spend a few nights rather than forever paying for a home and lot. And EagleFreek, like most critters, mostly we live where were were raised. I have no idea how some people survive way up north or along a river that floods. I hated the salty sloppy roads I had to travel to work in Illinois. That's why I kept telling my wife I'm retiring to Florida. Not the best choice. But no ice and snow and yet still close enough to go home to visit. Guess I showed that old woman!
