Salt
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Intermediate
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Salt
I know the whole winter driving thing has been beaten to death, but one answer I could not really find is, will the salt really destroy my car? My vette (my only car) is an 87' that has a torch red paint job that was done in July. I drove it for the first time in months today for about 40 miles. We have been getting PUMMELED by snow in New Jersey this year. Main streets were clear, side streets had some slush. Will the slush and salt really destory my paint? I would have no problem washing the under carriage often, except I dont have jacks or a lift.... Advice is appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,042
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From: Schaller Iowa
Not sure about how much salt NJ uses but here in iowa it's a LOT, plus whatever additional chemicals they use. I've seen many Dodge ram trucks that are only 4 to 5 years old and their rocker panels are gone...literally rusted through the whole length. That might be to dodge not using much if any kind of rust preventive (have to keep profits up you know). My '01 bonneville still looks pretty good with 110K on it but I'm pretty diligent in washing it at least once a week as well as the '95 gran prix with 160K miles. The corvette however gets put away before any salt gets put on the roads. Not really sure what effect salt would have on your paint but if it's a quality job and you wash it (underside included) frequently you should be fine I'd imagine.
astepup said that
astepup said that
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: El Paso Texas
It ain't your paint so much as anything else made of steel on the car. Salt is corrosive. Once it gets into a place it can't get out of, it does what nature intended it to do.....it returns metal to the earth. And if there's rust you can see, there's a bunch that you can't.
Out here in the desert Southwest where we get little snowfall, it is common to see 40+ year old muscle cars with zero rust. There's a reason for that.
The stuff is evil. Sand is a much better alternative.
Out here in the desert Southwest where we get little snowfall, it is common to see 40+ year old muscle cars with zero rust. There's a reason for that.
The stuff is evil. Sand is a much better alternative.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Salt can get into places a lot easier than you can get it out. It will work away for years before you know something is even wrong. Bolts refuse to come out, clips and fasteners fail, and who knows how bad it gets. A while ago there was a photo going around of a C-2 for sale which had literally rusted in half!
Hate to admit it, but when I was young and could not afford otherwise I drove a 59 and a 67 Vette through one winter each. Now, my Vette gets parked when the first application of salt goes down, and does not come out until after the last salt run PLUS a couple good rains to wash the salt off the roads.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
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From: WV
I thought this was a post about the new Angelina Jolie movie.. Oh well...WW
Like Friz says sand it a better alternative, unless its sand with salt in it...I use to run my Jeep CJ5 on the beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore, after doing this for 3 years I started to see holes in the body of my new 3 year old car, by the 4th year I had gapping holes in the body and the frame was almost eaten completely through in a few places..Salt is not good for cars, and road salt is even worse since it can (Like Friz says) get into places you can't get to..I would never drive my Vette in the snow in winter..Period...WW
Like Friz says sand it a better alternative, unless its sand with salt in it...I use to run my Jeep CJ5 on the beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore, after doing this for 3 years I started to see holes in the body of my new 3 year old car, by the 4th year I had gapping holes in the body and the frame was almost eaten completely through in a few places..Salt is not good for cars, and road salt is even worse since it can (Like Friz says) get into places you can't get to..I would never drive my Vette in the snow in winter..Period...WW
Last edited by WW7; Jan 29, 2011 at 10:08 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
salt is bad stuff but it's not going to do anymore damage to your vette than it will to your DD. Most of the body rust issues you see is cheap poorly made sheet metal and poorly protected metal by manufacturers and owners not getting it washed off properly and often.
if it's wash of properly it'll be fine considering it was prepped and treated properly when built. But I don't drive mine in bad weather or if there is salt on the road. here they use a lot of cinders and not salt so much.
if it's wash of properly it'll be fine considering it was prepped and treated properly when built. But I don't drive mine in bad weather or if there is salt on the road. here they use a lot of cinders and not salt so much.
Last edited by RetiredSFC 97; Jan 30, 2011 at 09:39 AM.
Team Owner
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From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
here they use a lot of cinders and not salt so much.
)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,616
Likes: 111
I know the whole winter driving thing has been beaten to death, but one answer I could not really find is, will the salt really destroy my car? My vette (my only car) is an 87' that has a torch red paint job that was done in July. I drove it for the first time in months today for about 40 miles. We have been getting PUMMELED by snow in New Jersey this year. Main streets were clear, side streets had some slush. Will the slush and salt really destory my paint? I would have no problem washing the under carriage often, except I dont have jacks or a lift.... Advice is appreciated.
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
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From: El Paso Texas
Fieros are the worst. The plastic body hides the rust....the body can look perfect while the chassis is swiss cheese. There was a thread on Pennocks not long ago where a guy bought a Fiero as a parts car. He knew the chassis was mush, but when he lifted the rear of the car, it literally split in half. And the body still looked good....I'll see if I can dig up the thread.
Salt is evil. We Texans don't put asphalt on our french fries, and we don't put salt on our roads.
Salt is evil. We Texans don't put asphalt on our french fries, and we don't put salt on our roads.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
I do get plenty wet. It comes from washing military vehicles. We actually did get out our wet weather gear and get down and dirty. I don't do as good of a job as I could do if I could get under it. But I do get the wand under there and wash it as good as I can and then rinse it also and I even use the soft water rinse as well.
Dirt collects on things and then water turns it to mud. Mud is as big of an enemy as salt is if it's allowed to sit on things.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
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Being 17, i unfortuanately do not have the funds to buy a winter beater, insure it, register it, ect. So I guess the plan for the winter is keep it in a garage while it is snowing heavily and keep it there for a couple days until the main roads are plowed. Then just go to one of those self service power washing places once a week and try my best to wash the undercarriage..
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Well, I can understand that. I had my first Vette (and first car) at 17, and I drove the poor thing through snow, ice, salt and slush. 
But I could not afford a second car so there you have it.
It sounds like you are doing the next best thing, washing it off as best you can, and parking it when the really bad weather is happening. Hang in there, winter does not last forever, it just seems that way!
But I could not afford a second car so there you have it. It sounds like you are doing the next best thing, washing it off as best you can, and parking it when the really bad weather is happening. Hang in there, winter does not last forever, it just seems that way!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2010
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Well, I can understand that. I had my first Vette (and first car) at 17, and I drove the poor thing through snow, ice, salt and slush. But I could not afford a second car so there you have it.
It sounds like you are doing the next best thing, washing it off as best you can, and parking it when the really bad weather is happening. Hang in there, winter does not last forever, it just seems that way!
But I could not afford a second car so there you have it. It sounds like you are doing the next best thing, washing it off as best you can, and parking it when the really bad weather is happening. Hang in there, winter does not last forever, it just seems that way!
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2009
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Being 17, i unfortuanately do not have the funds to buy a winter beater, insure it, register it, ect. So I guess the plan for the winter is keep it in a garage while it is snowing heavily and keep it there for a couple days until the main roads are plowed. Then just go to one of those self service power washing places once a week and try my best to wash the undercarriage..
Burning Brakes
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From: New Smyrna Beach Florida
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
Here you go. Straight from Columbia,Mo, where I was referencing. But in years past cinders were used exclusively, before we started demanding our streets were clean.
Heck when I was akid they took the plow down the street so you could get through and that was it. You either ran snow tires, or chains to get around. period. Now we're spoiled.
http://m.columbiatribune.com/news/20...t-and-cinders/
Heck when I was akid they took the plow down the street so you could get through and that was it. You either ran snow tires, or chains to get around. period. Now we're spoiled.
http://m.columbiatribune.com/news/20...t-and-cinders/
Last edited by RetiredSFC 97; Jan 30, 2011 at 08:48 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2009
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Here you go. Straight from Columbia,Mo, where I was referencing. But in years past cinders were used exclusively
http://m.columbiatribune.com/news/20...t-and-cinders/
http://m.columbiatribune.com/news/20...t-and-cinders/
Next summer I have got to get the Gulfstream in your neighborhood.
