Frame Rust?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 24,953
Likes: 2,668
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Frame Rust?
In December 2000 I picked up our new 2001 Coupe at the Museum, headed north toward Chicago, and promptly got caught in a blizzard.
From that day forward, we used the car as a DD all year round, with the GY knobby runflats in winter. It worked well.
After 5 salt-encrusted Chicago winters and 66,000 miles; we traded it for a C6. Last time I glanced under the car before trade, the frame and other parts looked kinda "grungy" but no visible rust.
With the C6, I've been more careful. But not driving during the salty time of year is a pain.
For those of you who drive their car during the winter in the rust belt, how are your frame and other underside parts looking now? How many winters and how many miles? I need our C6 to last for another 20 years...
From that day forward, we used the car as a DD all year round, with the GY knobby runflats in winter. It worked well.
After 5 salt-encrusted Chicago winters and 66,000 miles; we traded it for a C6. Last time I glanced under the car before trade, the frame and other parts looked kinda "grungy" but no visible rust.
With the C6, I've been more careful. But not driving during the salty time of year is a pain.
For those of you who drive their car during the winter in the rust belt, how are your frame and other underside parts looking now? How many winters and how many miles? I need our C6 to last for another 20 years...
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
Not a C6, but I drove my Camaro all year round for about a decade and 100k miles. Just last year I spent several weekends sanding, repairing, priming and re-painting the floorpans. There was rust everywhere, it had even rusted completely through on one of the seams (about a quarter sized piece). Not to mention, every bolt on the underside is rusted and partially seized.
Don't drive your car when salt is down if you want it to last 20+ years. If you have to drive it in the winter, wash the underside at least.
On the flip side, my C5 is 12 years old now, has never seen a winter and it looks like a new car underneath.
Dope
Don't drive your car when salt is down if you want it to last 20+ years. If you have to drive it in the winter, wash the underside at least.
On the flip side, my C5 is 12 years old now, has never seen a winter and it looks like a new car underneath.
Dope
Racer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 291
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From: AL
My vette never sees rain let alone snow.. When they use salt/gravel on our roads the second I get home out comes the hose to wash the bottom of my DD off and usally the rest of it. I've in the past had to use hot water to keep if from freezing in the bucket. (My parents think I'm nuts for washing a car when its 20 degrees out but thats whatever lol) I'm very devoted to all of my cars and thats why they all look brand new.
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Joined: Jul 2008
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From: The Sunshine State
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My vette never sees rain let alone snow.. When they use salt/gravel on our roads the second I get home out comes the hose to wash the bottom of my DD off and usally the rest of it. I've in the past had to use hot water to keep if from freezing in the bucket. (My parents think I'm nuts for washing a car when its 20 degrees out but thats whatever lol) I'm very devoted to all of my cars and thats why they all look brand new.
While we're at it...throw in a 4-post lift to really get under there and clean!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 24,953
Likes: 2,668
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
I should have added in the original post;
We had a 1998 Toyota Camry that got traded at 125,000 miles/12 years. The body looked great, not a speck of rust. But the frame was getting pretty rusty and everything steel under the car (suspension parts, etc) had huge sheets of rust flaking off.
We currently have a 2005 Camry with 44,000 miles; the frame isn't bad but i can see that five years from now I'll be saying "this won't won't last another 5".
We had a 1998 Toyota Camry that got traded at 125,000 miles/12 years. The body looked great, not a speck of rust. But the frame was getting pretty rusty and everything steel under the car (suspension parts, etc) had huge sheets of rust flaking off.
We currently have a 2005 Camry with 44,000 miles; the frame isn't bad but i can see that five years from now I'll be saying "this won't won't last another 5".
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 65
From: Rochester Hills MI
hydroformed steel. not sure what the black coating is that they use to protect it, but it seems to have done a good job on my 99 DD with 131k miles. no winter driving though.
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From: Madison Wi
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 435
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From: Newcastle, UK
The corrosion on the aluminium alloy parts of my car is quite superficial and I've driven it through the last 2 winters. Salt/grit was on the verge of running out last winter and we live in a pretty damp climate in the UK so my car hasn't been spared.
Cars are meant to be driven.
Cars are meant to be driven.
