Road Salt?
Pro
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From: DC Metro Area
St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by scottypman
Up here in NY we just had snow and there's tons of salt on the road.....How bad is it for the paint? Will it cause any long term damage?
Paint does not like salt.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Orlando Florida
Originally Posted by VET4LES
I guess that's why people that live in the cold part's of the US store their Corvette's for the winter. 
I wish I could, but it's my only car
And I have no garage
Pro
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From: Pennsylvania
I'd get 3M on the rockers and on the fenders behind the tires or at the very least get splash guards. If not you will be getting sandblasted, especially where the paint wraps around the fenders and is in the direct line of fire. Winters here in the Northeast are no fun. 
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Burning Brakes
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From: Malibu California
Paint & salt? I lived in Vermont most of my life and saw cars that looked like they'd been eaten alive -- but that was metal. I had a '68 vette drove every winter and never saw any paint problems. Same with other Vette owners I knew. Salt causes electrolysis with metal, not fiberglass.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Orlando Florida
Originally Posted by scrannel
Paint & salt? I lived in Vermont most of my life and saw cars that looked like they'd been eaten alive -- but that was metal. I had a '68 vette drove every winter and never saw any paint problems. Same with other Vette owners I knew. Salt causes electrolysis with metal, not fiberglass.
Whew.....that makes me feel better
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From: Plano Texas
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Originally Posted by VET4LES
I guess that's why people that live in the cold part's of the US store their Corvette's for the winter.
And if I lived thee, or they did this 'road service' here in DFW land, mine would be in the garage 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Malibu California
But that doesn't mean frame and other metal shouldn't be kept clean. Salt goes after metal primarily when it's in solution. On my yacht, around the props and shafts, they have "sacrificial anodes" which "attract" the salt and get eaten up leaving the props and shafts clear. So if you hose the stuff off your frame etc., do a good job. Also, some kind of mud flaps help just because there's so much crap on the road in winter.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Whitehall PA
Originally Posted by scottypman
Up here in NY we just had snow and there's tons of salt on the road.....How bad is it for the paint? Will it cause any long term damage?
Last edited by Marina Blue; Dec 5, 2005 at 08:12 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Bay Area Ca.
road salt
I have hauled bulk road salt for Caltrans, ( California ), as well as bulk salt for water softners plants. Salt will play havoc on anything unpainted that is ferrous metal. Electrical wireing as well will take a big hit. It gets into every nook and crany. When being washed off it will dilute some and still be forced its way into and under joints and fittings. In a short time rust from under the paint will start to bubble. Nasty stuff. Just being around the salt plant makes things rust. Don't know what to tell you. Other than the big rig I really don't drive on salted roads. Can waste a $200,000 tractor trailer unit in a few years if working with bulk salt everyday. Aluminum is the only answer besides stainless steel Oh ya and the fiberglass ( like ) corvette!! Will pit chrome too if not wiped aff frequently.
Good luck
Good luck
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From: . [Rotorhead] "You seem to be a douche. What I'm getting at is just STFU" [/Rotorhead]
St. Jude Donor '06 & '09 & '11
It's a car. I'm really tired of the holier than thou "I would never drive a vette in the winter" BS. I'm glad so many people have the funds for multiple cars and multiple places to store them. I could afford another car, but why bother? I've got a 3 car garage and 3 cars. I'm not keeping one on the drive just so my vette can sit untouched in the garage. It's a car and I'll drive it. And when it gets old, I'll get a new one. By then my kids won't be living at home and taking up a spot in the garage.
Enjoy your vette. Salt won't hurt it any more or less than any other. Try to keep it clean and try to keep a good coat of wax on it. It'll be fine.
Enjoy your vette. Salt won't hurt it any more or less than any other. Try to keep it clean and try to keep a good coat of wax on it. It'll be fine.
Last edited by Jay13; Dec 5, 2005 at 10:52 PM. Reason: Correct multiple typos.
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Originally Posted by Jay13
Its a car. I'm really tired of the holier than thou "I would never drive a vette in the winter" BS. I'm glad so many people have the funds for multiple cars and multiple places to store them. I could afford another car, but why bother? I've got a 3 car garage and 3 cars. I'm not keeping one on the drive just so my vette can sit untouched in the garage. Its a car and I'll drive it. And when it gets old, I'll get a new one. Bythen my kids won't beliving at home and taking up a spot in the garage.
Enjoy your vette. Salt won't hurt is any more or less than any other. Try to keep it clean and try to keep a good coat of wax on it. It'll be fine.
Enjoy your vette. Salt won't hurt is any more or less than any other. Try to keep it clean and try to keep a good coat of wax on it. It'll be fine.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,174
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From: NOVA VA
I must agree that I get pretty sick of people who treat their cars better than people (aka....i store my car for the winter in a heated garage, blah blah)
In my opinion, driving it in the winter means that you just have to be a bit more diligent about washing it, esp after it snows and before it rains again. Unfortunately, that salt can stay on the roads till it rains a time or two.
All in all, Just Drive it.
They make rust proofing spray that you can coat the bottom of the car with. I haven't tried it yet, but I am told that if you keep up with it every year before the roads get like that, then it will be fine.
You just have to wash the salt off on soon as you can.
In my opinion, driving it in the winter means that you just have to be a bit more diligent about washing it, esp after it snows and before it rains again. Unfortunately, that salt can stay on the roads till it rains a time or two.
All in all, Just Drive it.
They make rust proofing spray that you can coat the bottom of the car with. I haven't tried it yet, but I am told that if you keep up with it every year before the roads get like that, then it will be fine.
You just have to wash the salt off on soon as you can.