How bad is that northern winter weather on vehciles?

[Blythewoodjoe]

I have a question about a vehicle I am looking at buying. It's not a MV but I was hoping to draw on you north east folks knowledge. I also figured info about how to manage rust can't be a bad thing to talk about. However, if the moderators or this forum remove this post, I understand. Just don't be mean to me

I live in the hot humid south. Everything down here rust. The humidity in the air will sometimes cause things stored in the shed to sweat. I love working outside in the sun everyday (say that with a very sarcastic tone). I am looking at a used truck a local used car snakesman is selling and it came from Pennsylvania. It's a 2002 F350. I am utterly amazed at the amount of rust under this truck. The body doesn't look bad, but the entire drive train is rusty. The drive shaft is a little pitted! The axles and frame are orange. Is this normal? How do you guys keep any vehicle on the road for over 10 years? My half track is rusty, but its 60 years old.

Now hears the advice that I think applies to the hobby. Is there anything that can be done to stop this rust? Is there anything you can spray on the drive shafts and frame to keep them from rotting away in a few years. If any of you guys have advice you don't feel comfortable putting on the forum, please feel free to PM me. I obviously have rust on my MV's but not like this. Plus they have a little more steel there and I have found a lot of paint tends to slow the rust down.

Thanks for the help guys,
Joe Trapp
Sunny SC

 

[DMgunn]

I live in ND, where thankfully they don't use too much salt. The rust is not bad here. However, in Minnesota, it is horrible. Most people I know will flat-out reject any potential purchase if it came from MN, without regard to miles, options, or whatever else. It's not nearly as bad as the past, before the zinc coatings and other rust-preventive measures, though.
The problem you mention is the same in MN, and to a lesser extent, SD. The vehicle may be exactly what you wanted, but every single time you have to do some maintenance or upgrade, you will wish you were dead. It's not just a cosmetic problem. Brake drums (I know, that truck doesn't have any), caliper pins, hoses, u-bolts, leaf spring bolts, exhaust, fuel lines - absolutely everything is a nightmare to work on, and when you finally finish, you are left wondering what you've got. I hate to sound so negative, but trust me, you will end up hating that pickup if it is more than surface rust. If you see metal scaling off anywhere, just run.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I hate to say it, but I'd walk away. If the frame is orange already (2002?) It was neglected.

 

[papercu]

weather

It not from the weather so much as the salt they put on the road so they can drive. Didn't take long to find out not to tailgate a salt spreader truck either. Think about taking your vehicle to the beach and driving in the salt water, it would soon be in the same shape.
Back in the past I went to the races at Daytona and just had to drive out in the ocean, much later I needed to change a tire and had to beat the wheel off with a sledge hammer. Wayne

 

[Blythewoodjoe]

I know what you guys mean. My bob deuce was a rust bucket. I didn't think much of it because I replaced the cab and fenders. Lots of stuff on it is not problem, but any bolts in the frame have to be torched. No way to unbolt. I expected the sheet metal to be a problem but the frame kind of surprised me. That's only because I sometimes find my head in my butt.

Joe Trapp

 

[mangus580]

If only you knew the half of it....

The salt is nasty. When I got my 1009, it was cleaner underneath than my brothers 2002 Pickup, and its 16 years older!

Its funny you are looking to the north for a vehicle, we usually look south

 

[yorkgulch2]

We actually had truck frames rust enough in WI that the truck would permenantly sag in the middle and crack. I would check for cracks, depth of pitting, and badly rusted bolts. Some of that orange may be from caustic mud causing surface rust. I have seen that on several m35's but don't know where it happened.

 

[doghead]

Salt damage in the northern NY area is extreme. I would walk the other way if you are looking at vehicles that have severe underside rust from salt damage.

 

[papercu]

winter

we usually look south

It's the old "The grass is always greener......." Wayne

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

I have a question about a vehicle I am looking at buying. It's not a MV but I was hoping to draw on you north east folks knowledge. I also figured info about how to manage rust can't be a bad thing to talk about. However, if the moderators or this forum remove this post, I understand. Just don't be mean to me

I live in the hot humid south. Everything down here rust. The humidity in the air will sometimes cause things stored in the shed to sweat. I love working outside in the sun everyday (say that with a very sarcastic tone). I am looking at a used truck a local used car snakesman is selling and it came from Pennsylvania. It's a 2002 F350. I am utterly amazed at the amount of rust under this truck. The body doesn't look bad, but the entire drive train is rusty. The drive shaft is a little pitted! The axles and frame are orange. Is this normal? How do you guys keep any vehicle on the road for over 10 years? My half track is rusty, but its 60 years old
Now hears the advice that I think applies to the hobby. Is there anything that can be done to stop this rust? Is there anything you can spray on the drive shafts and frame to keep them from rotting away in a few years. If any of you guys have advice you don't feel comfortable putting on the forum, please feel free to PM me. I obviously have rust on my MV's but not like this. Plus they have a little more steel there and I have found a lot of paint tends to slow the rust down.

Thanks for the help guys,
Joe Trapp
Sunny SC

I own a 2000 F-350 i bought from the state of pennsylvania also.It was used 43670 miles on it. The truck was beautiful, But it was orange underneath just as you describe. I start looking under the truck and find mud and stones up in the front bumper and the amount of rust was crazy. I think the truck was in the water!!! Ihave had it now for 7 years and havent had any problems with it other than the oilpan rusted out. Took me 20 hrs. to do that job. But when i read that it reminded me of my truck-2000-F-350 dual rear wheels 7.3 powerstroke 6speed trans eby aluminum gooseneck body. Nice truck other than the rusty under carrige. I wire wheelled as much as i could and then got crazy with the chassie black

Scott

 

[Blythewoodjoe]

RE: Re: How bad is that northern winter weather on vehciles?

Thanks for the info Scott. I am not lucky enough to have so little trouble. The guy wants too much for the truck down here too.

Joe Trapp

 

[jimk]

RE: Re: How bad is that northern winter weather on vehciles?

I'd suggest judging frame condition by amount of scale not the surface color. Southern PA gets a lot less snow[salt] than northern PA. Southern cars may get driven into rust belt [salt], or may have lived there before. One drive in the stuff and salt gets into cracks/seams/areas where it stays for a long long time, going to action whenever moisture is present. Action like 10x anything the humid south can offer. Worse than any beach as you drive in a continuous 60mph fog of salt in traffic.

Cheap remedy: get a plastic garden sprayer and fill with oil , spray frame when parked in the neighbors driveway.

My Fords:
90' Ranger +300K ,lower rail paper thin near tank, welded 4 times and cracked again.
97' Ranger orange but healthy
69' F350 Dump, clean, not run in winter anymore, welded one fatigue crack

I don't mind patching the Ranger. It has lived twice as long as most and is entitled to have issues.Spring hangers,body mounts, radiator support,trans cross member,doors, wheel openings... have been replaced too.Working under heavily rusty vehicles is a pain as stuff falls on you when disturbed. Every bolt is frozen. Bleeder screws don't exist here. NAPA parking brake cables last less than 1 year where the Ford ones might go 10. Mufflers 3 years max.

Most frames will get you to your next vehicle. JimK

 

[hummer4x4guy]

Here is what happened to my '87 humvee frame... of which that section there should be straight across, it was so bad one day I went to open the hood and it wouldnt open.

 

[pa.rich]

Salt, salt, salt, the worst thing for bare metal. And my theory is that bare metal will absorb the chemical salt. So even though you may rinse it , I think it doesnt help completely. I have experimented with it and even though I rinsed after a salt bath , it rusts profusely after contact even with rinse. Its bad stuff for steel as well as concrete.A vehicle run daily in the north to and from work, after 10 years it is rusted underneath pretty badly.

 

[Armada]

They'll even rust if they're not being driven in the salt, only not as bad. Condensation does bad things to metal also.

 

[TheRainbowBoxer]

LOL! I live in north-central Ohio, and was amazed when I traveled south... I saw vehicles that I didn't know still existed! Not MV's so much as things like 80's Rangers and Aerostars. The only way you can get more than 10-15 decent years out of stuff up here is to pressure wash the underside every time it thaws out enough to keep water wet.

As far as working under vehicles, I always seem to get rust in my eye... even if I'm wearing safety glasses. Road salt sucks.

 

[Armada]

Some of us northerners put up our vehicles during the winter and drive what is called a 'winter beater'. A vehicle that is aready rusty or doesn't matter if it gets rusty, it's a few years old, at the bottom of its value curve, paid for, usually a 4 door, not very pretty, and mechanically still has life left in it. Even if stored in a garage, park on plastic sheeting to keep the condensation that comes out of the cement from getting to the vehicle. Pour ice cold water in a glass and set outside in the sun, a car will drip water too when warm spring air hits cold cement.