So it's snowing here in NC:santa:, and, being from Cali, I don't know the effect this is going to have on my car. My truck is back in Cali, but I got a Prelude out here (see my 30mpg post). The car has a few dings in it where the bare metal is showing. I can't really afford a new paint job and my apt. complex doesn't have any covered car ports. Am I screwed? I wouldn't normally care, but I want to sell it in a few years and don't want the body panels to turn to swiss cheese. Any ideas?

 

Its not the snow that cause's rust its the stuff they put on the roads aka salt. If you don't let the salt stay on there long you should be fine.

 

Yeah the snow isn't what rusts the vehicles out. Salt on the roads, and in the case of coastal areas, salt in the air from the ocean. My 1990 MX-6 came from Alberta, where they see plenty of snow but don't use salt on the roads, so there's little rust on the car (compared to local ones of the same age, anyways).

 

Thanks for the info guys. Does it still apply if I have bare metal showing?

 

Keep the bare metal clean and dry if possible. At the very least you could spray the bare metal with WD40 although it's light stuff. If you can go to an auto parts store and get a can of "rust check" then use that. Even better would be a spray can of "Krown" but I don't think you can get it down there. Take a look at some of the older cars for sale in Canada and you can see what salt will do to a car, soryta like swiss cheese.

 

hmmm, i don't think they sell any of those products out here, you think an auto store would have something similar? or maybe just some duct tape

 

If the bare spots aren't rusted just get some touch up paint and put on them. And keep it washed constantly! I just gathered $29 in quarters and am goin to the car wash before work tomorrow because my truck hasn't been washed in a week and instead of bein tan and white it's all white now! I doubt I'll be usin all $29 but ya never know!

 

that's the thing, the spots have some surface rust already from when I bought it. Maybe I'll sand it down when this snow melts and get some touch up paint. any place to get that besides a dealership

 

Well thats why we run to the store for milk and bread.

1) Soak bread in Milk
2) Rub bread on bare metal spots
3) swab up any remaining milk on car with a dry slice of bread

 

seriously? What's that going to do?

 

Not a damn thing except make your bread soggy.

 

Taking advantage of us Californians, good thing I didn't have milk in the fridge.

 

I thought the "slow" part of your name referred to your truck. Guess you meant your mental capacity.


Sorry to flame you, I've lived in the South my whole life and I have no idea why we do the bread/milk thing. Don't worry about the rust issue as this is one of the worst winters I can remember. That being said, it definately does not come with the problems people have in the North with the salts and saline sprays used.

 

Shoot, I thought people in the south were nice... what happened to "southern hospitality?"

well, since my truck is supercharged, I guess the slow does refer to me

 

Why not sand the rust off and spray any bare metal parts with primer? It doesn't sound like you want the car to be a "thing of beauty", at least not right now, but that would protect it.

- Jack