Caution When Buying A Used Car On L.I. (roofing, living)

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

I do not know whether or not any of you have witnessed this, but every time there is storm and tide flooding on the south shore, I see people plowing through it to get back and forth with their cars. There was nearly an altercation when someone was going too fast and throwing a wake that was washing into someone's yard.

It might get to the point when they will need "5 MPH No Wake" street signs...

Do these people know this is SALT WATER? If you went to buy a used car, and the owner confessed driving it on ocean beaches through the surf, would you buy it?

[hotkarl]

It's part of east coast living.
If it's not directly driving through salt water, it's from driving here in the winter.
The road salt and sand mixed with precipitation get into every nook and cranny.
Unless you are psycho nut job OCD ADD like me and rinse off the bottom of your vehicle every storm there is nothing else you can do. Look under the vehicle when you are car shopping.

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

It's part of east coast living.
If it's not directly driving through salt water, it's from driving here in the winter.
The road salt and sand mixed with precipitation get into every nook and cranny.
Unless you are psycho nut job OCD ADD like me and rinse off the bottom of your vehicle every storm there is nothing else you can do. Look under the vehicle when you are car shopping.

I hear what you are saying, and indeed you may be correct on this, but I cannot imagine that the activity I am witnessing would not have more serious consequences. What I see equates my remembrance of the "amphibious car" they used to have on commercials (and I believe it was exhibited at one of the World's Fairs) back in the 1960's

[markjames68]

Once upon a time it was popular to get undercoating, before the advent of stainless steel and better paint techniques. I agree that washing the underneath of the car is a good idea when it warms up.

[hotkarl]

Im nuts.
I wash the underside after every storm.

Undercoating is horrible for your car. It traps the nasties and promotes rust.
It's great at hiding things though.

[mm3846]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Im nuts.
I wash the underside after every storm.

Undercoating is horrible for your car. It traps the nasties and promotes rust.
It's great at hiding things though.

Look into waxoyl or fluid film. It's applied seasonally. I'm taking the bed off my truck this spring, cleaning up the surface rust and brushing on some new chassis paint, then will do fluid film every winter.

[hotkarl]

Not a fan of coatings. For many reasons. Some products do work as described though.

[ovi8]

^ a lot of vehicles have easily-removable underbody panels now to protect it all.

[mm3846]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Not a fan of coatings. For many reasons. Some products do work as described though.

They work. Just washing underneath isn't enough.

[hotkarl]

The coatings on the underside of modern vehicles have come a long way just in the past 10-12 years, and continue to improve. Definitely not bullet proof but far more protective and durable than in the past.

I bought my first post-Sandy new vehicle a year and a half ago, and with my regular rinse and wash of the underside everything looks just as good as new. My 2002 pick up truck not so much.
That was a rusty bucket. I spent a month cleaning, restoring, and refinishing the underside to factory new condition using modern coatings. Same with that, regular wash and rinse and it still looks new after 2 or 3 years. No undercoating or amsol or wax coatings. Just paint.

Im not saying some of the rust proofing doesnt work, I'm just not a fan.
Undercoating on the other hand is pretty much a rusty death sentence for your vehicle.