Living coastal, tricks and travails?

[Jeremy]

The only completely rust free vehicle I ever owned was sold last fall. If I can get the Wrangler running well again, maybe I'll just watch it or the e36 rust into oblivion.

Is your E36 rusty? Most aren't.

-tammer

Rust hole the size of a softball in the rocker behind the front wheel well, bubbling along the rock guards other spots on the rockers, and paint bubbles under the trunk lid. As a whole it's not bad, but those spots are.

[BDK]

I really can't see the salt air being able to totally destroying your car...
That almost sounds like an urban legend to me..

Want to know how the Navy and everyone else tests the durability of anti corrosion coatings?

Salt fog test.

This is how we compare our anti corrosion coatings to others. Some of the coatings last only hours in the tests, some days, some to completion of the test. Uncoated steel and aluminum are destroyed quickly. The best coatings protect even when compromised, like galvanized coatings. Paint does not. Nicked undercoating does not. Areas that are crimped and not easily cleaned can trap salt and cause rust. It is nothing like an urban legend.

SO, I take that you're comparing a salt fog test to salt air experienced by living near the ocean?

Two different animals,
salt spray and salt air are two animals too...

A navy ship sitting in salt water is much different than a car sitting on dry land and experiencing the effects of salt air...

The concentrations of salt are much different and I still say the Salt Brine that they spray on Northern roads is many times more corrosive than salt air...

I think your comparison of a Salt Fog test would be closer to the Salt Brine than normal every day salt air one would experience by living in a coastal environment...

[mooseheadm5]

The salt air is obviously a lower concentration of salt, but that is how coatings are tested for corrosion. Obviously you want a higher concentration of salt if you are testing something to failure or it would take too long.

Salt spray (fog) testing is the most popular form of testing for protective coatings. These tests have been used for more than 90 years as accelerated (my emphasis) tests in order to determine the degree of protection afforded by both inorganic and organic coatings on a metallic substrate. The most widely used salt spray (fog) tests are described below.

The neutral salt spray (fog) test (ASTM B 117): is perhaps the most commonly used salt spray test in existence for testing inorganic and organic coatings, in particular where such tests are used for material or product specifications. The duration of the test can range from 8 to over 3000 hours, depending on the product. A 5% sodium chloride solution containing not more than 200 parts per million (ppm) total solids and with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.2 is used. The temperature of the salt spray chamber is controlled to maintain 35 + 1.1 or – 1.7Þ C (95 + 2 or -3Þ F) within the exposure zone of the closed chamber.

It should be pretty obvious that I wasn't saying that the car will disintegrate in hours by being parked near the beach, but salt in air + moisture (or high humidity) = accelerated corrosion. It is even strong enough to break through the self protecting alumina layer that forms on aluminum and protects it. Exposure to salt air can corrode anodized aluminum. I got a motorcycle that had lived in Wilmington, NC near the beach for a couple of years. The frame was crusty and the motor was almost fluffy with corrosion wherever the paint was missing.

[Tammer in Philly]

The only completely rust free vehicle I ever owned was sold last fall. If I can get the Wrangler running well again, maybe I'll just watch it or the e36 rust into oblivion.

Is your E36 rusty? Most aren't.

-tammer

Rust hole the size of a softball in the rocker behind the front wheel well, bubbling along the rock guards other spots on the rockers, and paint bubbles under the trunk lid. As a whole it's not bad, but those spots are.

Wow. The only E36 I've seen with rust as bad as you describe is a friend's dedicated winter car in Ohio. It rarely gets washed and it gets salted for 4 months of the year.

The profligate use of salt in this region of the country for even modest snowfalls is galling. It's expensive, terrible for the environment, terrible on cars, and it's not even useful because they don't plow efficiently. Spreading salt on 6" of snow without plowing it doesn't help. Then you get a week of deep, salty slush that sprays everything. It's frustrating, to say the least.

-tammer (needs to POR the entire Touring undercarriage to withstand this stuff)

[sQuirly]

recently my company sent a coworker to Newport News VA for a 1 year assignment.

from what I remember there were good apartments at the opposite end of the James River bridge.

he mentioned it was a good area and there were a bunch of bike groups running through the area and the 6 mile drive across the bridge with really annoying expansion joints.

don't know if that helps

[bwenham]

My GF lived in Va beach a mile or two from the beach and she really enjoyed it.

Few things:
Think about where your source of employment will be, you don't want to be crossing the bay bridge or tunnel every day. Traffic sucks ass and there are frequently 1-2 hr delays on both. Try to plan to work close by where you live to reduce the commute time.
Summer tourist season sucks also. The boardwalk part of the beach is typical tourist junk.

Good luck w/ the search.
Brian

[oldskool]

All rust issues aside, rent a house closest to the ocean and harvest as much poon as you can. It will be walking past your house on a daily basis, on vacation and away from home
Bring a basket because the offerings change out every week with the summer rental cycle and your friends will appreciate the overflow of bounty.

[Karl Grau]

Do you guys replace your cars once a year, or are you maybe exaggerating just a tiny bit? Cus your kinda makin it sound like its a caustic fog daily.

Exaggerating? Moi?

[George]

All rust issues aside, rent a house closest to the ocean and harvest as much poon as you can. It will be walking past your house on a daily basis, on vacation and away from home
Bring a basket because the offerings change out every week with the summer rental cycle and your friends will appreciate the overflow of bounty.

This

[chrism]

Wow, are those date stamps right??

WTF happened?? I know Ted Kennedy didn't get ahold of it

Do you guys replace your cars once a year, or are you maybe exaggerating just a tiny bit? Cus your kinda makin it sound like its a caustic fog daily.

Exaggerating? Moi?

[BDK]

Exaggerating? Moi?

[/quote]


Isn't that the time capsule car, Charles?
The one buried under ground for like 50yrs and the vault leaked and had been filled with ground water?

But that is a good example of what was being described by some.....

[derrith]

All rust issues aside, rent a house closest to the ocean and harvest as much poon as you can. It will be walking past your house on a daily basis, on vacation and away from home
Bring a basket because the offerings change out every week with the summer rental cycle and your friends will appreciate the overflow of booty.

[tsmall07]

Rust hole the size of a softball in the rocker behind the front wheel well, bubbling along the rock guards other spots on the rockers, and paint bubbles under the trunk lid. As a whole it's not bad.

My 83 eta originates from Hawaii hardly any rust really. Biggest hoes where in floor pan about the size of a silver dollar.

You northern guys have a screwed up view of the phrases "hardly any rust" and "it's not that bad".

[Jeremy]

A "rusty car" is one with that kind of rust everywhere. When it's only in certain select areas, it's just beginning. Cars can go years in that condition before earning the distinction of "rust bucket". If I were to wash and wax the car and take pictures from front-left angles, you'd think the car was in great shape.

But yea, our standards are most definitely different. Which is why I wonder about everyone saying the coast eats cars. I can't imagine it being much worse than living in Massachusetts. They're in love with the salt up there. Going north from there it only gets worse. VT/NH/ME cars that are driven year round disintegrate quickly.

Jeremy

[m-racer]

Buckroe Beach is in Hampton. The general area that surrounds it (45 min radius), is terrific. In my opinion, the Tidewater area is one of the best places I have ever lived (and there have been many). There is plenty to do, it has water everywhere and the natural environment and temps are good except for very hot Summers. My home in Va. is about 1/2 hr. from there. Forget the rust issue. I have had some fairly valuable cars, some of which sat outside, as I have a small garage, and I have never seen a rust problem much different than the other areas I have lived. One Winter in the NE will do more damage than a bunch of atmospheric salt from being near the coast. As compared with say Va. Beach, the tourist thing is a much lesser issue as well. I fI lived in the NE and had a chance to live in Tidewater, I would be putting Conn. in the rearview. Just my opinion, maybe the snow heading your way will add clarity. Good luck.

[Duke]

I lived in Oceanside, CA for three years. One street east of PCH....I LOVED IT. I was a 5 minute jog to the pier and the beach....loved running the beach.

I would love to live near the beach again. Just wash the car once a week with clean water...get a long handled sprayer to get the underside.

Don't worry, be happy.

[wkohler]

Go to the yards in San Diego. The cars rust from the top down.

[e281985]

My car was very rusty before I came down to Florida, but I still make it a point to wash it once a week, especially after I have been on A1A. I spray the underside off every few times. After I ride my bike down A1A my face becomes completely encrusted in salt, not visible but I can feel it, and this is even with a slow ride not breaking a sweat. I pretty much treat the car like I did during Cleveland winters, although the washes were sometimes delayed then because it was too damn cold. As long as you keep the salt off as much as possible and keep the underside undercoated/clean, I don't think you'll have any problems. I should also include the car sits outside, under a cover 99% of the time about 1.75 miles (due west) from the ocean.
Hope that helps.

[KillerPM]

Jersey Shore?

[Jeremy]

Jersey Shore?

No.

Tim, yea, it's the Tidewater area. There seems to be places within it to avoid, but even the "bad" areas don't seem too terrible to me. I've seen much much worse. Then again, I haven't seen or experienced much of it.