I had my 2001 Chev Astro in the local shop for some work recently and the mechanic remarked on how nice it was to work on a rust free vehicle. I bought it from East Coast Mojo in North Carolina. All my used cars are going to come from the south from now on.
Tom_Spangler wrote: While I do hate winter and rust, I have to admit the lack of nasty creatures is a nice side benefit.
Raid is easy to use...
I have never seen a black widow. Or a python. Or a rattlesnake. Saw a water moccasin once but that was 25 years ago in Tampa. Have seen armadillos, but they are cute. The fish you guys catch in the Frozen Northlands are the size we use for bait. The only cars we see with rust are tourists from New York and Wisconsin. So, you guys can rationalize all you want, but Florida rocks for car guys. 12 months a year. Nyahh!!
In reply to JThw8:
hey jim, it also looks like your caliper piston is no longer retracting and you had either a bent backing plate on that inboard pad or there was no friction material left and you were metal to metal. if you're reusing those calipers, better pull 'em apart and make sure the pistons and guide pins are free to move.
paranoid_android74 wrote:Grtechguy wrote: on the other hand.... we don't have very many nasty bugs move into our projects.Amen to that! Not to mention earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and what not. Or animals that will eat you.
(confession: posting without reading entire thread)
we are also surrounded by the largest fresh-water reservoirs on the planet. :-)
Grtechguy wrote: I've snapped rotors removing them from the car here in Michigan. The blue wrench and an 8lb mini sledge still took the better part of an hour per side. Living in the south to wrench on cars must be a beautiful thing. on the other hand.... we don't have very many nasty bugs move into our projects.
You obviously didn't see my barn full of widow spiders........
The wolf spider the size of a PB jar lid dragging a mouse across the floor was kinda "Ehhh, I think I'll go that way" moment.
I lived in the northeast for 45 years... I had a few cars rust away from underneath me (2 Volvo 1800s, MkII Supra, All-Trac Corolla wagon)
every christmas... I'd give my car (AE86) to my body guy... and ask him to fix the previous years decay... it was just like any other form of maintenance.... expect it, plan for it... and it has less of an effect.
been living out west for the past 8... and I haven't had to plan for that expense
AngryCorvair wrote: In reply to JThw8: hey jim, it also looks like your caliper piston is no longer retracting and you had either a bent backing plate on that inboard pad or there was no friction material left and you were metal to metal. if you're reusing those calipers, better pull 'em apart and make sure the pistons and guide pins are free to move.
That was my first thought too but no, all the irregular wear is because the edges of the rotor rusted away, everything else is working correctly and there was still some (albeit little) material left on the pads.
Gearheadotaku wrote: Salt laughs at galvanized and cad plating. It's just a garnish. Been in MI my whole life, salt is a four letter word.
My Michigan car wasn't rusty until I brought it to Ohio.
The interesting part is that the gas pumps were also covered with about as much salt...
AngryCorvair wrote: if you're reusing those calipers, better pull 'em apart and make sure the pistons and guide pins are free to move.
That's funny.
I replace calipers as often as pads... usually, siezed calipers are the reason why the pads are bad to begin with.
I'm too cheap for that, though. I just torch the slide pins loose every few months.
For what it's worth,. I don't mind the salt. It ensures that I don't have to work on old junk that you can't get parts for. By the time the car is 10-15 years old, no need to worry about hunting down weird NLA crap.
It sucks a little because I like older imports, but salt-free areas are only a few hours away.
TRoglodyte wrote: When Maxwell House went to plastic what are y'all doing about exhaust repair now?
Oddly enough, the OE exhaust system usually outlasts the rest of the car unless it's been damaged by backing into a curb or something.
Knurled wrote: For what it's worth,. I don't mind the salt. It ensures that I don't have to work on old junk that you can't get parts for. By the time the car is 10-15 years old, no need to worry about hunting down weird NLA crap. It sucks a little because I like older imports, but salt-free areas are only a few hours away.
I guess it depends on what you're working on. I can throw a catalog at my 72 Firebird and get anything I need, but my 73 Volvo is a pain to find parts for.
The salt is so destructive. I can't believe no one has come up with a less wasteful solution to snow.
Knurled wrote: My Michigan car wasn't rusty until I brought it to Ohio.
I lived in Ohio for about 2 years. The dumbberkeleys who run the transportation departments over there don't actually plow the roads; they just dump salt. Seriously, I one time watched from my apartment window while there was over 6 inches of snow on the ground. The county plow trucks kept driving by on a US route, dumping salt on the road with the plows up in the air. I've got a picture someplace that shows what looks like a road covered in snow, but it isn't snow--it's SALT.
Drive down I-71 north of Columbus. All the trees along the highway are DEAD from all the salt runoff.
Here's my theory...
In the Great Lakes region, aka the Rust Belt, they make cars. (Less so nowadays, but the ideas here are old).
If they salt the roads heavily, your car rusts out. then you buy a new one. That's good for the local economy :)
Those same people must run things in Ann Arbor too. I swear this is the only city in Michigan where they don't plow. They plow the first big snowfall then salt the rest of the season.
Sky_Render wrote:Knurled wrote: My Michigan car wasn't rusty until I brought it to Ohio.I lived in Ohio for about 2 years. The dumbberkeleys who run the transportation departments over there don't actually plow the roads; they just dump salt. Seriously, I one time watched from my apartment window while there was over 6 inches of snow on the ground. The county plow trucks kept driving by on a US route, dumping salt on the road *with the plows up in the air.* I've got a picture someplace that shows what looks like a road covered in snow, but it isn't snow--it's SALT. Drive down I-71 north of Columbus. All the trees along the highway are DEAD from all the salt runoff.
I kinda like the way Michigan does it - they don't scrape down to pavement, they grade the snow.
OTOH it doesn't waver between 20 at night at 40 during the day, either. What gets froze stays froze.
yamaha wrote: The wolf spider the size of a PB jar lid dragging a mouse across the floor was kinda "Ehhh, I think I'll go that way" moment.
Are you Berking KIDDING ME! God that's freaky!
Sky_Render wrote:Knurled wrote: My Michigan car wasn't rusty until I brought it to Ohio.I lived in Ohio for about 2 years. The dumbberkeleys who run the transportation departments over there don't actually plow the roads; they just dump salt. Seriously, I one time watched from my apartment window while there was over 6 inches of snow on the ground. The county plow trucks kept driving by on a US route, dumping salt on the road *with the plows up in the air.* I've got a picture someplace that shows what looks like a road covered in snow, but it isn't snow--it's SALT. Drive down I-71 north of Columbus. All the trees along the highway are DEAD from all the salt runoff.
This. I've seen winter weather in about a dozen countries and three continents and Ohio is the only place I've ever seen where the DOT tries to match every inch of snow with two inches of salt. Makes no sense. And yeah, this stuff kills trees near the roads, but also fish for miles and miles. I assume someone with political connections must make a nickel off every ton of salt or something. 
old_gregg wrote: I also think it's funny how people on this forum talk about things like 80s Japanese cars like they exist in real life.
I drove my '86 CRX Si to work today. It exists, because I would have noticed if I had to walk 30 miles this morning 
.
ebonyandivory wrote:yamaha wrote: The wolf spider the size of a PB jar lid dragging a mouse across the floor was kinda "Ehhh, I think I'll go that way" moment.Are you Berking KIDDING ME! God that's freaky!
Situations like that are why "Nope" gifs were created.
They only get about as big as golf balls up here. Still nope-worthy. I remember hosing one out of the shop with a long, concentrated blast of water... then the bugger started running back in to the shop from about 20-30 feet away.
Is why all my vehicles have been silver, pewter etc. for over ten years now. Salt or dirt for that matter doesn't show as much.
... and people thought they were just geezer colors.
In reply to fasted58:
Uh, that's why they're geezer colors.
AngryCorvair wrote:paranoid_android74 wrote:(confession: posting without reading entire thread) we are also surrounded by the largest fresh-water reservoirs on the planet. :-)Grtechguy wrote: on the other hand.... we don't have very many nasty bugs move into our projects.Amen to that! Not to mention earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and what not. Or animals that will eat you.
Its a good thing we don't have state inspections in Michigan. Most of the cars I used to own would not have passed due to rust.
When it snows we have free outdoor coolers.
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