Not Racking Up The Miles This Summer

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, well I think I have only put ona 1000 miles this season since June 1st or there abouts.

This spring I painted the car, so in getting her on the road, I was about a month late.

Manitoba collector cars are generally on the road from the end of April till mid October, maybe later if the weather is nice and no snow.

Well this summer, it has been rainy and wet, now my car ain't made out of sugar, but I live on a gravel road, almost 3 miles from the paved highway.

So this road when it's raining is a real friggin mess, very poor quality materials, a real piss off, when there is real good material near-by, but the RM (aka County), will not spring for it.

Then when it rains this road gets full of pot holes and such, so what does the County do, it grades it, as my road is a main road to a counrty village and sub-divison, it is well travelled, a counter estimated a few years ago, close to a 1000 passes in a week.

As soon as the road is graded, everything is dry, so the road is one big dust bowl, they do not use dust control on the entire road, only in front of the 10 houses or so on this road, so maybe 1/4 of the road is dust controlled.

Today was a beautiful day, but could not leave the driveway, (Norm I know how you feel now), okay just joking. My car would be a big dust bowl, by the time I reached the highway, so now I have to wait for it to rain, then the fresh graded road will flatten out, and hopefully they leave it that way for a while.

Not looking for sympathy, not belly-aching, just a fact of life for me. We are not moving, a half decent home in this are is between $250000 and $300000, fora decent family home nothing fancy.

I was thinking instead of a 47 Chrysler Coupe, should gotta 40s or 50s Fargo or Dodge pick-up truck, and left her on the rough side, and would not matter if I drove it on any gravel road.

The gravel dust washes off easy enough on the exterior, but gets into everything underneath and finds it's way itnot the trunk and inside the car too. I have it sealed pretty good, but it still comes in.

Any of you in similar boats..............Dirty Dusty Rockwood

[Joe Flanagan]

I'm not sure if this is a myth but I read somewhere that when these cars were new, they would spray oil on the undercarriage and then take a drive on a dusty road just like the one you describe. That, supposedly, would form an impermeable coating, kind of like primitive rustproofing. If you've ever scraped off the oil, grease, and dirt off the underside of one of these things and seen how clean the metal is beneath, you can see why the idea came up. Whether it's true or not, who knows?

[55 Fargo]

Fred' date='

Just drive and don't worry about it. If it gets messed up, you can always fix it again. The rain and mud won't hurt the car, and the gravel will hit it when the road is wet or dry from the tires kicking it up.

In the past, the primary reason I didn't drive my coupe much is because, it was too much of a pain to get out of the garage and around my van in the driveway. After trading the van for a new car last Friday, decided to put the new car in the garage and leave the coupe outside in the spot I use to park the van. Did that on Monday. Since then I've driven the coupe twice. It's also rained pretty good a couple of days in a roll. The coupe didn't melt when it got wet. Look at this way. What happens if you were to go out of town to a show with your Chrysler. You'd have to park it outside overnight for at least one night in a hotel parking lot. Not only is that worse than parking in your driveway, it's going to get wet.[/quote']

Hi Norm, your correct on the cars being able to withstand the rain, dust, ect, they can be cleaned off.

The stuff they use today for dust control is calcium based, it is nasty stufff, so when that stuff flies unerd the car and is wet, and stickes to metal surfaces it can take it's toll.

I am not carzy about the car getting all dusty looking when out for a cruise, as I like to have it clean looking, so maybea little fussy. But you talked me into it Norm, will go for a drive tomorrow morning, dusty or not........Fred

[55 Fargo]

I'm not sure if this is a myth but I read somewhere that when these cars were new, they would spray oil on the undercarriage and then take a drive on a dusty road just like the one you describe. That, supposedly, would form an impermeable coating, kind of like primitive rustproofing. If you've ever scraped off the oil, grease, and dirt off the underside of one of these things and seen how clean the metal is beneath, you can see why the idea came up. Whether it's true or not, who knows?

Joe, not sure or not if if was a Myth either, but a lot of old cars seem to have a dusty oil combo under side, mine did in areas, but also had undercoating too.

These cars are meant to be driven, just not crazy about getting them all dirty and dusty if i can avoid it, I don't mind it getting rained on, that is not dirty mud and gravel caking on uinderneath, that looks like brick mortar......Fred

[greg g]

I havn't put many miles on mine this Summer either. Lot of rain on cruise nights, and puttering on the Studebaker curtailed a lot of running around. Probably put about 800 miles on during our trip to Westminster, MD in September. Then make another trip in October for a show about 90 miles away. So i will be short of 2K for the year. Now i don't know if I should change the oil or not....................

[55 Fargo]

I havn't put many miles on mine this Summer either. Lot of rain on cruise nights, and puttering on the Studebaker curtailed a lot of running around. Probably put about 800 miles on during our trip to Westminster, MD in September. Then make another trip in October for a show about 90 miles away. So i will be short of 2K for the year. Now i don't know if I should change the oil or not....................

Greg, Sounds like you will have a couple nice trips in the car yet, before winter sets in.

I know someday down the road, I will get more use of my car, and will also be able to throw more money at her to get things done.

1 of the reasons I did a cheap do -it your self paint job, was because of the road I live on, no way I would pay anymore than a Maaco type paint price to drive on a gravel road......Fred

[Frank Elder]

Greg, Sounds like you will have a couple nice trips in the car yet, before winter sets in......Fred

You ain't ready for winter already are you Fred? Better dust off that Manitoba thread.

[Captain Neon]

I haven't driven my old car much either. She's been in the garage since Memorial Day. Too much time at my paying job and too many rainy Sundays. When the rain lets up, I end up spending what precious few daylight hours I have left mowing lawn. Since the sidewalks all roll up around here about sundown, there's no where to go then. I am looking forward to Labour Day weekend, though. I get a whole three days off.

[1940plymouth]

I have been driving my Plymouth since Feb this year. I have just over 1400 miles on the old thing this season. Plus the Plymouth has sat outside all summer, but does stay inside during the winter months. The paint is getting rough, but I do give her a sponge bath time to time and some wax, but not as often as I should.

[55 Fargo]

Man did it rain here from 0200 AM till about 0300 AM, so the road is like wet mortar, the good news it will be nice to drive once dried, maybe late today or tomorrow.

Country life, my car probably saw a lot of dirty gravel roads in it's day, as it came from Hillbilly country......Fred

[Plymouthy Adams]

hey..who you calling a hillbilly you durn flatlander

[55 Fargo]

Hey Tim, got hill country here too, well a little further west, Riding Mountains, and further west the fotthills of the Rockies.

I meant odd old plain country folks...........LOL

[PatS....]

Fred, I think the reason your car is in such good condition is because it was a country car on gravel roads.

No salt.

Drive it off the gravel and stop at a wand wash for a quick rinse and carry on smilin' !

As far as the oil and dust go, it may be because back then they would spray used oil on the roads to keep the dust down, decidedly environmentally unfriendly but they didn't think of it back then.

Here, they oiled the city streets because not all were paved. I remember the horrible mess it made of the cars that drove on those roads for a few days after the fresh oil was applied.

If they drove on the fresh oil and then to a dusty gravel road, of which there were many back then, then they would get the coating by default.

Judging by the rust on those old cars from around here, it wasn't too effective a coating. Anything prone to rust was sure to be rusted fairly well around here. The late 50's Mopars didn't last 10 years here and they were gone, the 70's Fords were gone quick as well.

So, as long as it's just gravel and dust, rinse it off in town and carry on!!!

[Don Coatney]

I am way short on miles this year but my reason is work. Lisa and I have been talking about a coast to coast trip after retierment.

[55 Fargo]

I am way short on miles this year but my reason is work. Lisa and I have been talking about a coast to coast trip after retierment.

Don, that sounds like a great trip, if you ever come north into my part of Canada, be sure to le me know, get together for some chow somewhere.....

[55 Fargo]

Pat, Rural Alberta is known for well preserved old cars, as is Sask, guess Calgary used to pour on the salt like crazy.

My car is from a place called Amaranth, very sandy soil, and all gravel roads, even the highway into the town was gravel till 49 or 50 my Mom told me today.

The only reason it had floor rot and rocker rot, was it was no doubt on the ground for 15 to 20 years, the rust under the back seat and some in the trunk was a result of no back window for many years too, otherwise that is not a trouble spot for rust.

The gravel is not going to hurt the car, it is pain, but not harmful, it is the new "Dust Control", which is calcium/sodium based, when this stuff is wet, and sticking uner the car, it is very corrosive.

To tell you the truth, the whole under carriage does not get dusted , it is the wheel wells, the rocker area, that get it the worse, and off course the front end if greasy or an oily motor bottom will attract the dust big time too.

I just have to drive whenI can, and deal with as I go, living on 3 miles of gravel road is not really a classic car thing, but live and carry on..........

[Captain Neon]

They experimented in Southern Minnesota with a soybean oil based dust control product. It worked great! It turned a gravel road into practically black-top for a summer. I guess it is more expensive than the corrosive stuff. I've never seen any county or township road agencies make use of the stuff. I told myself if I ever ended up living on a gravel road that I'd at least look into the cost to put that stuff down to the nearest blacktop.

[Captain Neon]

I am way short on miles this year but my reason is work. Lisa and I have been talking about a coast to coast trip after retierment.

I happen to love vacationing in my P15. The only reason that I ever fly is due to time constraints. The actual act of flying doesn't bother me. I've even gone skydiving. What I don't like is airport security and the tiny seats they cram us into in coach. If I could afford my own plane, I'd fly all the time.

I'd be very interested in knowing how big the seats are from the US to Oz (Australia). I've priced coach and business class. I was very surprised just how much more it cost to fly business class. I was expecting 50% to double, and was very surprised when I was quoted US$6K/seat. I'm 6'2" and 260#. I get anxious flying between MCI and JFK much less LAX to Sydney. I've even considered getting a business class seat for myself and coach for my much smaller wife, but I'm sure all of the other married guys can imagine how well that would go over...

[TJM70's_48]

I live on a dirt road and I can vouch for the damage done by the calcium chloride dust control. I can't keep a new car nice...stuff that normally doesn't rust, rusts.

Since getting my P-15 in April, I've avoided driving it on our roads when they are wet...the mud is tenacious...and I keep it inside.

We used a product called Coherex one year, but the yahoo who applied it and graded / rolled the roads didn't do it right so the borough council gave up on it as a failed experiment. It was probably similar to the soybean based idea mentioned above.

[55 Fargo]

I live on a dirt road and I can vouch for the damage done by the calcium chloride dust control. I can't keep a new car nice...stuff that normally doesn't rust' date=' rusts.

Since getting my P-15 in April, I've avoided driving it on our roads when they are wet...the mud is tenacious...and I keep it inside.

We used a product called Coherex one year, but the yahoo who applied it and graded / rolled the roads didn't do it right so the borough council gave up on it as a failed experiment. It was probably similar to the soybean based idea mentioned above.[/quote']

This stuff is wicked, I cannot keep my daily driver looking good, 50% of the time, my Wife has a 2007 Pontiac Torrent, same thing.

We also hada 1994 Ford Ranger truck, nice little machine, the rear leaf spring shackles and mounts rusted right out, I have never seen this ona vehicle in my area before.

I blame the Calcium Chloride for this.......

[greg g]

The other thing you need to watch for on Fords was sombody over there thought it would be a good idea to powder coat the frame and other under vehicle stuff. this is a really bad idea in area where there are rocks and corrosive ice control chemicals. Since powder coat does not have a mechanical or chemical bond with the metal under it any chip or scratch is a way for moisture and the corrosives to get under the wounded margins of the chip, after a year or two it ain't pretty under there. It kinda like the peel on an onion, once stuff gets under it it comes off pretty easily in big chunks and sheets.

[55 Fargo]

You know Norm, in the cae of this 1994 Ranger, it had next to no body rust, only a little surface rust where the paint chipped or peeled off.

The rockers and cab corner were in great shape, the tail gate was beat up the some surface rust.

This truck was driven 140000 miles in 15 Manitoba winter too, so she fared very well.

I see more rusted out S10s than any other small truck up here, not sure why, Dakotas seem to do okay also.....Fred

[Young Ed]

I had to change the oil in my p15 before heading to S dakota this past weekend as I had about 2k miles on it already. Now put about 600 miles on traveling to aberdeen s dakota and back. First long distance trip in the old car without a group of other old cars. Little nervous but made it fine. About 1/2 way home it seems like it was slightly overcharging. Otherwise perfect.

[Plymouthy Adams]

it was getting barn fever Ed...had a barn fever horse once..other than killing it you sometimes just have to live with a few things..

[BobT-47P15]

I live in town, on a paved street......so can't use the dust excuse.

Just haven't had time to get to the various car shows, etc due to other

commitments, mainly the music job. Or having to be out of town.

Doubt that I've put 100 miles on the car all summer. Hopefully next year

will be better.