Preventing Rust from Road Salt

Nate Nagel wrote:
> On 01/15/2011 11:03 PM, econo_cars wrote:
>> "Nate Nagel" wrote
> That seems to be a dying breed around here

Mainly because of two things. One is the folks who bring in something
that shouldn't be washed in there, like hosing down old greasy
engines/tractors/and similar. This crap plugs the drains and recycling
filters. Another item that falls in there are the mud covered 4X4s and 4
wheelers. Nothing like having big globs of mud all over the floor to
attract customers.
Another reason is cost of operations. Taxes/water/soap/fuel for the
heaters, all cost money and unless you get a lot of customers it is hard
to break even.
Add to the above that the vehicles owner has to get out in whatever
temperature it is, chance getting wet/dirty from accidental blasts and
you end up with a wet vehicle with locks/windows and such that ice up.

With the drive through you just pull up. Pay the money/enter the code.
Door opens you drive in. Stop, put car in park and drink your warm
coffee while sitting inside the warm car and let the machine do the
work. Then drive out through the driers and let them blow dry most of
the vehicle.

Even these places get replaced though. Near me an outfit built a nice
NEW drive in wash place with 5 bays and 2 manual bays. Was great and
lasted about 1 full year. Then a drug store chain decided they wanted to
build a new store on the same corner. The owner didn't want to sell at
first, Then the town got involved and more or less forced him to sell.

Now the closest auto unit to me is 24 miles away. The closest manual is
about 7.

>
>> There are always family and friends too.
>
> yes, just use people

And **** off their neighbors as well as risk getting fined for the
run-off from your vehicle (yes there are a bunch of places where washing
your vehicle in the family driveway is illegal)

>
>> Surely not everyone you know lives in an apartment building.
>
> I live just outside of DC. Yeah, unless you're rich, you do. (or a
> condo complex)

Well you just need to make friends with that guy at 1600 Penn. Ave.
There is a HUGE lawn there and lot's of hot water.....

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


>
> nate
>
>

>"Nate Nagel" wrote:
>
>> Econo-cars wrote:
>> There are always family and friends too.
>>
>
> yes, just use people
>

LOL, you don't buy people a case of beer or something else of a value equal
to the favor? Even my youngest knows if you ask for a favor you offer
something up in exchange.

Econo-cars

On 01/17/2011 02:38 PM, econo_cars wrote:
>> "Nate Nagel" wrote:
>>
>>> Econo-cars wrote:
>>> There are always family and friends too.
>>>
>>
>> yes, just use people
>>
>
> LOL, you don't buy people a case of beer or something else of a value equal
> to the favor? Even my youngest knows if you ask for a favor you offer
> something up in exchange.
>
> Econo-cars
>
>

Do you really know someone who'd just let you use their driveway for
several hours every week, or more than once a week? because really, in
the winter around here, if there's any precipitation your car is white
and crusted with salt within 20 miles of leaving the car wash.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel > wrote in
:


> in the winter around here, if there's any precipitation your car is
> white and crusted with salt within 20 miles of leaving the car wash.
>




Around here, if there's ANY sort of moisture on the road, the car is dirty
again after about 10 seconds.


--
Tegger

> wrote in message
...
> Why not use a spray wand with your water hose connected to your hot
> water heater? That would be better than nothing.It would be simple
> enough to make something from a few pieces of plastic pipe with some
> holes drilled into the pipe.Lay it on your driveway and drive back and
> forth and rinse off the salty water crud.
> cuhulin

A normal residential hot water heater doesnt have the capacity. At our
car wash, we have a large industrial heater and that will do the job.
Luckily here in the deep South, we seldom have the problem of freezing
weather and salt on the roads.. (It is freezing tonight however).

In Norway, we had indoor wash houses at the service stations. Our
cars normally came with special undercoat packages that prevented
a lot of the salt damage.. But in the long run, it is very very difficult to
salt-proof a car. Some of the Ford cars, for example, were dipped
in a zinc rich coating up to midway of the chassis, and these lasted a
long time.

On 2/3/2011 6:34 PM, hls wrote:
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> Why not use a spray wand with your water hose connected to your hot
>> water heater? That would be better than nothing.It would be simple
>> enough to make something from a few pieces of plastic pipe with some
>> holes drilled into the pipe.Lay it on your driveway and drive back and
>> forth and rinse off the salty water crud.
>> cuhulin
>
> A normal residential hot water heater doesnt have the capacity. At our
> car wash, we have a large industrial heater and that will do the job.
> Luckily here in the deep South, we seldom have the problem of freezing
> weather and salt on the roads.. (It is freezing tonight however).
>
> In Norway, we had indoor wash houses at the service stations. Our
> cars normally came with special undercoat packages that prevented
> a lot of the salt damage.. But in the long run, it is very very
> difficult to
> salt-proof a car. Some of the Ford cars, for example, were dipped
> in a zinc rich coating up to midway of the chassis, and these lasted a
> long time.

Salt only goes into high gear when it is warm enough to be wet. If it
stays real cold, or the salt stays dry, not much happens. Next time
Discovery shows some salt mine footage, look at how un-rusty the
machines are. Coated in salt dust, but because the mines are so dry, not
much happens. That is why heated garages make cars rust faster. The snow
pack melts, and the salt latches onto the steel, and does its thing.

--
aem sends...