SALT AND THE END RESULTS

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RACERROGER

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I am moving to Jamestown, NY where snow is bountiful. Everybody tells me to put my baby away until Spring but, I hate not being able to play with her during the snow season. I fear that I will go through withdrawal. How bad is salt on her if I wash her once a week? Would a professional wax job help? Please help as I may need to be instutionalized for Thunderbird Withdrawal. Is that covered under ESP?
 
Rogerracer,
Outer body panel corrosion perforation is covered 5yr/100,000mi. or 5yr/unlimited mi. under factory new vehicle warranty. ESP does not cover corrosion perforation. I'll have to check the manual to verify if factory coverage 100,00 or unlimited miles, but I'm sure about the 5 years.

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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V
 
I would say it all depends on what your plans are for the car. If you don't plan on keeping it for over 5 to 8 years. DRIVE IT.

But, if you are like me, and plan on willing it to someone. She is not going to see any weather were the salt/sandy stuff on the road could get on her. That's not saying when it is 20 below you couldn't drive it, because at that temp there is no water.

Mine currently does not have insurance, and find myself taking pride in the fact she is sitting there and I'm driving my F150 4X4.

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2002 Tbird - Yellow/white top - 102446
72 MGB
2002 Escape
99 F150
Arctic Cat snowmobiles
Ranger Bass boat
 
NuttyGambler, You are right, I am planning on giving it to the granchildren (ages 1 month and 18 months old) when A) I can no longer drive or B) when I am no longer here. How do you cope with not driving her?
 
Like Gambler, I'm in Minnesota. We're used to snow, salt, and road gunk, in the winter.
We have 2 SUVs that get washed often at a wash that power sprays the under carriage. One can slow down the effects of salt. However, in the end salt will win!

Up here we've learned the cars with rear wheel drive don't work well in the winter.

I intend to keep the T Bird for a long time, probably give it to the kids. So...It's resting, covered, in a nice heated garage. We drove it two weeks. (Between delivery and Winter)

I inspect the Bird every two weeks or so and we think about how much fun we'll have next summer!!!
 
Well, I guess I will have to succumb to the dreaded SALT. I am selling my Mustang GT and buying a 2000 or 2001 Explorer for Winter use and as a everyday vehicle. Guess I can start my T Bird every week for 10 minutes to keep me and my Bird close.
 
This is why I'm trying to get Ford to allow me to buy an 05 that has not been primered or painted. We have a company here in CR that specializes in rustproofing and underbody coatings-they have a 1955 Ford sitting out front that has half the car treated-and the other half bare-I'll have to shoot a pic of the car so you folks can see it! I want this place to treat the bare metal of my 05 before it gets painted, since it will be a semi-daily driver.

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The winters are going to be long, with those new birds sitting in the garages. Mine will be sitting in its heated garage, when it comes in at the end of Jan., along with its two grandchildren 55 & 57 Birds untill next spring.
 
Tony:
Do you (or any of the other members?) feel that any of the aftermarket rust preventative treatments ( ie Ziebart, RustCheck, RhinoLinings, etc)are worth an application?
I live in Indianapolis, where salt is applied frequently during the winter and will be faced with having to drive my beeutiful Brand new Triple Blue Baby through the slop. I also plan on willing the Bird to the grandkids.
What to do?
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-Brian LaLone
 
Dudes, this is a DEPRESSING topic? Man, it'd be rough to have to park Amadeus for an extended period of time to avoid the salt, etc., but you've gotta do what you have to..I had withdrawal symptoms while voluntarily parking mine during the Christmas shopping season at the mall--wouldn't drive him to work.

FWIW, he is now parked in the garage, and won't come out until this freak ice/snow storm that we've had to roll thru the sunny South goes away. 8" of snow on the ground, and plenty of ice on the trees to go along with it. Temps are supposed to get back to the mid 40's the next couple of days, so hopefully it'll liquify and let the trees once again stand tall!

Has anyone found a video game that features the Birds? Maybe that could help alleviate your symptoms until the weather warms.
 
Brian-the only one on the list that you mentioned that I would PERSONALLY use is Ziebart-I treated my 93 with it, and it has done a fair job of protecting the sheet metal.

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Brian, remember, all the panels except the doors are plastic. I remember Nancy, the chief TBird engineer, saying they had done something special to the rocker panels to prevent rusting.

You might do some checking before you Ziebart.
 
We get all kinds of snow melting devices out West. They use good old SUN the most for side streets, mag-chloride for downtown streets and sand/salt almost everywhere else.
The salt is less concentration than the East, but the small rocks in the sand pit the front ends/windshields/mirrors.
Drive for at least 20 minutes is my motto since on a cold day it takes longer to get to normal operating temperature.
I have yet to find the pockets that need special attention when washing out sand/dirt, as if they are left in long enough, oxidation/rust will start.

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'56 + '02 Birds
 
The salt solution for all you affected folks from the North is to get in your Thunderbirds and move to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Among the few times we do have any snow, it melts about as fast as it comes down. And then on that rare occassion when the stuff actually sticks to the roads, you can't drive anyway because we don't have any snow removal equipment! Plus, the only salt is in the ocean!
The biggest danger to your Thunderbird here is from gawking tourists on highway 17.
 
Norman,
I will be down there the end of March to the end of April with my Black 02 Tbird. We have a place in Myrtle Beach that we will be using all winter season next year, after I retire. Do you have your new bird yet? Maybe we can get together and compare cars.

Thirdbird
 
Originally posted by RACERROGER:
I am moving to Jamestown, NY where snow is bountiful. Everybody tells me to put my baby away until Spring but, I hate not being able to play with her during the snow season. I fear that I will go through withdrawal. How bad is salt on her if I wash her once a week? Would a professional wax job help? Please help as I may need to be instutionalized for Thunderbird Withdrawal. Is that covered under ESP?
Click to expand...

Let's just say this. If you had your choice between a Northern driven car or a Southern car, you'd take the Southern car. Northern cars worth less in the south too.

TBird
 
Thirdbird: Yes. I have two Thunderbirds. One is a Torch Red car that came in early September. The other is a Neiman Marcus car that finally arrived in October. I keep them inside a climate controlled building because of the salt air. I would be happy to see you and your Thunderbird here. Just e-mail whenever you're coming to the beach and we'll make arrangements.
 
Norman,
I will e-mail you with my local phone number at the beach at the end of March. I will be looking for storage when I am down there for my 55 T-Bird that I am planning on bringing down when I retire.

Thirdbird
 
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