31 A Submerged above Intake in Salt Water Thanks to "Sandy"

[Clem Clement]

I wonder how the NYC subways are makingout having the cars and the tunnel filled with salt water?

For the Hurricane of '44, we lived in Brigantine, NJ, on the beach. Mother's 41Ford coupe was in a garage a block off the beach. The garage held but the water inside came up to her floorboards. The owner of the garage had several open cans of used oil sitting around(wartime). The salt water dumped the oil which stayed in the garge and coated the underneath of the car. After the storm, our mechanic cleaned the wheel bearings and we ran the car for another 15 years with no problems.

[xkeots]

Originally Posted by bobbycoke

Pop worked for the Ford Motor CO. and a Ford dealer from the 30's until the mid 1960's [then went to Caddilac] at the south shore of Long Island NY they had pulled and saved many an old car that took a "swim" in the canals,down a boat ramp , or just off a bridge.....they would be in salt water. He agreed that you cannot get all the salt out but with flushing with water, kerosene mostly and changing all fluids , drill holes in rockers.fender wells etc. to flush out with oil or kerosene, yes he swares by MM oil,you can save the metal and mechinical components, yes some may rust out a little prematurely but the steel in older ford cars was better resistant to rust... Today you have WD 40 in which the WD stands for Water Displacement, that should help. Now the bad news change everything electrical as the electrics will suffer a fatal period with the salt, but the old cars could survive these because of the small amount of"electronics" compaired to modern cars, they are easy to change out the few wires and generator, coil,light bulb sockets and distributor "guts"..... so do not throw the car away you can have many more years of fun when and if and when body work is needed then take care of it......Bobbycoke

I am on the south shore of . long island. I ha've replaced every electric part and wire on the car since.

[Keith True]

I think you're overthinking the radiator problem.Yours just got a saltwater bath.Radiators on the road are subjected to a salt spray for thousands of miles at a time.Wet,dry,wet,dry,with lots of time between for corrosion to go to work.They are under a constant barrage of brine in the winter.I think you probably uncovered a problem when you washed it.When you get hard grease piled up around the bottom of the radiator it will keep the leaks sealed up.I have a nice looking original radiator that had a lot of grease on it.I washed it with solvent and a hose,it had 22 leaks after with none before.It was corroded from the inside out,and the grease was holding it all in.I have people see it in the shed and try to buy it from me,it looks like a perfect dimple finned radiator.I really should bash it with a hammer,someday somebody is going to try and sell it as a good radiator.

[37 Coupe]

Also instead of using WD 40 try finding a couple cans of Gibbs Brand oil,not the Joe Gibbs racing engine oil but Gibbs Brand it is very usefull in penetrating metal,protecting it cleaning etc,lots of gun owners/hunters use it,check it out and only place I have ever found it is on Ebay,not cheap.