I'm no expert but I'm getting the feeling that for some reason metal near the exhaust rust faster than metal not near. Anyway I was thinking of using a totally stainless exhaust system and then rapping it with that insulation you can get. Will this help slow rust on the frame and under the body?

What seems to happen is that heat removes the rust resistance of the various grades of steel. High carbon content steel is pretty good until it's heated and then the rust speeds up. Stainless steel rusts too but so slowly it about never becomes a problem again.

In decades of battle with this problem I find a couple things that work well:

1. Regular or high temp (that anti-seize aluminum type) grease just plain stops the progression but is ugly to look at and attracts dirt. For an antique or classic car you probably don't want that. You can get spray grease and I use that like crazy when I get a car that I intend to keep for 10 or more years which is most of the vehicles in my own corral. I'm beyond bad and don't like vehicles newer than 1989 and once said I'd never own anything newer than 1979 but clearly I lost the battle and now will consider up to 1999 but that's it for a while.

2. Keeping heat away will help slow rust down but you have to start with no rust. Rust is like a virus that must be killed or it starts right up again. There are effective rust killers that rely on the rust to make the product work. Now sold everywhere it seems and a bit expensive. It contains barium and reacts with the rust and turns black which is then a primer. It must be applied and let dry without any moisture or it's a waste. You can't even reuse a container or brush or it quits. I use this and then coat parts with common BBQ semi-flat paint which looks factory on many under car hidden spots. It tolerate the heat and more importantly continues to keep air and moisture away from the metal giving you the best shot at appearance and rust protection and even it will give up but then easier to redo if you have a car long enough as I do.

If you wrap something keep in mind you might be trapping in moisture which could then be counter productive,

T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston

Hey, thanks Tom! So the anti-seize really works? I was starting to get the feeling it didn't work that great because I thought I had used it when I put my exhaust on but I broke the heads off the bolts taking it apart yesterday. Maybe I didn't use enough? I don't know if it was aluminized though. So if I smear this stuff all over my frame it will actually work? I could live with that! I think I'll try that experiment. Where do I get spray grease? How long do both of these last before you have to put more on?

Now where you talking about por-15 or some other brand? Because as far as I know moisture just makes por-15 dry faster.

The grease works the best and longest. Anything may need a redo. Por-15 that I tried usted the can it came in and cost a fortune. There's one that's everywhere now that will say makes rust turn black and warn about moisture - so far that one works if done exactly.

I've about always had anti-seize work and with my own cars exhaust is periodic and I can always unbolt stuff I treated well - even muffler clamps sometimes.

Spray grease is usually white lithium grease and I'll use a spray tube with it if it doesn't come with it like carb cleaner. This stuff is everywhere I go - even hardware stores. Great stuff for door hinges in conjuction with WD-40 and when I have a door panel off I spray everything in there except rubber guides. WD-40 on the back side of lock mechanisms just plain prevents problem as my old gems fly right past 200k like nothing.

Despite all my efforts with now just 5 vehicles of my own every vehicle exept one (collisions don't count) out of perhaps 200 left running great and sold or junked running great, from rust getting to far advanced. I have to dedicate one vehicle to use in Winter with the salts that are used to extreme here so idiots can still drive!!

They ought to put some chlorine in the gene pool of the driver's of this state!! They're infected

T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston

You've had 200 cars? How? You busted your por-15 can? Was it a gallon, quart or that tiny $12 one? Cause one time I didn't totally reseal my quart and was still able to smash through the dried layer and use the non dry stuff. I tried 1 layer of por-15 on my frame but that didn't work but so far when I use the marine clean, the metal prep and 3 layers of por-15 it seems to work so I'm begining to get confidence in it. That still leaves what to do about rocker panels and frames rotting from inside out. I guess I'll do what you do, how many spray cans of grease do you think I need to spend on a cadillac? Btw, I use a 82 volvo wagon as my salt car, what do you use?

Typo on the Por-15 - I meant "Rusted" out but I was kidding. Still have the small can from a body shop from their gallon can and it must have been mishandled as it didn't work for me. The stuff I'm using is water based oddly?? but can't take water - go figure! Napa sells it Pn# 765-1232 made by Permatex.

200 cars - I think so! Really can't even recall them all. I've always maintained a few of my own and folks gave me so many cars that were lost causes and some of those were just a parts grab and junk them or perhaps had two of the same and made one good one to drive for a while and sell. I always maintained a Winter car and the nice ones didn't see weather at all. This is the first year I recall that I will have to drive a nice car thru Winter and it's killing me to think of that but I don't have much choice this year.

Right now the fleet is (2) 89 Town Cars, One 88 Sig. Town Car, 97 C/K 2500 Truck, and the old 48 John Deere that I've had since the 60s and still runs well. Awaiting a 99 and 96 Suburban which I don't need but won't turn down. Wanted one of those for the Winter car but will have to drive a Lincoln I guess.

For frames I try to spray oil or squirt oil in the box beaming or torque boxes where they rust and that has helped,

T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston