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TR2/3/3A Bad thinking?

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tinman58

tinman58

Jedi Knight
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I have been driving the TR3 a lot the last couple of weeks. The machine work on the 250 is taking longer than antisapated, I love the TR3, but...... It has to be outside, it is covered under a "shed" but open to the weather at both ends. The car stays dry but there is surface rust starting to form. I hate to see it like this. The rust comes off but what am I not seeing? My thoughts are to sell the 3 until I can get a bigger 4 car garage. Here in California that's a million $$$ . Please talk some cents in to me. A little surface rust can't be all that bad! Any ideas on how to keep it dryer?
 
Dan - describe the "surface rust". Do you mean on unfinished steel? Or do you mean on finished surfaces like paint, chrome, etc.?

A few photos might help.

Tom
 
Tom
Unfinished metal. Nuts bolts etc.... Not bad just sad.... The head bolts and nuts have some spotting. WD-40?
 
I will take some pictures tomorrow.
 
Dan - on my TR3 and Mercedes-Benz, I prevented surface rust on bare metal just by rubbing lightly with motor oil on a soft cloth. Up in Canada many folks actually spray oil on the undercarriage for just that same purpose.

Tom
 
Fluid Film.

Cheers
Tush
 
NutmegCT said:
Dan - on my TR3 and Mercedes-Benz, I prevented surface rust on bare metal just by rubbing lightly with motor oil on a soft cloth. Up in Canada many folks actually spray oil on the undercarriage for just that same purpose.

Tom
Click to expand...
I have a TR4 that does that automatically, no matter the season, here in Texas.
 
Have found a good car cover will prevent a lot of that. I have a car a motorcycle in the driveway because the garage was converted.
 
I have I cover my motorcycle, dark mold started form on some area's. So the motorcycle is in the garage with the 250 and the Wife's audi. I also have a cover for the TR3 but I think the moisture is coming up from the concrete.
 
Just another clue on "car covers". They often just trap the moisture that rises from the ground. And if the air becomes warmer overnight, the moisture in the air condenses on the cooler steel under the cover. Not good.

Tom
 
I would also suggest parking on a sheet of plastic or a tarp to stop moisture from coming out of ground. All suggestions better than seling the 3. Cheers, Mike
 
I experienced the same problem. I had my driver tr3 out under a carport while I was working on a restoration, and the small little deals started to rust, fuel lines, head bolts, and anything tinnie. I like the idea of driving on a tarp, and I am going to try that one. Basically, I accepted the rust and figure even at the rate it is rusting it will outlive me. Plus I did not babysit the car as much when I took it somewhere. One thing I have done for the stuff that can be black or a kinda that dark metal look and still preserve the metal from rusting was to get a high quality Permanent Marker and color it right place. I gota say it works really well, but sounds really cheesy.
 
I see no one's agreeing to selling -- good.

X2 on using Fluid Film on those parts. It is clingy, creepy but harmless (like my prom date). I use it on unpainted bolts and other parts as even garaged in the desert those things will eventually start to corrode. In some of the country they have it at the tractor supply stores, I got it from Amazon.

My TRs have spent winter outdoors under quality car covers and survived just fine. And the car doesn't mind - so don't feel guilty.

Snow2_zps0424cac7.jpg
 
LPS3 is made for just this problem. It dries to a waxy film that protects. It's what they use on aircraft, many of which sit in the weather for a 50 year lifespan.
 
Another rust inhibitor is offered by the evaporust folks.
it's called "rust bandit", and is a spray on, Water base, non-petroleum (easy cleanup) product.
would work well if car is under a tarp/cover & /or shed, but not for full outdoor exposure, as it would wash off.

i am very impressed with the orison evaporust products.

you can check it out: https://www.orisonmarketing.com/rustbandit.html
 
You could treat the bare metal with phosphoric acid which will leave a nice protective coating as well as stop any rust that you can't see. Phospho metal prep, let sit, then wash off with water (yes water) and you'll have a whiteish coating that will last until you are ready.

Fluid Film is sold by John Deere dealers as well as tractor stores. It is a lanolin product that for me has never worked well and it leaves a mess to clean off. Good for shooting inside of the frame but hard to get it clean for paint prep. Boeshield T-9 is a great protectant for bare engine parts, etc. Originally made for aerospace, holds up well, and no gummy mess like FF.

But for bare body parts, Phospho treatment can't be beat IMO. Except maybe ---- etching primer?
 
Hello Dan,
A couple of ideas ... How about weather sealing that "shed'. Tarps are cheap. You can probably get one that will cover the whole building.
Plus - lay a large tarp on the ground then drive onto it, cover the car with a decent quality outdoor car cover and then wrap the remainder of the tarp over the top of the car. The main thing is to keep the moisture out and still let the covered car breath. I used this technique, on a TR6, for a couple of winters. Worked well even under the snow!
Have you looked into the cost of an aluminum patio cover. You can probably get one that is large enough and free standing, with one side wall closed to the prevailing weather. Make it 7 ft tall, 10 ft wide (sloped) and 20 ft long. The car should tuck in there nicely. Wrap as mentioned above. Later it can be used as a covered BBQ area.
Cheers,
Steve
 
Another idea: back in the Dark Ages, when I was but a lad - guys used Scott's Liquid Gold wood preservative on metal tools, to prevent surface rust.

I'm too cheap for that - so I just use a tiny bit of motor oil wiped on with a cloth.
 
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