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"RUST The longest War"

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I love science! I was in heavy construction for over 40 years and one of the worst enemies of steel bridges is rust! Science has developed a grade of steel that when it creates a surface of rust, it encapsulates the steel beam and seals it off from future oxygen exposure. I looks horrible in the very beginning, as the initial rusting process discolors the supporting concrete pillars below from the rain run off. Supposedly it saves a ton of money as it eliminates the painting process, which has to take place every few years. Bridge steels worst enemy, road salt/calcium. Science has even developed rebar coated in epoxy to prevent salt damage. It's very expensive. Just sayin! PJ
 
The excerpt from the book in the review was amusing. I'm sure there are better Healey rust stories than this one but here is mine and it still makes me laugh. When I was l looking for a car to rebuild, having no experience with Healeys other than I knowing I wanted one, I went to a British car event and met a guy who had a nice driver and was more than willing to share his history with the cars he'd owned. At one point he proceeded to tell me a story about going on a long trip with a buddy and while they were remarking that the trip was most unusual in that NOTHING had gone wrong, a rusty front wheel hub broke as they were turning into the driveway. The wheel made it and stopped at the garage door and the car remained in the street. Then he told me about splicing two frames together to make one "good one". I also have to admit that since I painted my own restoration I almost went insane trying to keep ANY hint of corrosion off the steel between when I stripped it and got primer on it. Rust is insidious and as with all things, the path to complete entropy is never halted, it can only be momentarily diverted.
 
Years ago my brother operated a large garage in downtown Dayton. One day he sent a mechanic out to the parking area with instructions to jack up an Austin Healey for some reason, and the frame buckled. We had the rust that 100-4, but it isn't my first Healey. That was a BT7 I bought from a University of Cincinnati law school student in Cleveland Heights and later sold, yes, in Dayton. This was circa 1963-64. While that BT7 was a relatively new car when I bought it, I recall that somehow the aluminum sill plates had already been attacked by corrosion.
 
"Rust never sleeps," is a saying that one sometimes hears. I don't really agree with that statement.

Thirteen years ago, a C2 Corvette that I owned had a rusty perforated frame cross member located above the spare tire storage, under the rear of the car. Otherwise, the frame was excellent. That area above the spare tire never dried out properly, and mud and salty snow could pack in there. After replacing the rusty piece, I left the rusty piece lying indoors on the bare concrete floor, without cleaning it or treating it in any way. Every once in a while, I look at it. The corrosion has not progressed further.

The point is that rust requires the right conditions in order to do its damage. When new, most of these Healeys were driven year round in all kinds of conditions. Snow, rain, salt, and humid air all did their damage. Eventually forgotten, many sat outside, tires flat, sunk into the damp earth, with grass growing under and around the cars. No wonder they rusted out. Admittedly, the Healeys were not designed with longevity as the primary goal. But, once rebuilt, if one keeps these cars in dry storage and drives them on dry days, they should last a long time.
 
If its dry and grounded (earthed, bonded) it will progress very slowly. Rust will sleep well in an inert atmosphere of say, argon and if there is no moisture or electrical potential across the piece. Metal that has been powder coated or "encapsulated" as some rust slowing products claim, will rust more slowly to be sure but its only a cat nap.
 
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