Here is the great white north huge amounts of salt are deposited on the road in an effort to keep motorists out of ditches or opposing traffic.
The unfortunate side effect is dissolving cars. Rust proofing companies like Krown offer yearly oil treatments to keep the oxidation demons at bay. In these minus double digit days the salt only looks ugly coating your car. However when the temperature rises above freezing (approx. 40 degrees F) the chemical reaction takes place causing rust. The salt accelerates the chemical reaction between steel and water by providing a highly ionized environment. So as soon as temperature warms up head for the car wash!
The shade of Ransom E. Olds can be clearly seen to the left of the photographer.
One thing that attracted me to this blog was seeing a 1978 vehicle in general use in a snowy climate. I lived in New England for many years and it was very rare to see a car on the road that was over ten years old. The rust just killed them. Here in California, a 1978 car is common.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about the reaction that causes rust and the fact that it is temperature dependent. I did spend a lot of time at the car washes with my old pick up truck and I rarely drove it in the winter. Nevertheless, it rusted away, the result of acid rain and the close proximity to the ocean.