Okay, here in South Dakota we have to use several tons of salt just to keep the roads semi-drivable. This will probably lead to corrosion issues. I was wondering if a thick coat of marine paint on the chassis would help to mitigate this. Any other ideas?
Anything you do will help mitigate it, but you will never stop it. Yearly oil spraying is another common option around here (paint it first though). Couple that with at least weekly washing and you will slow it down (note I did not say stop). If calcium chloride is used where you are, I hope you are not thinking of driving your On Topic vehicles through it. That stuff will eat away anywhere it can get a bite. Alex.
Only several tons? Here in western NY it seems like they put down several tons of salt per minute during a storm. Anything you can do to put a barrier between steel and salt (paint/undercoating) will prolong the life of a vehicle, the problem is all the places that aren't easily accessable like rocker boxes, inside boxed frames, etc. The only surefire way to truely protect a car from salt is to not drive in it.
If you mean antifouling bottom paint as in "marine paint" all that is going to do for you is keep barnacles from growing on the bottom of your ride. Now if you have an amphicar I might recommend it. Try undercoating.
I'm surprised y'all can get enough salt to put on the roads up there, as most of the nation's salt supply is used on McDonald's french fries. McDonald's fries are so salty I can't eat them.
That must be the stuff the State DOT sprays on the roads a day before the storm? If it is, that stuff is called car-b-gone around here. It's the most destructive stuff you will ever see. We painted the underside of my kid's pickup bed with wheel bearing grease while it was off for repair. One winter and now it needs more grease!
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