Hurricane Ian got this 1968 Shelby

[pmustang]

If the salt water got to it, you are going to have salt in all the seams, inside the frame rails, rockers, seat pans, etc. Imagine the damage to things like the radio and wiring connectors. Not to mention the engine...

It really needs to go to bare steel and be neutralized as soon as possible.

There is a lot you can save, but its not going to be cheap.

Pete. Do you think the salt could ever be well enough neutralised in the shell to make it so it won't creep out in years/months to come? My friend was looking at a convertible that was a recent flood car. 38 inches of salt water! and I said in my opinion it was done.

Just wondering your thoughts. Cheers. Peter

[Coralsnake]

I dont have enough experience but if you chemically stripped it I would think the chemicals could get in the same areas?

I recall some previous hurricane cars, from years ago, it would be interior to do a follow up

[Bill]

If the salt water got to it, you are going to have salt in all the seams, inside the frame rails, rockers, seat pans, etc. Imagine the damage to things like the radio and wiring connectors. Not to mention the engine...

It really needs to go to bare steel and be neutralized as soon as possible.

There is a lot you can save, but its not going to be cheap.

Pete. Do you think the salt could ever be well enough neutralised in the shell to make it so it won't creep out in years/months to come? My friend was looking at a convertible that was a recent flood car. 38 inches of salt water! and I said in my opinion it was done.

Just wondering your thoughts. Cheers. Peter

While not Pete, but having dealt with plenty of fresh and salt water flood cars while I still owned my shop in the northeast, I can tell you with a complete tear down, and a three part immersion process, that yes, you can neutralize the progressive and future damage of the contaminated water currently attacking the car as it sits, essentially a petri dish, galvanic, chemically, and biologically. Hard and soft parts not able to be chemically treated (interior parts, plastics, fiberglass, etc) can be treated with commercial grade Ozone systems (what hospitals used to use for full room treatment to kill bacteria/germs), then flushed/cleaned with fresh water and soap products, before once more treated with Ozone. Wiring harnesses, plan to replace them all, as water wicks it's way inside and will eat it's way through like a cancer. In fact, for the prospective buyer, I'd suggest at least a full 24 treatment of Ozone on the interior before any tear down is started. Maybe even bag (or place in a small, fully enclosed shelter) the entire car and do this for 48 hours as a safety measure. No matter what the uninitiated people will tell you, you cannot be too safe in this type of situation.



Bill

[shelbymann1970]

Bill, thanks for your expertise on this subject. What is scary is that some will not do it right and it could kill or make an owner down the road very sick. That is why the history of cars are so important.

[pmustang]

Bill and Peter, Thank you very much, I have always wondered about this. Excellent replies. Thank you once again. Peter in the UK 

[JohnSlack]

When Don Whittington accidentally ditched his P-51 off the beach near Galveston in 1990. They immediately upon salvaging the airframe out of the salt water rented a local swimming pool and started dilligent and judicial rinsing of the fuselage and wings in the fresh water of the pool. From what I was told they drained and refilled the pool around three times while rinsing.


John

[FL SAAC]

Folks, real simple :

Salt Water = Permanent Damage

[Bill]

Folks, real simple :

Salt Water = Permanent Damage

Sorry, that is incorrect information, if you had only read the on topic information above, from those of us with hands on experience with such things, you would not have bothered to respond with such nonsense. 

Bill

[FL SAAC]

Folks, real simple :

Salt Water = Permanent Damage

Sorry, that is incorrect information, if you had only read the on topic information above, from those of us with hands on experience with such things, you would not have bothered to respond with such nonsense. 

Bill

I did read it.

But having lived all my life near the ocean, I can honestly say that no snake oil or voodoo potion will negate the salt waters progression on metal.

Maybe if you use Palmolive you know it's tough on grease ( Maybe on salt also) soft on your hands

Actually go to any 7-11 cstore they carry a hurricane car clean up kit, it's one bottle of Palmolive, one little tree air freshener and one for sale sign...

[Bill]

Folks, real simple :

Salt Water = Permanent Damage

Sorry, that is incorrect information, if you had only read the on topic information above, from those of us with hands on experience with such things, you would not have bothered to respond with such nonsense. 

Bill

I did read it.

But having lived all my life near the ocean, I can honestly say that no snake oil or voodoo potion will negate the salt waters progression on metal.

I'll post that following short video that shows the process for the body, for those not so educated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6XRz7Z0PM6

Bill

[FL SAAC]

Sorry, that is incorrect information, if you had only read the on topic information above, from those of us with hands on experience with such things, you would not have bothered to respond with such nonsense. 

Bill

I'll post that following short video that shows the process for the body, for those not so educated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6XRz7Z0PM6

Bill

Fantabulous news Billy!

May I recommend you apply as a senior consultant to the big insurance agencies.

Imagine that about 3K to solve this salt water intrusion issue wow !

But this is what others say about this issue:

Even with a tremendous amount of time and effort, you likely won't be able to get into every little crevice. However, the more you can do to stop salt in its tracks the longer your car will last.

Stop That Salt: How to minimize damage to your classic - Hagerty Media
https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/stop-that-salt/#:~:text=Any%20car%20that%27s%20been%20fully,is%20also%20a%20big%20help.

AND

The answer is that a flooded car can be salvaged depending on what type of water it was submerged in. If it was submerged in saltwater, it is probably best suited for the junkyard because saltwater is corrosive and can wreak havoc on the mechanical parts of the car as well as the car's interior.


Can a flooded car be fixed or saved? - nj.com
https://www.nj.com/weather/2021/09/can-a-flooded-car-be-fixed-or-saved.html


I would still stick to the  7-11 cstore hurricane car clean up kit, it's one bottle of Palmolive, one little tree air freshener and one for sale sign...

More cost effective,  adios

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I don't think you can neutralize salt - only removal works.

The aircraft industry has ACF-50 it's not cheap but it will get into the tight areas and stop corrosion.

https://learchem.com/products/acf-50.html

Rusting occurs on surfaces of iron and its alloys. Corrosion requires surface exposure to air or chemicals. Rusting requires surface exposure to both air and moisture.

The ACF-50 blocks both air and moisture from getting to the steel. Salt acts as an accelerator to the corrosion. WD-40 will also work but turns gummy and is not as thin as the ACF-50 so it doesn't get as deep into the seams.

[Bill]

I'll post that following short video that shows the process for the body, for those not so educated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6XRz7Z0PM6


Bill

troll away little Tony, troll away

[shelbymann1970]

Sorry, that is incorrect information, if you had only read the on topic information above, from those of us with hands on experience with such things, you would not have bothered to respond with such nonsense. 

Bill

I'll post that following short video that shows the process for the body, for those not so educated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6XRz7Z0PM6

Bill

Fantabulous news Billy!

May I recommend you apply as a senior consultant to the big insurance agencies.

Imagine that about 3K to solve this salt water intrusion issue wow !

But this is what others say about this issue:

Even with a tremendous amount of time and effort, you likely won't be able to get into every little crevice. However, the more you can do to stop salt in its tracks the longer your car will last.

Stop That Salt: How to minimize damage to your classic - Hagerty Media
https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/stop-that-salt/#:~:text=Any%20car%20that%27s%20been%20fully,is%20also%20a%20big%20help.

AND

The answer is that a flooded car can be salvaged depending on what type of water it was submerged in. If it was submerged in saltwater, it is probably best suited for the junkyard because saltwater is corrosive and can wreak havoc on the mechanical parts of the car as well as the car's interior.


Can a flooded car be fixed or saved? - nj.com
https://www.nj.com/weather/2021/09/can-a-flooded-car-be-fixed-or-saved.html


I would still stick to the  7-11 cstore hurricane car clean up kit, it's one bottle of Palmolive, one little tree air freshener and one for sale sign...

More cost effective,  adios

Chemical stripping processes are used all the time to neutralize metal and get rid of rust and contaminants. So are you saying in chemical dipping of metals when done the salt will still be there and keep rusting the metal? SMH on this one Tony. Maybe you need to do some reading     https://www.armorvci.com/news/industrial-rust-removal-acids-and-water-based-solutions-explained/
Tony said: Even with a tremendous amount of time and effort, you likely won't be able to get into every little crevice. However, the more you can do to stop salt in its tracks the longer your car will last. So lets see salt WATER can get into every crevice but a chemical solution  cannot? Cars don't rust in  a day or week from salt. I have lived in the salt belt my whole life and know the "rusting process" so if a car was flood damaged whether salt water or non salt water it takes time for the process to work. Chem stripping will eliminate all that salt and any rust that has been already there after stripping but the car has to be taken apart. Feel free to disagree with science as its a free world. Many do every day.

[Coralsnake]

Not in my thread...

Its very unfortunate this problem hasnt been taken care of yet.