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Rita update from Houston

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
Looks like Houston missed the hard part of the storm. As of 8:45 am Saturday all we got around my house is 40-50 mph winds and maybe 1.5 inches of rain. I drove around a little and saw maybe 5 trees down in the 7-8 miles I drove. A few lights out and no standing water anywhere.

I did have the antenna on my 69 Grande snap off when the car cover came off.
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Jason;
Glad to hear you are OK. Have been watching the news to see what's been going on. Got lucky on this one.

Don ;)
 

68sunlitgold

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
1,357
Sounds like the biggest issue will be on how to get everyone back into Houston with no gas.

I don't if anyone has heard but here in Georgia, the governor has cancelled school on Mon & Tues to conserve fuel. They actually cancelled all sports events too.

Jason, glad to see everything came out OK for you guys!

Doug
 

Mustanger

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
1,974
Location
So Cal
I'm also very happy for all you guys in that the storm was less severe than earlier anticipated :).

Thank God that all you guys seemed to have made it okay :).
 

Joes68

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
67
Location
Simi Valley, Ca.
Jason,
Glad to hear you and the Texas gang did O.K. We sure were hoping it wasn't going to be a repeat of the devastation Katrina caused. Glad to hear all's well for the most part.
Ron
 
P

PNewitt

Guest
Perhaps an expert here could tell us about what to do if our GT/CS (or other cars) are flooded. How do we restore them? (besides removing the carpet & seats ASAP!!).

Thanks--

Paul N.
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
First thing to figure out is whether the flooding is storm surge or rain (salt water or fresh).

Either way it seems to me that a flooded car is toast since the water will get into places that will then start to rust. It's amazing how many little places our cars have that can hold water. The problem is that you won't see any damage for maybe 5 or more years but I really think the car will disinigrate from the inside out, especially in someplace like Houston where the humidity stays around 90%.

So to answer the question I see 2 options:
1. Tear it completely down and bake the unibody for a week. The baking process will probably destroy the paint so it'll need to be repainted too. If the flood was salt water I'd want my car repeatedly dipped and rinsed to get rid of the salt.

2. Insure it for $40,000 and demand the insurance company total it. Buy the car back for $15,000 and drive it until it falls apart, then strip it. Go buy another one with the $25,000 that's left.
 
OP
OP
390cs68rcode

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
If I ever have a car that floods I can guarantee it will be sold. No way would I drive around a car that has had water damage. That is what insurance is for.
 

nfrntau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
1,020
Location
Rosharon, Texas
Paul
I think an essential question is with what type of water.
If it's salt water a complete restoration would be the only way to save your car (providing you want it to last through the years). The salts in the water would corrode and short out your electrical system. They would also start eating your frames and body parts from the inside out. Salt water submersion would be the worst case scenerio as any part made of metal will start rusting.
Fresh water is a different story
Depending on how far under it goes and for how long it was under:
Pull carpets, seats and underlayment.
Take a hair dryer to the under dash areas.
Replace all fluids in engine, tranny and rear end.
Replace wheel bearings.
Grease front end and u-joints.
Remove all rubber plugs to air out and let frames dry.
If the Master cylinder went under replace brake fluid.

After doing all this run the car at idle and bring it up to running temp. This will remove any moisture from the inside of your engine etc. After warmed up carefully take it for a slow drive untill all moving parts have had a chance to come up to temp.

Most of these items are the same things you would do after pulling a GT/CS out of 20 years of storage. The airing out process would be added.

If you had a buddy or aqaintance with a heated paint booth, you could always bake your car at about 150 for a few hours. That would really help remove the moisture from the places you don't have access to.

I'm sure I missed something but this would be a start.

I once had a V-8 boat engine get water in it. (whole nuther story)
We changed the oil and filter, dried the distributor and fired it up. After a few minutes stopped the engine and looked at the oil and it was carmel in color. Fired it back up and let it run idle to operating temp and the water went away. I'm sure we could have flushed the system a few more times but were young and didn't know better. That engine ran fine after that and seemed to have no ill effects.
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
So it looks like Jason and I see the glass as half empty and Bill sees it as half full ;D
 

mikegtcs1968

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
52
No need to "bake" or commit insurance fraud, try to keep these little "insights" for a future book of ignorance you may choose to write while serving your prison sentence. ::)
The only parts that couldn't be readily cleaned and dried are the insides of the rocker panels, frame rails, torque boxes, and underneath the seat platforms. The solution is simple, after flushing with clean water and allowing a proper amount of time to dry, plug the bottom openings of these parts and fill it full of por 15, when full, unplug and let it drain back into the paint pail. Repeat untill all parts are treated. Access holes can be made with a hole saw and the welded shut after you finish. As for replacing any mechanical parts, evaluate on an individual basis. Wheel bearings don't need to be replaced, only re-packed with fresh grease.
Don't run the engine hoping to evacuate the water like someone previously suggested. This could be the most ignorant thing to do. First, take the spark plugs out and drain the oil. Then crank the engine over to get rid of any water in the cylinders.(this is to avoid blowing your head gaskets, breaking piston rods, or possibly breaking the crankshaft due to a simple principle that water doesn't compress) After this, drain the engine oil. Replace it, run it and it will be fine.
And lastly, try to consult someone "in the know" before attempting damage control without knowing how to correct the situation. If logical thinking isn't your strong suit as with the previous gentlemen discussed, pay someone else to fix the problem. I guarantee you will save money in the long run.
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
It's not insurance fraud. If you and the agent agree to a value of $40,000 then you are insured for $40,000. No fraud involved there.

If the insurance company then totals the car they don't want the thing so you have every right to buy it back from them. It is then your car to do with what you wish. No fraud there either.

It might benefit you to learn the law before throwing out accusations or maybe just keep your typing fingers still.

Oh, that's right, you are the same lowlife that posted the special olympics comment. You're right......with your obvious excess of common sense we should certainly listed to everything you have to say. I'll be sure to pay attention next time.

Jon, will the new software have an 'ignore this poster" option?
 
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