Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22447 Location: UK
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Bitumen Boy
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 1735 Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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The short answer is no, Rick. Other chemicals that will melt ice are either more dangerous than ordinary salt or prohibitively expensive. The only alternative left then is to spread abrasive materials which tend to block the drains and won't really work very well when it's just a bit frosty.
Salt is used for deicing roads in much the same way that bitumen is used as a binder - not because it's particularly good for the job but because there's not really anything better. As so often the least worst option becomes the default... |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:40 am Post subject: |
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Not something I would necessarily recommend but used when I had several old saloons, such as the MK VIII, was to take it to a car wash every spring. I do it every year with the moderns. One that had the high pressure underside jets, to get the salt out. It worked a treat. If you have access to a hoist and a hot water pressure wash, you're home and dry, but not many of us have sadly. |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4105 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:22 am Post subject: |
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I used to visit various coal mines when I was a field engineer; as the sites were naturally dirty, some of them had a free to use vehicle wash, part of which would jet wash the entire underside of the vehicle
Dave |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7119 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:36 am Post subject: |
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I used to get my modern steam cleaned each spring at a place that provided that service for lorry MOTs but that was a few decades ago before corrosion ceased to be the death knell of moderns.
Peter _________________ http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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Moderns [anything made after the turn of the century?]...do, however, have a plethora of plastic panels that cover essential steel parts.....and which effectively hide the evidence of corrosion.....to the extent that an MoT tester cannot detect it until it has become severe enough to be visible at the extremities.
For example, jaguar X-types? WHich have plastic sill covers....and frequently end up having entire sills replaced due to corrosion, under the covers?
Or my suzuki grand vitara[mk1]...which has similar sill covers....bought with a nearly fresh MoT in place, I decided to investigate the inner sills as they were obviously visible, and close to the body mounts [30 cm rule]....on removing the outer sill covers, I was confronted with non-existent [for the most part] outer sills.......My choice was to either patch the outer sills [having sorted the inners, which were now visible and accessible].....with what I had...heavier gauge steel.....or spend a fortune on factory [or pattern] sill replacement panels.....I did the former...I should really have got hold of some heavy gauge box section instead...after all, they would be covered by the plastic covers,for appearance sake]....since the vehicle has a stout[and solid] chassis, I think that by patching, the strength that was needed to hold the doors apart was re-instated.
Hence my aversion to anything on wheels made this century!!!
Why is it so hard to find a pressure washer gun with an end nozzle bent up through 90 degrees?
At my last 'owned' abode, I rigged up a ground spray bar which could be driven over....when the tap was opened, reasonable jets of fresh water squirted upwards, and a vehicle could be slowly driven over, and any salts washed off....when washing off salt, it is not a good idea to use a pressure washer..which can force salts further into cavities, instead of diluting and flooding it out.
Of course, nowadays one has to have proper drainages and concrete areas, so the salts don't get into the groundwater.....but I ignored all that!
An alternative is to find a rod which habitually has a deep depp puddle...and periodically drive through it slowly?
The biggest enemy I think, isn't so much the salt, as the accompanying grit.
On the other hand......gritting and salting in wintertime is a fine source of income for a pensioner!
Our local authority is often crying out for gritter drivers...since it is a 24 hour job at times...or even, an on-call, part-time job, younger LGV drivers don't find it appealing...but for an oldie, who happens to have [or can re-claim] their Cat C+E lgv licence category....it is a good source of income, to support ones limited pension.
I suspect a good percentage of our LA gritter drivers also receive State pension?? _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22447 Location: UK
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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I believe in Paris they don't use grit but spray brine onto the road surface. I don't suppose it is any kinder to vehicles but at least they don't get grit in everywhere. |
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mikeC
Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 1775 Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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alastairq wrote: |
... Of course, nowadays one has to have proper drainages and concrete areas, so the salts don't get into the groundwater.....but I ignored all that!
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If that is really an issue, how do councils get away with spraying it all over the countryside? _________________ in the garage: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
Recently departed: 1953 Lancia Appia, 1931 Austin Seven, 1967 Singer Chamois, 1914 Saxon, 1930 Morris Cowley, 1936 BSA Scout, 1958 Lancia Appia coupe, 1922 Star 11.9 ... the list goes on! |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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mikeC wrote: |
If that is really an issue, how do councils get away with spraying it all over the countryside? |
The issue really isn't the salt...its the oils, fuels and greases that also get washed off.... _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Clactonguy
Joined: 20 Mar 2018 Posts: 104 Location: clacton on sea
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:18 pm Post subject: salt and grit |
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Japan has almost same size and amount of traffic as Uk but never uses salt despite ice on roads! maybe we ought to find out why? I don't use my historic car in winter as no fun on ice or snow plus cant see point of getting something I want to keep corrosion free wet and muddy when I have a perfectly good modern car with anti skid etc . bit like having right tools for the job. a 45 year old car is not generally up to standards a modern car has as often basic level. I don't even use water when washing my car but use waterless cleaners and wax . thus hopefully keeping it for generations to come to enjoy in summers on country roads ( yes it can handle motorways but no real joy driving on them). Bigger worry at moment is clamp down on emissions starting and ethanol fuels . day may well come when we have to buy in special containers of purpose made fuel to run them! limited use allowed and essentially like steam traction engines will become mostly impractical. |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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It's all about expectations.
I have no issues whatsoever driving my oldies around whatever the weather.....
Moderns don't have the monopoly when it comes to dealing with bad weather [all the technology does, is alleviate the driver from having to exercise good old fashioned driving skills]
The two downsides I find when driving in adverse weather is, the fact that progress becomes delayed due to the inabilities of moderns to make progress [or their drivers, as well?]....and the risks of sustaining damage....because of the inabilities of moderns & their drivers.
At one time I used to drive buses. At that time, the bus drivers did their best to maintain the services..regardless. We actually ignored [or were unaware of?] the 'bigger picture''..............These days[past 20 years or more since I worked on buses]....at the fist sign of snow or ice, teh buses are pulled off the roads. Not because of any inabilities on the part of the drivers [although that may well be a factor these days?]...but because..if a car hits a bus because of the snow or ice..then that bus may well be off the road for several days or more, being repaired.
Downtime has to be kept to a minimum these days....something auldfahrt bus drivers didn't really think about, perhaps? _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:51 pm Post subject: Re: salt and grit |
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Clactonguy wrote: | a..... day may well come when we have to buy in special containers of purpose made fuel to run them! limited use allowed and essentially like steam traction engines will become mostly impractical. |
The whole fuel issue will have come full circle. In the early days of motoring - before filling stations became common place - the motorist had to buy his fuel in 2 gallon cans from chemists shops... |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 2:05 pm Post subject: Re: salt and grit |
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Ray White wrote: |
The whole fuel issue will have come full circle. In the early days of motoring - before filling stations became common place - the motorist had to buy his fuel in 2 gallon cans from chemists shops... |
CAnnot imagine Boots-the-Chemist being over 'appy about that??
Do you think we could get petrol on prescription?? _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: salt and grit |
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alastairq wrote: | Ray White wrote: |
The whole fuel issue will have come full circle. In the early days of motoring - before filling stations became common place - the motorist had to buy his fuel in 2 gallon cans from chemists shops... |
CAnnot imagine Boots-the-Chemist being over 'appy about that??
Do you think we could get petrol on prescription?? |
... That would be O.K. we oldies get free prescriptions... |
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