I was lucky enough to score a 1958 Suburban in remarkable shape. It was originally from Arizona. I bought it from a guy in Palm Springs, CA. As far as I can tell it has never seen a wet climate. The only rust through I can find anywhere on the vehicle is on the passenger floor just in front of the door step/bottom of the door piller. There is a small rust spot. There is also some rust through right behind the drivers rear wheel well. None of the other typical trouble spots show any rust. I've been underneath the truck with it on a lift and have crawled all over the inside. From what I can see it is rock solid.
That brings me to my point. I now live in Missouri and want to drive it without fearing that it will rot out from underneath me at any moment.
One thing that struck me was that there are no wheel well liners. My Honday mini van has plastic liners inside the wheel wells to stop water/dirt/salt etc. from spraying all over the metal parts like body panels and fenders. Has anyone ever tried something similar in a Stovebolt?
All that being said, I have two basic questions:
1. What should I do to preserve the metal on my truck? How about wheel well liners? I'm not above taking it into a Zebart type rust proofer. Is that a bad move? How about body mods to keep water out of places it shouldn't be? How do I overcome the intrinsic shortcomings of the TF trucks?
2. What about preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS). Being in the Army, every vehicle comes with a manual that lists the PMCS requirements. There are before, during and after operations checks. There are also recurring services (quarterly, semi annual and annual). So, what should I be doing on my truck to help preserve and protect it? I know basic things like checking the oil and belts and tire pressure etc. I'm more interested in the services area. How about "remove the cowl vent panel from in front of the windshield and use a shop vac to remove any debris from the bottoms of the air shaft: semi-annual service." "Remove inner door panels and check for water/wetness in the door bottoms: quarterly service." "Remove and replace door bottom drain plugs: annual service." How do I get out in front of the rust problem and help prevent it from happening instead of just reacting to its ocurrence??
Bottom line is I am blessed to have scored such a nice ride. I want to do everything I can to keep it that way. I don't want it to be an "only when the sun is shinning" truck. It may not ever be my number 1 daily driver but I don't want to be afraid to run it in any weather.
I'm looking for any and all ideas related to the topic. Don't assume I know anything.
