The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How Do You Do It?: Daily Driving an Old Truck In The Elements

I know that many of you drive your trucks daily. Snow, rain, ice, and salt. How do you do it? How do you maintain the truck? How do you keep it from rusting teriibly? I have been driving my 53 daily for 2 months now since completion. Snow has fell, salt has flew, and it all melted again. I want to park it to maintain its value and quality, but I just can't right now, it's just to fun to drive! Basically, it's an old truck with overly applied undercoat. Insight and thoughts would be appriciated. I know red58's newest truck is a 58 that he drives all over the coast. I know chuckthetruck has driven his daily for a couple years now and he said that the wear can be seen. Wear is to be expected but the least amount over the most time is what is desired. Thanks!

Why save it for her next husband? Drive it and enjoy it !!!

it sounds like you are too worried about your truck. mine is not near as nice as yours sounds but i drive it everyday. i think it is more important to enjoy the vehicle...espescially a nice one.

hey Colin - my 58 has been a daily driver for years now [8? 10? who remembers] - before that my daily for 10-12 years was a 57 panel - also have a 57 step that get's used when there's a need, and more frequently that's in the winter - currently workin on another 57 panel to take over the daily chore - I guess it's a lifestyle, but don't cost as much as keepin new rigs workin, and things need doin

the 58 has some paint chips from loading/unloading big stuff, rust shows up some and is fixed if needed - I've prolly done some semi-major work on it every summer I've had it - last summer I fixed up some rustifying around the headlights and replaced the door sill steps cuz the originals finally got too bad - drafty on the road

just gotta drive'em til they're broke and fix'em, just what they were designed for! they're 'workin mens trucks' as ol Cut sez, and isn't anything that can deteriorate that can't be fixed

the undercoat helps, and if yer out on salty roads, try to hose it off underneath as well as you can as soon as possible [pay car wash works] - good paint job and wash it regular - big thing is keepin the inside as dry as ya can, especially take out the mat/carpet regularly and make sure yer wet boots aren't starting rust around the front cab mount bolts - just gotta choose if you want to enjoy gettin around in an old truck or if you want an 'investment' that takes up space you could be puttin to better use - I'm all for practical - use it till its unusable and do it over again, or pass it on

Bill

hehe, Don you confused me for second. Good Point though . Thanks FK, maybe I am. I just want it to last. It's more then 3 times my age, but its lasted this long as a work truck with one rebuild. Why can't it last just aslong again as a non-work truck? Thanks to you to aswell Bill. I am 17 and this is my first restoration, I plan on repainting it again in the spring since I learned so much the first time. I guess if I have to do semi-major fixes every once and a while its not so bad...I mean I enjoy that anyways! Thanks for the insight guys!

Colin

My motto is:

Drive it until it breaks, then fix it. Then drive it some more.

This hasta be done with a certain attitude, you have to check the fluids n' things, keep an ear out for strange noises, and depending on what engine you have, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some spare parts lying around. You also need to get ready mentally for when it has a sudden hiccup/breakdown. It will put a kink into yer plans... cuz now you gotta fix it, unless you have another vehicle you can roll in.

But then, my '65 is rustin' and beat up anyway. She runs pretty good tho'.

-W

Wash off the salt, and don't let moisture collect. Check the fluid levels regularly, and keep an eye out for mystery spots where you park it.

As with just about anything, if you take half decent care of it, it'll last.

IMO the big enemy of those trucks are road salt, neglect, and people trying to drive 70mph in them.

Some dudes treat these old trucks like they're made of tissue paper.. but thats simply not the case. There is more steel in the typical AD front right fender than most whole brand new trucks.

Smack an AD truck on the rear fender with the back end of a spade shovel as hard as you can.. you might scratch the paint. Smack the rear fender of anything Detriot has puked out in the last 15 years with that same shovel, and you're looking at a $500+ repair estimate.

No recycled japaniese beer can body metal will be found in an old Deco or AD truck. You can sit on the front fenders without worry of leaving a permenent [censored] print. These trucks were built to be worked hard by the common man in a time when common sence and a strong work ethic wasnt in such short supply.

Old bolts will be rolling long after todays econo-trash plastic soda bottle trucks have gone to that big plastic recycling center in the sky.

So drive your truck, my friend.. drive it with the same pride it was built with.. and know that so long as you put oil in it every now and then, and hose it off in the winter months occasionally, that it'll be around for your great grandchildren to enjoy.

I own a few collector cars. My first thoughts after a restoration were to baby it and not get it dirty or ruin it by driving it.

The cars and trucks have probably outlived their original owners by now. If I don't drive and enjoy them and if I leave them sit in a garage, is the person who inherits or buys them when I am gone going to sit and watch them, or are they going to beat the hell out of them, not realizing the great lenghts and labor I went to to make the vehicle beautiful and functional again?

Besides that, it is just as harmful (if not more)for the vehicles to sit in storage than it is to drive them. These vehicles are works of art and should be seen in their intended setting...the street.

I figure I am going to enjoy the sweat equity and fruits of my labor myself. I didn't build them for someone else to drive or ruin. Other people can get joy from my cars by me letting them see the beauty of yesteryear.

I guess I'm somewhere inbetween the always drive it and never drive it points of view.

I like to drive mine daily, and when I do it gets the same care I give any other vehicle. Wash it if it looks offensive....

But I've been hit a few times by people who don't understand that their driving should adjust for weather conditions. Repair panels for my Suburban are hard to come by and the other guy's insurance company is often painful to deal with, so I don't drive when weather or road conditions increase the risk of someone's stupidity causing me lots of grief.

I am with Woog, just drive it,,, take good care of it,keep it cleaned and maintained and when things break , fix em,,, dont have to worry to much about snow or ice around here but if I did , I would still drive it,,,,,,,,,,,,regards..Fred

OldSub's feelings on the subject is exactly why my trucks are "rat restos" with paintbrush paintjobs.

It only takes one dipschmit to blow thru a red light, or overestimate the 4x4 traction of their latest north american land barge to turn your hundreds of restoration hours into a mess.

I could spend countless hours sanding and painting and body filling.. polish every screw and bolt head, and make my trucks look BETTER than they did when they rolled out of the factory, but then i'd be absolutely TERRIFIED to do anything with them.

My father in law has two old fords..a model A and a model T.. they are absolutely immaculate, and both sit in a temperature controlled garage up on stands with the rims removed. Niether one has moved in years.

Let's face it.. cars and trucks are driven OUTSIDE.. they get wet, birds poop on them, shopping carts smack into them, rain falls on them, they get dirty.

I had my 1/2 ton painted about a week and I had a hog panel scratch the side of it.. had I paid for a $3,000 paintjob, i'd probably have had a [censored] hemmorage right there in the lawn and fallen over dead.

That ain't no way to live, man.

Make the truck safe, slap a cheapie paintjob on it, (or leave it in primer) and DRIVE and ENJOY the truck.

All old trucks look cool and turn heads, regardless if they're 100% resto, hot rod, or farm fresh beat up working trucks.

Worry will just take all the fun out of it. My truck is re-earning its "patina". Dings are nothing - it's major crunches that are hard. Drive defensively, garage it at night if you can, don't enter it in a demo derby, and it'll be fine.

Just put one of my "It Is Painted" stickers on it and keep on drivin..
They are available in the Hoo-Ya Shop...
Steve

I'll add my thoughts...

I love driving old iron, and do it every chance I get...except when the salt is on the roads...

I'm not a body man, so rust repair is an issue for me... plus, Penn DOT has taken a new approach to road treatments: Liquid Brine pre-treatment...word has from the garages that service over-the-road rigs that this stuff is far worse than rock-salt, in that it gets past seals on tie-rod ends, shock-absorbers, and other suspension components and finds EVERY little crevice in the coachwork...

I'm pretty-much anti-trailer queen when it comes to antiques, especially trucks; but I can't see destroying an antique by driving them in the salty slop if you have another option for a vehicle...

That's why I hang on to my '93 Excort GT: winter-time beater.

Other than that, keep it washed, lubed, keep good tires on it, good wiper blades, and be extra aware for the "invincibles" carreening around the slick roads in their "Dummers"....

I drove my '54 in the winter when I had to...it was faithful, if a bit cold...

Good luck !

Frank 54

i have to agree with driving them like a normal vehicle cause thats what they are ment for i would like my 1970 Chevy CST-10 to look real nice but then if i made it to nice i'd be scared to drive it thats why mine is going to be a daily driver when i'm done with it i just don't want to drive it in the winter i live in minnesota so salt is a main concern but another concern is alot of people do not adjust there driving to the conditions which i don't adjust mine a whole lot either but thats only when other vehicles aren't around then i drive like i should besides wouldn't matter what time of weather if i was around restored / hot rods / then i'd make sure i'd give them plenty of room because i know what kind of work goes into them and i have stuck a fair amount of money into my '70, its not a whole lot but for a senior in high school whos going to colleage in less then a year it is and i'd hate to have it rust like nobodys business or have some idiot a new 4x4 SUV smack the [censored] out of it
Nate

when i got deathly ill a few years back i told my with of all the things i had the thing i cared most about was the truck and not to let her new husband have it, she says thats ok he can't drive a stick anyway. just drive it. mine needs body work after a grocery cart hit and it did dent it bigtime, and we have lots of salt in indiana. ron

Thanks for all the info guys! Me and my Father recently split a newer truck. Like quite new. My Dad doesn't really worry to much about it but it drives me crazy when people park to close to me and so on. My '53, I am not to worried about, if someone puts a huge dent in the door, I will pull it out or just put another door on. Won't get to worked up. Though it is more fun, maybe its time to get the 295/50's off the back and get something more winter friendly on it. Your right fumblin, Old trucks turn heads. I was driving a '64 farmfresh longbox for 6 months during spring and summer. I got thumbs up all the time and this truck was rusty and ugly. My '53 gets the same treatment with no rust a decent home shop paintjob. I understand what the rest of you mean when you say that how other people drive can keep you from driving yours. My AD is not rare and parts are plentiful. I maintain my truck well I would say. It leaves puddles of oil everywhere I go, but when it becomes a major problem, I will swap it for another 235 I already have. I guess I should just enjoy it and fix it when it breaks, not worry about. I mean I don't plan on selling it anytime soon, so why try to prevent the inevidable. Thanks Again!

The worst thing you can do to a truck that is driven in slush and salted roads is to put it into a heated garage at night. The ice and salt build up beneath will start to melt and run into places you don't want it to. If it stays out in the cold or in an unheated garage this won't happen. By all means do wash underneath it whenever you can.
I also have had a collector truck and could not really enjoy it for fear of damage or even silly things like being caught in a rain storm. It was no fun so regrettably I sold it. My 49 is a driver and although it is not abused I can sleep nights without worrying about it.
Bill

I have to drive a couple of mine in the muck. One plows me out and the other I drive to work every day. I do put my low milege 95 Impala up for the winter. It's all wrapped up not to be seen until spring. It looks brand new in every way and it's going to stay that way. Can't drive it on rain much less snow anyway. The truck in the rebuild shop now is getting built with as much winter protection as possible so's I can drive it in the winter weather. Next in line is a little street rod for my wife that won't get winter time action. I've got enough things to drive that I can afford to put some up for winter also.
Scott

My son's '67 C-10 is a classic hoopty truck. It's all one color, more or less, with the original paint in places down to the factory primer. Rusted door sills and lower front fenders, but the rest of the truck is surprisingly straight. Found a nearly-perfect '67 bed locally, in the SAME color, but the guy is pretty proud of it. He has my number, so when tax time comes and he needs cash, I'm sure the price will come down some. I'm in no hurry.

Best thing on a winter driver is to hit the car wash as soon as the temperature reaches 33 degrees F!!! Wash everywhere the wand will reach, and it'll stay good for a long time.

It has a factory seat in it now, replacing the funky (as in cat-[censored] smell) Olds seats, and there must've been five pounds of sand and dirt in the cab! Once I replace the rusted rockers, they'll get primed and sealed, and left that way. I was going to paint the truck, but it has a certain amount of character the way it is. It's in the '67 Gallery; let me know what you think!

I drive my 46 daily and just spray the undercarriage and inner fenders with a hose about 4 times a week. Another good thing to do is spray Crown rust protection in all the little crevases and hood and door hinges once a month or so. It also helps that when restoring my truck I sprayed the undercarriage, engine bay, inside the doors, running boards and inner fenders with Rhino truck bedliner. I also give my truck a quick wash as the crap on the roads dictate. If you keep up on it it only takes about 5 min to give it a bath. My neighbours must think I am nuts though, because i am out there in the dark washing it all the time. That is because I give it a wash when I get home from work

Every day you see cars on the road that cost $40- to $90-thousand or more. Most of them new and well insured.

Its not the money the trucks represent that worries me, its agravation associated with getting them repaired.

My Suburban has some hard to replace body panels. Sublime's '46 has come custom work that would worry me if I were driving it daily in poor weather conditions.

I am right now fighting with someone else's insurance company that wants to value my truck as scrap metal because its old. Somehow you need to strike a balance that works for you.

Me, I'd rather risk one that can easily be replaced using insurance company standards than risk one I've put my heart and soul into when I know they will offer pennies on my blood and sweat.

They are putting minimal dollar value on something very dear to me, and while its not really the money, the de-valuation the numbers reflect says what is important to me does not matter at all to them.

I think I'll put a moose rack around it like I saw on a semi in canada. And let em hit it if they dare. It is a 2 ton though, they will probably give some room. I hope. This a great website.

Colin - While I would love to drive my 51 1/2 ton year round, my problem has always been cold weather starting. I'm in Jersey and, in addition to being concerned about the salt on the roads (Frank54 is on the money on that one), when the temps ge in the teens, I'm lucky if I get one good try at kicking it over. I have the original 6V system AND WIRING, and I'm sure that is a good portion of the problem. I've been thinking about changing over to a 12V or 12V start-6V run system, but never made the final move. Anyone else have that problem? Any advice? How hard is the change-over?

(Frank54 - We have a home on Lake Wallinpapack and will be retiring up there in Summer of 07', Lord willing. Hope to hear from you some more on the Stovebolt Page. KenZ

the changeover isn't too tough Ken, just requires changing generator and all bulbs to 12V and getting dropping resistors for a few things like heater fan and gas guage, but there are a number of things you can do to improve the 6V system too - big one is make sure you've got heavy enuff cables on the battery, as they frequently get replaced w/ modern off-the-shelf ones meant for 12V, which doesn't require as much current capacity - another is to get a battery blanket to keep the battery from getting too cold, as the colder it gets the less juice it puts out

Bill

Patrick, It looks good! Thats why it stands out, cause its different. KENZ, I have switched my truck over using the 6V starter and 12V system, most of it new. It sat outside at a friends house last week, it was -25C, with a decent wind chill. In the morning, a couple cranks and it was going fine. Oldblu has a good point about all the slush and salt running into spots that could be hazardous to the body (truck body that is..though drinking salt slush probably isnt to good for you either ). Thanks for the tips! It's getting appraised tomorrow (yes its been two months, you must think I'm crazy in the first place), we'll see what that turns out.

Seems like we all have pretty much the same things to say ... but I don't mind repeating. I'm the same as most here -- I ain't gonna worry about anything that *might* happen and spoil all my fun! I just drive it and enjoy it ... take it to the pay-wash and spray the underside after Winter lets up ... usually let a good rain take care of washing the body ... LOL! My truck has a great looking paint job on it, but the last time I washed and waxed it was April 2004!

I like what Fumbling says: drive your truck my friend & w/ the pride w/ which it was built, along w/ the other great wisdom everybody passed along, cleaning and lubricating . Having owned old M/C’s ALL my life, we are just the current title owners, these machines have & WILL out last us.
Yes take care of them, Seal those windows and door seam rubbers. Ride em hard but don’t put them away wet, with the pride in which you own your baby(s), if you fear the insurance processes get a simple insurance restoration evaluation /appraisal, (remember that the appraiser can only value what he sees, so polished cranks, rods and high performance engine parts ain’t going to be seen). Take the time, shoot some shots, get pictures and quoted current prices for those really nice ones we see @ swap meets and truck rallys. Also current replacement costs of the body panels before the evaluation, so when the appraiser shows up you cover him and yourself (CYA) and don’t allow him to value your baby cause it’s old and rusty. You tell him what it’s worth, NOT the other way round. A little homework goes a long way. File that stuff away for that rainy day when you need it.
I own a 63 tub w/ a rag top (a 356). I had an engine fire that lasted about 31 seconds but caused $4400.00 damage. I ALWAYS carry a halon fire extinguisher !!!!! Well when the pip-squik insurance guy showed up @ the restoration shop, #1 he had no idea what kind of auto he was to look at. #2 because it was a 63, in his mind and according to the ins. books, it was junk. WAIT a minute hold your horses pip, this ain’t no junker rollerskate.
They (all vehicles) need to be loved, used and exposed to copious amounts of sunshine, or they will rust. Work on that patina !!
Ride em don’t hide em !!

Use the ''Wurth undercoating system.
http://www.wurthusa.com/project/en/leftnavi/catalog/product.php?path=06.0510.jpg
http://www.wurthusa.com/project/en/leftnavi/products/chemical/chemical.html

Like a broken record (we all remember what a record is right??!!), I agree with everyone else. It's my daily driver so I don't worry about anything, even the road salt. My ol bolt may creak and groan in the cold weather but hell, so do my bones. After our last storm (16") I've even decided to install studded snows!

Ken Z,

Make sure your cables are #2 gauge or heavier ("O" or "2/0") and that your battery is in good shape.

My '54 would start at temps down to Zero F...I didn't get many chances if I screwed-up the routine: Pump gas pedal twice, and set choke to full, switch-on, clutch-in, hit the starter. It usually fired-up after about three grunts.

My 6-volt bugaboo was always trying to get it started when it was hot, in warm weather...would spin VERY slowly and was MUCH more difficult to start than winter starting. I'm told this was a common problem with the "new" 235 in '54 and '55-first series...

Colin - Looks like you've got a lot to chew-on here...if you really have to run your old bolt in the snow and slop, get some good lug-type snow tires on the rear (we call 'em "mud-grips", where I come from), and a couple bags of "tube sand" from the local home center to throw in the back for weight.

Make sure your battery and cables etc are in top shape, use isopropyl-based gas-line anti-freeze with each fill-up, and keep her washed-down if they use salt where you are...

If she's a four-speed learn to start in 2nd or even 3rd on slick stuff, so there's less chance of spinning the rear wheels...

Take your time...watch out for the knuckle-heads in SUVs...

As I said before, I hate to expose old-iron to road salt...it just tears the hell out of 'em...I know they're beasts of burden, but that's what newer junk is for...

Just my thoughts !

Good luck !

Colin:

I pretty much agree with everyone here.

If you must drive your bolt in the winter, Snow tires are a MUST, as is weight in the back end. Sand works, but we always used big sacks of chicken grit. That way, if we got stuck, we'd have something for traction, too.

My dad used to have a rusty old GMC (it was a '70, I think) that he'd drive in the winter.

He never had any problems with anyone doing anything stupid around him. They all figured he didn't care if he hit them or not!

Just move to southern Arizona and forget about it

most importantly keep up daily maintanence. i just put new heater hose on that i had been putting off since aug. barely got home when it began to leak. hose so brittle that they broke off when i removed them. ron btw snowing now 1-2 inches plan to drive to work. 3-9 tonight. ron

They key to that is the last part. Except, when the "other" vehicle is either down for repairs or not available, then having a substantially old pickup for a daily--in SoCal--isn't the smartest thing unless it's as mechanically sound as can be. Constant congested traffic typically determines how much you can drive old cars/trucks, not to mention what type.