the previous owner of my zbarted ford was the original and it was a option from the dealership to zbart it new that he paid for

 

How come when I drive around Ohio, All the rusted out vehicles are the dirty nasty ones that look like they've never even seen a garden hose??? Nice clean cars/trucks new and old seem to never be rusted. Just a random thought!!

 

i know in minnesota you get rust holes before you pay it off if your on the 5 year payment plan.ohio i was there for 1.5 years and i got a rust hole in my truck in that ammount of time!

 

If I were you, I would stop washing your vehicles!!!

Off Topic...Always wanted to visit Alaska!!

 

no washing going on, thank god i dont live in mn or oho anymore. anchorage alaska just sands the roads.. but if you drive outa town they salt outside moa city limits

 

All I have to say is thank God I live in Florida...

 

Nobody likes a Braggart!!!

 

Salt and humidity effect negatively the frame, chassis and body. So immediately wash your truck after intering mud/salt with distilled water. this is the only way.
also if you used to live in a city or country that has high humidty condition, you should park it in dry garage.

Believe me this way will expand your truck life.

 

So has anyone tried the counteract system? Dave67FD you commented but i am trying to understand if this is a viable alternative, along with fluid film and por15 and undercoating and other tried solutions. any feedback is appreciated.

 

But depending on how close to the coast you live, you could still have salt related issues to. Remember the early Toyota pickups where the beds would rot to almost nothing? Well I found out a few years back that to beat tariff laws, they would send the pickups here without beds, then somewhere on longbeach pier they would put the beds on them (the beds could be sitting for a few weeks in the open sea air) Now the fact that toyota at the time didnt know how to make a pickup bed didnt help, but the salty sea air sure didnt help either.

 

I was waiting for someone to say that....
Ford must use better steel than Toyota. My truck has been in St. Petersburg/Clearwater area for just over 10 years ,and I live a few miles from the beach myself. The only sign of rust anywhere on this truck is some surface rust on the driveshaft.
I lived in the snow belt of Ohio for over 30 years, and have owned my share of rust wagons. I dont miss that stuff one bit. I just cant imagine spending 50-60k on a truck and watching it rot away from the salt.
And you are correct about the Toyota trucks, after 3 or 4 Ohio winters, they would end up with a wooden flatbed on em.

 

Good luck finding a car wash that uses distilled water. Some of the higher end places may filter but thats about it.

The act of washing or not washing isn't really the debate. It's the washing "process" thats the issue. Generally speaking (probably 90% or higher) most people don't care "How" they wash. They just go in and go out though a autowash system. If you wash on a minimal basis and when you do, do it thoroughly and properly using the do-it-yourself wash. Washing and rinsing twice is a good idea.

It also comes down to preference as well as what i have learned from experience as well as others. I have 3 or 5 cars i have to keep clean and detailed throughout different times of the year and this is how i choose to do it. You can all wash everyday if you want.

As far as the Counteract system goes i can't say from experience how well it works. I spent some time about a year or so ago researching it further and from what i found it seemed to be a reliable working system. I haven't purchased one as i have other priorities at the moment with my cash flow but have considered it.

Undercoating is a good idea but if the vehicle has already been subject to any amount of rust, encapsulating it and if not done properly or thoroughly can result in the rust continuing. Not to say that other areas that are coated wont have a problem. The POR family of products are the best on the market and some of these can be painted over rust BUT most that use the product are proffesionals who remove any or all rust before hand plus it is not a cheap product to use and requires other prep items to be used properly.

Fluid film is the cheap easy alternative. It's only con is that it can be a little difficult to remove and will take several washings as it contains wool wax. It is also known for attracting dirt and other debris but the final result is positive. You can find at some automotive stores i think but i purchase through Mcmaster-Carr at about $6 bucks a can.

 

Nothing last for ever ! If you want to wash your car use your hands only with soft towel. Autowash will simply destroy your body paint when you do it many times.

Undercoating is a good solution like nano-technology film.

 

Let's go back to this: zinc sacrificial anode

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-compound.html

This will fix/stop rust (as long as it doesn't completely disintegrates)

 

Not my truck's best salt display, but the best pics I have at the moment....