Hi everybody, I've always planned on having a 77/78 bandit trans am as my hotrod, but I just can't live without having a third gen. As a result I have been planning to have a third gen trans am as my daily driver. However, I live in the Seattle area where it rains 90% of the time, so I am concerned that my car would just become a rust bucket. Would it be possible for me to keep a daily driven third gen in good condition in this type of weather?

 

i live in or. and i think as long as you can wash it when you can and get it on the jackstands time to time and clean her up down there (lol) i think it should be fine. expecially if you can scrape off the old undercoating and apply new it should do really good. and i think a good car cover should also help.

 

well I would say yes, but you would have to strip it down to the frame and possibly get it powder coated, then treat the body with a few layers of primer and paint... this I would say would be your only way to reduce the risk of rust...

the above I suggested until I read the following thread....apparently there is no frame, and now that I think about it....

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...ody-frame.html

 

I'm right across the water from you and have daily driven my 1992 RS since I bought it in 1997. I've repainted it once, but that was due to the previous owner, and just recently replaced the door hinge pins and bushings.

Neither of my Camaros are garaged and see the weather year round. Both are in good shape without any rust (or none that I've found). All that I've done is to keep them clean and use a high pressure washer for the underside once in a while.

Rust comes from salt on the roads during the winter, and that isn't normally used in the Seattle area, though they'll consider if we get another winter like 2008/2009.

 

(Old thread bugt igt will be fine. Like Al said seattle ( hippies) don't believe in salt. I am in bellingham and my car is fine

 

I agree with Al's statement--rust comes from salt on the roads...The snow absorbs the salt and then sticks to the car which eventually causing rust. In Seattle it rains and very rarely snows. Even when it does snow they dont salt the roads...Think about it--how often do you see cars with rust on them? NEVER! If I ever do see one with rust the odds are it came from the midwest or east coast.
This is another reason why buying a 3rd gen from the NW is a good move--no rust and because the temperatures are so moderate here our interiors stay in very good condition too.

 

Id be more worried about the seals and leaking water into the car. i have restored mine top to bottom replaced all the seals many times over caulked and bla bla bla and i can never get the thing water tight. thank god for a garage.