How worried should I be?

[5speedz34]

Well my Lumina has been sitting for 2 years in my garage uncovered.

 

How worried should I be about rust and the undercarriage?

[Euro]

Since it's been in the garage, I don't think you'll have to worry about it that much. Maybe if the garage door was open a lot, especially when it would rain/snow, and moisture would seep into the garage. If it sits on the floor for a while, it'll probably evaporate up into the undercarriage?

 

I think it should be ok though.

[5speedz34]

My friend said garages aren't good, because exactly that, it'll permeate into the underbody.

 

He said garages aren't that great because the doors are really just wind breakers. I don't know I need input!

[Andrew]

if you cleaned the road salt off of it, should be fine. that really isnt that long.

 

i'd be more worried about the engine not having ran for so long.

[Euro]

That is a good point. I have heard of people saying that if the cement is old/untreated the moisture from underneath will come up and be bad for the undercarriage. I think that's why some people use that Rustoleum garage floor coating.

 

I'm trying to think of ways you can sort of deter it. Maybe putting cardboard under the car? I'm not sure how well that'l work.

[Crazy K]

if you are planning to start it.... maybe remove all the plugs, spray a bit of wd40 in each hole, disable the fuel and ignition systems, and crank the motor until the oil light turns off/guage reaches maximum reading. crank no more than 10 seconds per attempt.

 

 

once oil pressure is achieved, put the plugs back in, enable everything and start it up and let it warm up some before you rev it.

 

 

 

but you could get by without pulling the plugs...

[patgizz]

the corvette has never seen road salt and always been garaged and has a big rot hole in one of the frame crossmembers in back and needs one of the bolt in front braces replaced due to rust as well. garages are not all they are cracked up to be. but 2 years, i wouldnt think anything bad would happen besides potential stuck e-brake cables.

[per0781]

check for rodents

[5speedz34]

I'm not starting the car guys.

 

I just got to thinking after I saw Mediabandit's Z34 parts car.

 

PS-This car has never seen roadsalt.

 

the corvette has never seen road salt and always been garaged and has a big rot hole in one of the frame crossmembers in back and needs one of the bolt in front braces replaced due to rust as well. garages are not all they are cracked up to be. but 2 years, i wouldnt think anything bad would happen besides potential stuck e-brake cables.

 

Yea, I kinda figured that much. How long has the Corvette been sitting?

 

Now that I think about it I remember when I was looking at storage spaces, once place told me what to ask for from other places, and they said the "moisture threshold" of unheated storage spaces.

[5speedz34]

check for rodents

 

I'm not worried about mice just rust, notice how I didn't post about them?

 

I have 2 cats.

[mediabandit]

is your garage heated? that would make a big difference on getting rid of the moisture in the floor. to cut down on the moisture seeping up into the undercarriage you can like they said, paint the floor with a sealer or use cardboard to lay on the floor under the car. but other then that you should be ok. that car that you seen of mine is the parts car that has been sitting since 2002 in a parking lot and encased in snow/ice and gravel all winter long becasue they used to plow the snow right onto it. my own '91 Z34 has always been garage stored and never seen winter driving and the bottom of the car still has the original factory paint on the rails. so i wouldn't worry about yours sitting there for a mere 2 yeasrs, you should be ok.

[GOT2B GM]

why won't you start the car?

[GP1138]

I'm not starting the car guys.

 

Why?

[Psych0matt]

why dont you go look at it? I wouldnt be that worried, two years shouldnt do anything. I park my car in the garage every night

[5speedz34]

why won't you start the car?

 

I'm not starting the car guys.

 

Why?

 

I need to fix/remove the headers and replace with manifolds. Not to mention get the manifolds sand blasted/painted. Get the old gas out of there. ETC. I'm a dead broke right now and I need to fix the GTP (daily driver) first.

 

is your garage heated? that would make a big difference on getting rid of the moisture in the floor. to cut down on the moisture seeping up into the undercarriage you can like they said, paint the floor with a sealer or use cardboard to lay on the floor under the car. but other then that you should be ok. that car that you seen of mine is the parts car that has been sitting since 2002 in a parking lot and encased in snow/ice and gravel all winter long becasue they used to plow the snow right onto it. my own '91 Z34 has always been garage stored and never seen winter driving and the bottom of the car still has the original factory paint on the rails. so i wouldn't worry about yours sitting there for a mere 2 yeasrs, you should be ok.

 

The garage is not heated.

 

why dont you go look at it? I wouldnt be that worried, two years shouldnt do anything. I park my car in the garage every night

 

I think I will, I just got thinking and I don't have time to go out there and look at the moment.

 

You car is parked every night, but it moves more than what? a week?

 

 

 

[97loudcut]

I would be more worried about the permanent paint damage from being uncovered for 2 years, with about an inch of dust, and being exposed to temperatures from 0-100 degrees. If that doesn't do it, then movers dropping things on your rear 1/4 should.

 

If you are broke, and need to fix the GTP, then why not sell the Z34 to someone who will get it running again (like me)

[5speedz34]

I would be more worried about the permanent paint damage from being uncovered for 2 years, with about an inch of dust, and being exposed to temperatures from 0-100 degrees. If that doesn't do it, then movers dropping things on your rear 1/4 should.

 

If you are broke, and need to fix the GTP, then why not sell the Z34 to someone who will get it running again (like me)

 

I'm not worried about paint damage because it had a coat of wax on it. And big deal if I have to get it painted.

 

And the temperatures don't vary daily like that, lol.

[digitaloutsider]

If the car had no rust on it previously, being in a garage for two years isn't going to make it have huge rust holes. W-bodies are rather rust-resistant for what they are. If you're that concerned about it, just move the car, shitty headers or not. It starts, right? Pull it out and look. Put it back in. What's the problem here?

[slick]

If your worried about it, just jack the damn car up and look. If there's no rust, I doubt there will be any rust 5 years down the road when you start tearing it apart.

[19Cutlass94]

Not worried at all...

[glassvial]

I'm planning on taking my Buick off the road pretty soon for the winter too. I plan on putting it in a barn, washing it first, filling it up with gas, putting sta-bil in it, parking on a tarp for ground cover, disconnecting the battery, and then covering it with a car cover. It'll keep it out of the road salt for the winter, that's the main idea.

[1990lumina]

My RX-7 has been parked in the shop at our farm for a few years (this year it neevr left)..and it hasn't suffered any effects for the floor..ours IS painted, but I'm sure it's not sealed 100%

[88Regal Limited]

my camaro has sat in an unheated garage for 17 years now, and there is no rust. Except for what little surface rust there was on the front frame rals. I wouldn't be too worried.

[Addicted2bass]

Seems like alot of people have cars sitting for long periods of time! I dont even have a garage so i have to find the tgp a home for the winter.

 

My neighbor has several car that he keeps garaged and rarely/never drives. He has a 89 towncar, 70s era vette, 30s ford and a 70s eldorado conv. The towncar has like 22k miles on it and i think the vette has around 30k. He keeps them all in his heated garage, sealed cement floors, with car covers AND parked on cardboard! Now thats the way to keep a car!!

[J]

you have a set of manifolds, jsut swap them out, who gives a fuck about sand blasting, and powdercoat. Wire brush and high temp black paint for now will work jsut fine. GEt ti started, take it for a sping around the block or two and put it away