Living by the sea Corrosion???

[mulrik]

I'm looking for your opinion on this one. We (wife and I) are looking at a house right by the sea. It's a nice, but very small house. One of my main reservations is having my Pagoda parked so close to the (salty)water (20 meters) and the increased corrosion this may cause. Does anyone have any experience or opinion on this issue and messures that can be taken to avoid corrosion?
Thanks
Ulrik


'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[Ed Cave]

Ulrik:

It really depends a lot on the typical humidity of that particular area. Here in the states for instance, costal Florida (east coast of US) is typically pretty humid and yes, rust can be a problem there. Conversely San Diego, a west coast city typically has very low humidity and is one of the better places to find a 'rust free' car.

So, from what I know about this subject, humidity is a key factor as that is essentially, where the salt is.

Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA

1964 356C
1971 280SL
2002 SC430
2004 A4 3.0

[mulrik]

Hi Edd
You are obviously right!!! Denmark is overall pretty humid, though not as bad as the UK. I was looking for some "experimental" evidence i.e. if anyone had or knows someone who has a car parked so close to the sea in a country with a similar humidity. (if such a person exists...)

'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[Douglas]

I drove an SL this past summer on the east end of Long Island that was probably the worst SL I've seen that was still running. The sheet metal was barely hanging on in places.

If that was any indication of what living by the ocean can do, then I would say it would be catastrophic for an SL.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[J. Huber]

I hate to be a contrarian here but Mulrik, if the house appeals to you and your wife, get it now. Hate to have you regret things later.  Once settled, you can take plenty of precautions to keep your baby safe. Only question I have is -- is there a garage? I suppose that would obviously change the equation.

If you think about, although we know these cars are prone to rust -- much of this is hindsight. After 30 or 40 years, its natural that rust became an issue for some cars -- part of this is because people just drove their cars -- rain or shine, and didn't worry about that kind of stuff. But now we are aware of things -- like drains in the cowl vents, wheel wells, and rocker panels.

James
63 230SL

[Bob G ✝︎]

I am in the auto detailing business and beleive me salt air can take a toll on the chrome and the underside of the car. I recommend you perhaps have the car washed and detailed four times a year if you intend to bring it along to your new property at the beach. I have also seen sealed car caponies that zip your car into a controlled inviroment. Your best defense is to have the car waxed and washed more often than not and keep an eye on the chrome plating.
Bob Geco

[Cees Klumper]

A friend of mine once bought a Triumph Spitfire from a coastal town in the North of The Netherlands, by the North Sea. I imagine this climate is quite similar to Denmark's. The door sill on the side of the car that was typically parked towards the water (which was about a mile away) was rusted through - the other side was not. I remember the seller commenting that this was typical and caused by the salty air coming in from the sea. This car was always parked outside, in front of the house on the street.

Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[andy]

my sl lives in an air chamber,as my garage is under the house and below ground level,and gets damp in the winter months.the company i ordered it from was in england,but when it arrived it had came from switzerland i supose that is where the manufacturer is.
have a look here.www.airflow-uk.com
andy
spain.

[mille]

Hi Ulrik,

I'm new on this site, but do own a 1964 230 SL Euro 4 speed manual, and do live at the sea front in Denmark (Korsor). We have been living here for 5 years by now and my experience is that things left outside like bicycles etc. will rust much faster and to a greater extend that if one is living away from the coats. However, along with the new house, we also made a double garage and I find that this very much prevents excessive rusting, provided we keep it dry inside - which is a major challenge during the winter with our regular car going in and out.

Our Pagoda is currently undergoing a major restauration and when it’s finished (in June, hopefully), I'm considering buying an air tight tent for the car (to be placed inside our double garage), and then install some of these rechargeable "humid absorbers" inside - which can be recharged by baking them in the kitchen oven. Does anybody have experience with these? We do have a dehumifier, but the problem is that they don't function very well near the freezing point.

By the way, do you know a MB mechanic in Denmark who is really knowledgeable in tuning the Pagoda engine? Mine is running a bit uneven at a steady speed, which produce quite a jerky ride.


/Finn
Tel: 20427760

MB 230 SL 1964 Euro 4-speed manual
MB 230 E 1988

[France]

and don't forget the Waxoyl--pump it into every nook and cranny!  We use it on all 7 of our weird classic cars.  We just ordered from Honest John in the UK.  He's a little flaky about mailing the stuff, but we finally got it after I talked with his assistant.

Trice
1968 280SL US, signal red/bl leather, auto, kinder