On Tue, 21 Feb 2017 11:31:23 -0500, Jack wrote:

On 2/20/2017 1:50 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:07:21 -0500, Jack wrote:

I bought a 1978 GMC Van, and it didn't rust out after about 15 years. I
had it Z-barted immediately after purchase though.

Might have been your salvation, but SOME of the Ziebart treatments
just guaranteed the vehicle WOULD rust - by blocking drainage holes,
and flaking loose after any damage, trapping moisture and salt between
the ziebart film and the metal. Has a LOT of "Ziebart Initiated Rust
Perforation " up here in those years.

I had a bunch of people tell me that, and is the exact reason I didn't
get my GMC pick up Z-Barted. Biggest mistake I ever made. My brother
has a '95 Ford PU he had Z-barted and it looks brand new. One quarter
panel rusts every other year, and the Z-bart guy fixes it free.

What really ****es me off is I really, really like my off road, 4 wheel
drive, extended cab with towing package GMC truck. It's drive train is
perfect, never had and engine or transmission problem.

You arfe one of the lucky ones.
I put almost no
miles on it now that I'm old, and would love to keep it the rest of my
days. Not sure it will not turn into a pile of rust first. I can't
justify buying another since I don't drive it much anymore, and won't
likely be around anyway. The same truck today is around 50g's I think.
Hard to decide, although I would likely will go with a good American
truck, a Toyota...
I'll keep soaking the bottom of my now 21 year old truck with oily
rust protectants and see if I can get a couple hundred thousand more
Kms on it before I croak. It will turn 350,000km within a week -
definitely on this tank of gas.
I'll likely end up replacing the "wife's car" one more time before we
stop driving. It's 15 years old now and it won't be long before what
needs fixing and what I'm willing to fix on it come to a convergence -
likely another 3 years - 5 at the very best. When the truck finally
dies we will be a one vehicle household.