On Tue, 21 Feb 2017 13:42:45 -0500, wrote:

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.

Z-Bart of the '90s was much different than the Z-Bart of the '70s. It
shouldn't be necessary for most vehicles (galvanized panels) but it
wouldn't surprise me if GM cut corners.

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. 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 went with an F150 because it was at least $15K less than the
competition and just a good, if not better. I don't live in rust
country anymore so that wasn't an issue.
And a Ram would have been about the same amount less than the F.