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Am I stupid to Keep in garage

CyberHero

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We got 2-3 of snow and my wife’s car is covered in salt/frozen slush. Should I just be driving it or am I right to avoid getting it nasty to prevent future rust from the lovely Midwest weather! It’s only got 850 miles on it got it in sept and we don’t neeeeed it really. I mean I paid it off last week it’s a 23 rubicon so it’s loaded with all the features i wanted that I couldn’t do myself. I’m thinking why limit my years on it!
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BGlad

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Mine is a weekend/fun vehicle so i really don’t want to have it out in all this salt and snow. I will if i have to, but if it doesn’t see the light of day again till March I’d be ok with that lol. The same went for my motorcycles, they wouldn’t be back on the road till after the first soaking rain in the spring to wash all the salt off the road. I was traumatized by losing my 2006 Ram to a rusted out frame. It ran perfectly, what a waste, i had to get rid of it but if not for the rust it probably would have had at least another 50k miles left in her. So in my opinion, no you’re not crazy.
 
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CyberHero

CyberHero

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Mine is a weekend/fun vehicle so i really don’t want to have it out in all this salt and snow. I will if i have to, but if it doesn’t see the light of day again till March I’d be ok with that lol. The same went for my motorcycles, they wouldn’t be back on the road till after the first soaking rain in the spring to wash all the salt off the road. I was traumatized by losing my 2006 Ram to a rusted out frame. It ran perfectly, what a waste, i had to get rid of it but if not for the rust it probably would have had at least another 50k miles left in her. So in my opinion, no you’re not crazy.
Thank you lol as I just paid it off 23 rubicon. I absolutely hate being back in the Midwest and risking the rust it’ll get and possibly limiting the years I have it as I plan to keep it a while! I’m sure it’d be fun and it’d be great to use but I don’t need it and it being in single digits these last two weeks I could careless to get outside anyway except for essential needs
 

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CyberHero

CyberHero

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Fluid Film may be an option.
Ya I may do that. Our plan is to leave the Midwest and head back to AZ this year I’m hoping. I’m going to call local shop and get fluid film pricing

looks like we have the same jeep lol
 

Mx113

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We got 2-3 of snow and my wife’s car is covered in salt/frozen slush. Should I just be driving it or am I right to avoid getting it nasty to prevent future rust from the lovely Midwest weather! It’s only got 850 miles on it got it in sept and we don’t neeeeed it really. I mean I paid it off last week it’s a 23 rubicon so it’s loaded with all the features i wanted that I couldn’t do myself. I’m thinking why limit my years on it!
it’s a toy. Enjoy it. I used to be that way, but finally realized I was just saving it for the next owner. This is my gladiator 12 hours after buying it. Covered in mud and overloaded
Jeep Gladiator Am I stupid to Keep in garage IMG_5948
 

HopSlammer

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You’re not crazy. I’ve seen what salt has done to my other vehicles over the years. Hence I never paid more than $30k tops for any one of them which all served as my primary transportation year round. I currently have a 16 Explorer that’s my primary, I’m letting it take on the road salt. My Jeep is for the sun and I hope it to be THE LAST JEEP I’LL EVER… lol.
 
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CyberHero

CyberHero

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You’re not crazy. I’ve seen what salt has done to my other vehicles over the years. Hence I never paid more than $30k tops for any one of them which all served as my primary transportation year round. I currently have a 16 Explorer that’s my primary, I’m letting it take on the road salt. My Jeep is for the sun and I hope it to be THE LAST JEEP I’LL EVER… lol.
My thoughts exactly
 

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CampThree

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When I lived in Mass I had a winter beater vehicle and kept anything nice garaged until spring. If you plan on keeping it then don't expose it to the salt and crap. Mine is a weekend fun vehicle and will never see road salt.
 

Volt0

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I understand your concerns, and losing your investment to rust is real. With that said, more and more of these vehicles are being constructed with components that don’t rust ( use a cloth, cover a magnet, and go explore ). The Mojave hood is steel, and a magnet won’t stick to the body/tub. It won’t stick to any of the body/tub on a JTHA, and I suspect that your Rubi is similar. That mainly leaves frame, bolts, axles. What about your rims, are you running the steelies? So your concern is real, but maybe slightly less real than your previous vehicles.
 

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No one ever can tell you what to do with your vehicle. It's yours, you paid for it, your financial and other situations are your own.
How or when you drive it or not are your decision - but if you want or need it to last, you will need to keep it off salt or take extreme measures to protect it.

I've seen Iowa cars rot away in a decade.

Yes, things like "fluid film", undercoating, POR products and other stuff can help extend life (my 82 SX4 is rust-free in part due to the Ziebart factory protection but also because it avoids any salt and is kept clean underneath)

Body and frame channels hold not only salt, but sand and dust. Water keeps the sand and salt wet and promotes corrosion. Films can't get into everything so while they help, they aren't perfect.
You need a "multiple layer plan" to prevent rust -
Prevention, protection, washing the detail areas.
If you can, avoid the salt and crap - here they brine everything to the point of it being so slippery it's outright dangerous and slick.

Jeep Gladiator Am I stupid to Keep in garage 20221220_162504_HDR


Jeep Gladiator Am I stupid to Keep in garage 20210210_122439


Jeep Gladiator Am I stupid to Keep in garage 20221220_162442
 
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CyberHero

CyberHero

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No one ever can tell you what to do with your vehicle. It's yours, you paid for it, your financial and other situations are your own.
How or when you drive it or not are your decision - but if you want or need it to last, you will need to keep it off salt or take extreme measures to protect it.

I've seen Iowa cars rot away in a decade.

Yes, things like "fluid film", undercoating, POR products and other stuff can help extend life (my 82 SX4 is rust-free in part due to the Ziebart factory protection but also because it avoids any salt and is kept clean underneath)

Body and frame channels hold not only salt, but sand and dust. Water keeps the sand and salt wet and promotes corrosion. Films can't get into everything so while they help, they aren't perfect.
You need a "multiple layer plan" to prevent rust -
Prevention, protection, washing the detail areas.
If you can, avoid the salt and crap - here they brine everything to the point of it being so slippery it's outright dangerous and slick.

20221220_162504_HDR.jpg


20210210_122439.jpg


20221220_162442.jpg
What about the holes in the frame. I’ve seen plugs for them, those help or false magic?
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