Insanely Ridiculous Automobile Modifications Thread
 

That's right. You know those whacko 'customizations' you can do to a car where you're like: "who the hell would spend money on crap like this?"? Post it here.

Anyways, I'll get things started with something I saw at Canadian Tire today:

Attachment 252

It's called CounterAct: electronic rust protection.

Canadian Tire flyer description (issue for 03/09/07 - 03/15/07):
Canadian Tire website:
There doesn't seem to be much more information, but if this product actually works, why don't we see it in all vehicles? It just looks and sounds real fishy to me. What do other members think?

The BioPerformance gas pill
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0..._gas_pill.html

Peakster-

What I think is interesting is that you probably won't know that it *didn't* work until they have gone out of business or re-incorporated. How fast does a car rust up in your parts? I usually have a "sucker limit" of under $50. It depends on how I am doing financially :D .

CarloSW2

I can't get to that product description by your link, so I'll play 20 questions...
- is it an active anodic sacrifice system?
- does it apply a voltage potnetial between the body and an anode?
- does it involve a voodoo stick? :D
- mothballs? ;)
- ok, not really 20 questions... :)

EDIT : I got it (below) when I entered "M4P 1V8" into the postal code.

That's the thing that confuses me. Canadian Tire is a fairly reputable company that's been around since the 1920s (comical, yet annoying TV commercials), so it would be likely that there would be some sort of compensation if the product didn't work.

Cars rust pretty nicely in my parts. The Geo is 10 years old and I've got some nice surface rust going on at the door sills. Still, totally not worth spending $200.00 to buy this product (says it both prevents and inhibits existing rust). I too have a 'sucker' limit of $50 (well okay, $60 Canadian :D). I did buy the Hot Wash for my Geo and it works as described (although not nearly as glamourous as the Canadian Tire 'Family' made it look on the TV ad.)
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1. I'm thinking that's what it's supposed to be (or resemble)
2. Not a clue. It doesn't even say if the device is to be plugged in when the car is parked, in in the cigarette socket while driving.
3. Not mentioned in ad :p
4. I don't think so ;)

However, according to the website there is a 5 year warrantee to the product (when installed at a Canadian Tire store and have original receipt). Also, what's with the different prices? I'm assuming that a big vehicle needs a big one of 'these' to work. Canadian Tire has always had some weird stuff for cars, but this takes the cake.

I checked the website link and it seems to be working for me.

You would need to do at least a 10 year trial to see if it works.
Here in the metro MN we get lots of salt and sand in winter, a new car purchased here with no special care will last about 10 years before some small amount of rust starts showing, and probably last even longer if it is washed and waxed on a regular basis.

Ah, I got it when I entered "M4P 1V8" into the postal code.

It could also be a negative electrostatic charge applied to the body (with respect to what, I don't know).

Would that theoretically work? My thinking is that even if it did, there's no way someone could have that device working 24/7/365.

I'm so glad that rust is a rarity in Florida because I really hate washing my car, and as a result don't. I still have dirt on my bumper from December when I was working on a film that required me to drive on alot of dirt roads to get to the set.

Peakster -

I was thinking that is was something that you plugged in when you got home, so you wouldn't be getting 24/7/365 protection, but you would be getting some protection. If true, I wonder what the electric bill would be? If it ain't Tesla juice ;) , then you must be paying something to maintain the "anti-rust field".

CarloSW2

Well, it's still conjecture, but the theory is that since ships and pipelines are vulnerable to electrolytic corrosion because of the buildup of static electricity from flowing liquids, that they use sacrificial anodes (of zinc or aluminum) because those metals have a higher electro-negativity compared to iron. This is related to Cathodic-protection. In the the reverse directon of the electron flow is the ion flow of the anodic material. This is why zinc coating body panels can make scratches in that coating to be kind of self-healing.

Back to the device, there is a thing called Impressed Current CP used on large underground equipment. It, however is based on current flow rather than the electrostatic (not electromagnetic) field I suggested. I'm still not sure where the current flow would be or across what and electric potential would be place on a car body to be effective. Just guesses.

Back in the day 16 years ago when I worked at an airport in Guam we had those (or something that worked along the same lines) installed on our step trucks. They were rusty in 5 years.........I had always wondered if they really worked and at least I got to find out. That being said, maybe it was installed incorrectly? Hmmmmm, if your vehicle started to rust I have a feeling that would be what the company would say. I'm in a skeptical mood though. ;)

Yeah, I can totally see the company being like:
"Well, how do we know that you've even used it at all during all these years? For all we know the device has been sitting in your garage, collecting dust".

...or they require that they do the installing if you want a warranty.

I have had personal experience for 4 years now using a Zinc block on my Honda vehicles. I used THIS Zinc block attached to the underside of my rusting CRX. It slowed the rust down to near dead stop over 2 years. I have since installed one in my wife's 2000 Protege and installed one on my 94 Civic VX after I had cut out and welded in new rear quarter panels. Although when I bought two of those blocks several years ago, they were only $7 a piece. But the copper wire that is internally cast into the block makes for a great means of connecting it to the chassis of any vehicle.

My car leaks oil, so the entire underbody is being continuously sprayed with a rust-inhibiting coating. :)

I have talked to people who would spray the underside of there vehicle with either used motor oil, or linseed oil, and that it compleatly prevented rust...
it makes sence that because rust is an electrocemical reaction that you should be able to at least slow it down with an electrical device, but how you connect it, and to what is the big question, and zinc block like that could do something... but again, I'm not sure how the whole prosess would work, but zinc does have some amazing affects on steel that are long lasting becuase of it alloying affects with the serfice of of steel.

Well looky what I found parked at the university today. Not one but two rear spoilers. The top spoiler probably creates a lot of drag and increases fronal area. I'm not sure if there would be much effect with the bottom spoiler. Either way, the rear window is dirty as heck, so it must be creating lots of low pressure. The car probably has a loud exaust too:

Attachment 292

The front bumper looks ok in terms of drag (if the grille was blocked off). Too bad it's damaged on the driver's side. What's with the 'wings' on the windshield wipers?

Attachment 293

On a good note, it looks like they've got good wheel spoilers for the rear tires.

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The wise men around here says used motor oil is not ideal for rust protection, it contains acids and other bad stuff from the engine. Use a cheap new oil instead, and have someone with the equipment apply it, it's messy work.

There's a lot of small businesses here that do nothing but oil treatmen to cars, they spray it both inside the body/doors and on the undercarriage and it works, my father always did it and his cars has been virtually rust free despite all the salt they put on the roads in winter.

Simon

Little British Car enthusiasts usually coat their cars in Waxoyl to protect them from rust, and apparantly, it works better than anything.

kind of a partial question thast on topic.

theorietically couldnt u get better mpg if your car was clean and waxed? much like a waxed surfboard on water glides better, waxed car in wind "slips" better. (yes i realize water is obviously much more dense than air but still)

my chevette that is 27 years old has virtually no rust and its been bought and driven around here on salt. there is massive ammounts of undercoating tho and where its flaked off its clean red paint still underneath...

except for the front floor pans but they rusted from the inside out...

That's really funny! I JUST NOW this moment finished getting together a presentation for school tomorrow. Subject: Driving for maximum fuel economy. I included "Keep vehicle washed and waxed" in my reduce drag portion. I know it is just a small rock towards gas mileage, but many rocks together build a moutain. (I stole that from "The Riches") I also included racing disc hubcaps for the reduce drag portion of vehicle modifications.

It will affect your mpg less than 1/4 or so. It's so insignificant that plain old A-B-A testing usually won't detect a statistically significant difference attributable to this.

There are exceptions, such as your car being covered in years worth of road grime and mud. Then the difference could be pretty sizable.

Yabba-dabba-doo! :D

rofl yea.. but everywhere was still solid enough to just drill some holes and put a piece of sheetmetal down with some bolts.

but! dirt weighs somehting, if youve got alot of dirt buildup it could potentially weigh down your car. especially wet dirt.