A Flood of Used Cars (Page 1/2)
Notorio OCT 04, 11:01 AM
I guess it's not too early to remind ourselves that cars flooded by Ian will be appearing for sale all over the US before you can say tinder and flint. There's a national database for VIN checks, but that is useless if the car wasn't insured or wasn't submitted for a claim. This article has some hints on how to spot flood damage.

Click Here
cvxjet OCT 04, 02:57 PM
Here are a couple of pics showing some of the easier ways of ascertaining whether the car has been...."Swimmin' with the fishes"....




I am just being a smart azz.....This will be very big problem and warn friends and family about this possible danger.

[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 10-04-2022).]

theogre OCT 04, 03:02 PM
Yup.
And You still find Flood Cars on the market after Sandy hit NJ NY area a decade later...

Worse now because New and Used markets often get Top $ because of current problems getting new cars.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

randye OCT 04, 09:39 PM
A lot of nice cars used to live in Southwest Florida
MidEngineManiac OCT 04, 10:18 PM

quote
Originally posted by randye:

A lot of nice cars used to live in Southwest Florida










Ahh...ahhh...ahhh...

That's buff out.

OMG poor babies....has anybody called yet ? closed the windows and put dehumidifiers in ???

Called for....JESUS CHRIST, they need attention stat !!
Notorio OCT 04, 11:58 PM
I'd think an old distributor ignition car like a vette would salvage just fine, no?
Raydar OCT 05, 09:29 AM

quote
Originally posted by Notorio:

I'd think an old distributor ignition car like a vette would salvage just fine, no?



Still has plug-in connectors. They's all have to be unplugged and cleaned. Remember, this is salt water - and maybe sewage, depending upon where it happened. Both are death on electricals.
And if the battery was still connected, any current in the circuits could cause ongoing corrosion.

That's not even considering the effect of the salt on the metal structure.
Of course, anything could be cleaned/washed, but you're talking about a major rebuild. Would only be financially worthwhile for high dollar stuff like Vettes and the Superbirds.
I might attempt to rebuild a Fiero, but only because I know them so well, and because they have a minimum of electronics - all of which are replaceable.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-05-2022).]

fierofool OCT 05, 11:03 AM
All wheel bearings would need replaced, the transmissions and differentials emptied, flushed and refilled, crankcases flushed. Even a vehicle that has only been standing in hub deep water for any time needs bearings replaced. One telltale area that's overlooked on flooded vehicles is inside the doors and side panels. They fail to flush and clean the insides. If I were in the market for a used car, I would want to see a multi-year history showing it had been nowhere near a flood area.
82-T/A [At Work] OCT 05, 03:59 PM
You can't really "replace" those cars, so I'm sure most of those will get restored. I'd guarantee that all of them were covered by collector car insurance... and Haggerty's is pretty good. Wouldn't be surprised if all four of them were. They'll get fixed.
theogre OCT 05, 07:27 PM
Folks people "dump" outboard motors for boats in fresh and salt water forever because of iffy mounts, floods, etc.
Even w/o any electronics they will "Rot" and fast even when if pulled out of water in minutes and and engine isn't flushed and "dried."

Friend's boat was Totaled on Dry Land because rain water filled most of boat when some crap block the drain port when another tropic storm soak the area.
Short Results: Have to
replace transom unit bearings.
replace hyrdo oil to lift same
replace/fix electrical
and more that that's never made to In water. Only thing the water didn't get is Engine Block because oil dipstick, intake and exhaust man's barely above the water.
So I-co look at cost to fix vs value of boat = a Total Loss.

Above engines were under Salt Water. And need attention fast or cylinder walls, pistons, valves and more will rust in hours to days.

On top of wheel bearings and more said above.
Example: Autotrans and other parts like need complete rebuild because auto clutches and bands often Hate Water and self destruct.

Then add electrical...
Weather Pack and Related plugs and even the wires themselves Are Not "Water Proof." Interior and more connectors are not even Weather Resistant parts and don't use "Bulb Grease" etc.
Even if you pull the plugs and dry them, Salt/Polluted water can wick down a wire and rot them. Worse may take months or longer to see a problem because not enough water right now but still have salt and worse in the wire that will reactivate every time gets a little moisture.

Even w/o flooding... Many Fusible Links blow because "water" got in just driving in winter then rot the link until finally too thin to handle the normal load and Poof a burn link turning on whatever often on the highway in rush hour... This is why GM move many fuse links off the starter in ~ 85 Model Years and not just Fiero. Now multiply hundreds to thousands of joints where a Flood will find the wires.

This is also why Seaside Height and/or Seaside Park in NJ the Boardwalks had a huge Fire after Sandy. Electric Boxes under places carrying 240VAC or more got soaked by the storm and not fixed right and worse both Towns allowed bare minimum work to reopen the Boardwalks. IOW Little to No Code Inspections etc. (Both are different town in different Townships in the County.)