Like how water heaters have anode rods to sacrifice rather than the tank. Or how a penny layed by a battery post is supposed to corrode, rather than the posts/terminals - is there some kind of material, special paint, strap, or ? where the rust/corrosion will gravitate to IT, rather than to keep eating away at your car?

I remember cars years ago where I saw straps hanging down from them to the ground but cannot recall if that was their function. I saw these things on cars that were those boat-size cars that were labeled as pimpmobiles that also might have curb feelers on them also.

Anybody have any insight into this?

 

ecman...those were ground straps to get rid of static electricity. I remember everyone who had those gawdawful plastic seat covers all had the straps. The curb feelers were for people who just needed that 'pimp-my-ride' look, or because those land yachts from back then were wider than their limited spacial acuity could perceive.

I think something with the tires back then also made the ground straps a plus. Maybe something about the advent of steel belted radials?

 

Ah. Static. I couldn't remember if it was to curb rust or for grounding the car, - and the latter sounds like it comes the closest. They tell you that when you fil up with gas that you should not get in and out of your car seat while filling up due to possible static.

While we are on this subject - does anybody know if Ospho or like-material spray products that transform rusty metal to a paintable black color actually stops rust from growing more at that location?, or is this sort of a slight of hand beautification that doesn't really stop the rust as much as it makes it just look better?

 

They work. I've tried both the Ospho-type product and the other kind. I wasn't impressed with the Ospho stuff, but in any event none of them are permanent fixes, but they certainly slow things down. I'm constanting battling rust on the rear deck of my wrecker and about once a year I have to chip the bad spots, hit them with rust converter, and top coat with Rustoleum.

Anybody who remembers curb feelers is seriously showing his (or her) age.

 

Can you make your own out of base ingredient for cheaper? I'm paying near $4 a can for the stuff.

Luckily I do not show my age (yet) I was just telling two college guys when I was working in their bathroom minutes ago, what I have down for 35 years or so, and they start looking at each other like, "How can THAT be? He only looks 32. "

 

COROLESS! used in the north sea(supposedly) to stop rust on the oil dericks. only seen it in magazine ads. can't seem to rember the mag.?(that's age!) oh yeah! i remember curb feelers AND suicide knobs(aka-one arm knobs)!

 

Hey now.......

I cant be that old, My curb feelers were packaged with free "Fuzzy Dice"..

They do make gizmos that connect to the negative battery terminal and then to the body of the car. It is supposedly some type of IONIZATION generator. It is supposed to send a small amount of current thru the body of the car, and thereby prevent rust. ?????????????????...I dont know much about how well it works. Ive never been a big fan of the 12.99$ Miracle cure.

 

Thanks for the lead though. I will ask at an auto parts store.

But you're right; the gizmo might rank up there with those electronic bat and other creatures, repelers. We have one in a commercial business, and dead mice wind up in a trap just feet away from a plug-in electronic repeling device! And in a college rental with bats, bats are flying around the basement where we have one of those devices also. In fact, one bat went in the washing machine (and hung on for dear life to those holes in the basket, when I tried to tug him out of the machine) about 3 feet away from the device!

I wonder how they are allowed to sell such things and get away with it, actually.

 

Because we keep Buying them!!!!!

I recently saw a "Magnet" stuck to a Fuel line with zip ties. When I inquired about it, The kid told me it "Magnetizes the fuel particles and thereby creates better Combustion and fuel economy. I chuckled, and he showed me the label from the package.

Yup......"Magnetism" is the Alternative fuel of the future.

 

Nah Unc...not magnetism....its the jar of water with the 2 electrodes connected to your battery. You know, where you only use a pint of water a month, but it increases your mileage by 100%. And it only cost $500-600!!

The price of gullibility is going up....

 

Cow Magnets!! Back in the 70s, maybe 80s, everyone up here was taping them to their gas line.

Good things never die?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_magnet


Baldwin

 

Short answer?: The Small Print. My favorites are the weight loss aids; they should all be put out of business.