To beach or not to beach a 72 K2500 4x4

[tev]

So a group of friends are heading down to a South Texas beach for a long weekend and I want to drive my 72 down there and run it in 4x4 for a bit. I live in Austin so most of the 4x4 options around here involve rock climbing,which I'm not interested in.

Anyway, this is a good looking, original, rust-free truck from California. Although I use it weekly for all sorts of stuff, I keep it clean, maintained, and want to own it the rest of my life. Anyone who knows Texas beaches knows how corrosive that salty air and sand are. I will clean the truck thoroughly after the trip, but am I taking too much of a risk on starting rust on a rust-free truck? I really want to give the 4x4 system a good run, but am concerned about creating a problem that doesn't exist. Again, I'll clean the truck top to bottom before we even drive back, but not sure that's enough. My dad took us to the beach every weekend in the early 70s in a scout and then a bronco and I remember him spraying it down (underneath as well) as soon as we hit the first carwash - that's what I'm gonna do.

Thoughts? Rants? Encouragement?

Here's my original post for the truck: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=676947

[cypressbog]

That salt dust will get into spots that can't be washed.

[Bigdav160]

Rinse it well underneath and you'll be good. I go once a month in my DD and haven't noticed any corrosion damage.

[drfloyd]

What do you plan on 4 wheeling in? Sand, mud? I wouldn't get in the salt water under any circumstances. Nor the marsh mud. I have a house at Myrtle Beach, Sc and I'm there a lot. Never really had any issues but I probably never really got all that intrusive. But I do know how rough the salt water is on a boat and equipment. If you want to bog it down, bring it to my farm in SC right now. I got mud.

[BugzC10]

Nice truck...take it to the beach! But like you said, clean it throughly to wash away any salty sand and salt water residue at your earliest opportunity. If you do it regularly maybe consider some undercoating.

[tev]

Mud more fun than sand. Love SC. But I'm going for sand-running in 4H.

Thanks for the quick advice everyone. It is the stuff I can't get to that worries me. I remember my dad spending what seemed like hours lying under the 69 bonco and scout just washing and washing.

Uh, bigdave, let me know when you wanna get rid of that 67 roadster . . .

[dutchmanz]

All of my trucks over the years (4x4 ones anyway) have been on the beach. I even drove and old K5 in the water one weekend. Fun as all get out to splash thru a breaking wave. The poor truck had more rust than metal so it didn't really matter. I still think trucks are for using, take it on the beach. We have to buy a yearly permit to drive on the beaches now. Just plain stupid in my opinion and its per vehicle. I haven't gone on the beach since. Again, washing it afterward is highly recommended. An automatic carwash that has the jets that spray up was always my choice. A good lawn sprinkler works good too.

[72gmguy]

I've driven trucks on the beach at the Jersey shore and never had an excessive corrosion problem. I always went to the spray car wash when I was done and basically power washed the bottom with soap and water. When my local spray wash closed down I started washing the trucks at home but used a salt terminator or salt away wash hooked to my spray nozzle. I drove/washed a jeep wrangler I had so much that when I took it in to the dealer for warranty work they praised me for how clean I kept it. Never noticed I ever had it on the beach.

[tev]

Ok, thanks everybody. I'm taking it.

72GMguy, here's what I think you're talking about: Amazon.com : Hose Mixing Unit for Salt-Away...
A little expensive, but worth it. Also, I'm pretty sure my truck has some undercoating already in the fender wells.

[RodnRudy]

I read once how a street rodder cleaned the underside of his car after a trip to the Bonneville salt flats. He set it up on jack stands and took one of those perforated garden hoses and wound it around underneath the car, turned the water on and let rinse for a day or so. Claimed it did a very good job of getting into the nooks and crannies.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by tev

Ok, thanks everybody. I'm taking it.

Excellent. Your truck needs to be driven on the beach! Port A is first place top ever came off my Jimmy Spring Break '85. It still belonged to my dad and he didn't know...

Just car wash it on the way home and at least once more during the first week back. And wear sunscreen.

[CG]

I go to Bonneville and you can't get any saltier than that. You can get some cheap Pam substitute at the dollar store. Spray your undercarriage and rockers, go have fun. When you get home put a sprinkler of some sort under your truck.

I took my Astro van to Bonneville a couple times and never had any rust problems, same with my Scion using the method described

[tev]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Excellent. Your truck needs to be driven on the beach! Port A is first place top ever came off my Jimmy Spring Break '85. It still belonged to my dad and he didn't know...

Just car wash it on the way home and at least once more during the first week back. And wear sunscreen.

Ha. I was in high school and there that year and every year after until 90-91? Slept on the beach a few times during spring break - don't recommend it. If I spotted your Jimmy we probably talked. Always wanted one.

Born in Corpus late 60's - family always beached 25+ miles past the 4wd marker on north end of S Padre island every summer until I was 8 or 9. Way past little shell and big shell. Nothing out there but us and a coast guard chopper every few hours. Dad fished for shark mostly. One time us kids got him to pop a bunch of man-o-war all over the beach rolling home in the Bronco. He must've had too many beers and ignored all the work he'd have to do. You never heard so much cursing - he had to lay up under that truck and hand remove some of those man-o-war and they were still stinging. I'll never make that mistake.

Thanks for all the advice fellas. I'll take some pics and share.

[46stude]

Just wash it real good, & it'll be fine. I live in Rockport- it's not running down the beach that eats stuff. It's the salt in the air.

[special-K]

Just have to watch you don't kick sand all up into where it can get trapped

[Mike C]

We camped in the Jimmy at Mustang Island State Park. Pointed the hood at the surf and slept in lounger type lawn chairs in the back. Great trip! I think I drank more beer than 7-11 sold in a day!

[Bigdav160]

Originally Posted by tev

Uh, bigdave, let me know when you wanna get rid of that 67 roadster . . .

Destined for the kids. Since it's Mother's Day coming up......

Mustang Island around 1972. RIP Mom!

[tev]

Bigdave, that pic says it all. And just two years after Celia.

My brother lives in north Cypress just off 290. He has a professional tree trimming business. If you ever need a good deal for quality work send me a PM and I'll forward his contact info.

Mike C - there's something about that beach makes me a superman when it comes to downing beer.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Mike C]

Beautiful car Bigdav. I can't wait to start on my '64 project! (Need to quit spending time and money on trucks LOL!)

[Aruba1]

I lived on an small island for 25 years and I never been on the white beach sand with a vehicle I cared for.