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marinersk

Titanium Replacement Parts?

7 posts in this topic

So -- yes, this is a crazy thought.  Almost as crazy as driving a 2005 cdi.

My goodness everything on this car is rusting.  Badly.  Through and through rust.  Chunks falling off as I work to swap parts.

Has anyone considered fabricating replacement parts out of a material that doesn't thoroughly oxidize so readily?  So let's dream big -- Titanium.  Not as rare as people think, but it sure is expensive.  But let's roll with that for a moment.

Imagine replacing all the rusting pieces not directly related to suspension (I'm looking at you, De-Dion tubes...) with fabricated parts made of titanium.  Stronger, lighter, and serviceable even after riding around in the rust belt.

Thoughts?  Other than "hide my wallet whenever this guy is around".

 

- Steve M.

 

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i believe some of the safety cage is already made of titanium.   i'm just not sure what parts

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 The most practical solution -

Scrape off the rust and then use POR - paint over rust. Finish with an oil spray.

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1 hour ago, smart142 said:

 The most practical solution -

Scrape off the rust and then use POR - paint over rust. Finish with an oil spray.

This is what I am doing to the entire car's under side and anything else that is even thinking about showing signs of rusting. Inside and out. Sand blasting to bare metal or sanding then a good quality primer then a few coats of rust paint of your favorite colour.....lol. 
IMHO, it's the only way to keep anything alive long enough if you plan on keeping it for a long period of time. It works. I then use red Rust Check as it's the one that creeps the best, for me, again to each their own.  Glenn uses some nasty shit that covers well and stays put and keeps things well oily to keep the rust back. Ask me how I know.....lol...I have spent days removing it to look for any sings of rust possibly underneath of it and then treat those areas as I find them. That black stuff stops any rust it finds from what I can see, I just want to get the rust repaired then I personally like red Rust Check over any other product. 

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1 hour ago, Willys said:

Glenn uses some nasty shit that covers well and stays put and keeps things well oily to keep the rust back. Ask me how I know.....lol...I have spent days removing it to look for any sings of rust possibly underneath of it and then treat those areas as I find them. That black stuff stops any rust it finds from what I can see, I just want to get the rust repaired then I personally like red Rust Check over any other product. 

 

As long as the area being covered is already rust-free, the material that Glenn uses would work fine.

As for which product to use, as Willys says, "to each their own".   Personally, I like Krown. Rust Control.  It's thin enough to get into all the little cracks and crevices.  My 32 year old Honda Civic ( the older ones were noted for their ability to rust almost as fast as a Ford ) shows no signs of rust anywhere.  It's had the Krown treatment from day one.

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11 hours ago, marinersk said:

Imagine replacing all the rusting pieces not directly related to suspension (I'm looking at you, De-Dion tubes

 

those tubes flex and are an integral part of the suspension

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Yes, in re-reading my note I realize I was not clear.  The De-Dion tubes were being referenced as being in the "directly related to suspension" set.

 

I also realized that Titanium as a replacement for Steel is stronger, thus less can be used, resulting in a lighter product.

Flat replacing the steel parts with same-sized full-titanium parts would actually make the car heavier. 

That's the opposite of the goal of the SmartCar in the first place.

So, traditional rust abatement procedures will be the norm.

 

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