So I get a text yesterday from my son. No words, just 2 pictures of an 'issue' with his '02 Ford Escape.
Then he proceeds to tell me that it fell off in the parking lot at work, so he picked it up and threw it in the back of the car and came home. I'm just glad it didn't fly off at 70 mph on the freeway on his way home. That could have done some major damage to either his car if he ran over it, or to someone behind him!
So I grabbed the air tools and now both sides are off the car. The other side was just about as bad, and rusted from the inside out with all the road crap that had gotten caught up in them during the winter driving. The good news is the body where the brackets bolted in is very solid, and it was just the running boards that rusted out. Now his car is about 40 pounds lighter without the steps and all the rust...
Now they are in the dumpster waiting for the garbage man.
Enganeer said
Sep 15, 2015
That's why you gotta spring for the Stainless steel ones. I had set of Luverne nerf bars...other than some abrasion form 12 years of use, still looked great
SShink said
Sep 16, 2015
Yeah John, these were the factory Ford XLT running boards that came with it from birth. The underside of the running boards sure didn't survive well... I notice a lot of them in this vintage on the road with the same issue. My son's just happened to have one that fell off. Hopefully others don't fall off and cause other accidents.
19 CHEVELLE 66 said
Sep 17, 2015
Well the rust here in the mid-west is a fact of life or death to all things, not just steel.
As we all know rust and ford are both four letter words. But all of out cars are going to rust.
Just tru to keep ahead of it and keep the Chevells in a worm and dry garage during the winter season.
So I get a text yesterday from my son. No words, just 2 pictures of an 'issue' with his '02 Ford Escape.
Then he proceeds to tell me that it fell off in the parking lot at work, so he picked it up and threw it in the back of the car and came home. I'm just glad it didn't fly off at 70 mph on the freeway on his way home. That could have done some major damage to either his car if he ran over it, or to someone behind him!
So I grabbed the air tools and now both sides are off the car. The other side was just about as bad, and rusted from the inside out with all the road crap that had gotten caught up in them during the winter driving. The good news is the body where the brackets bolted in is very solid, and it was just the running boards that rusted out. Now his car is about 40 pounds lighter without the steps and all the rust...
Now they are in the dumpster waiting for the garbage man.
Yeah John, these were the factory Ford XLT running boards that came with it from birth. The underside of the running boards sure didn't survive well... I notice a lot of them in this vintage on the road with the same issue. My son's just happened to have one that fell off. Hopefully others don't fall off and cause other accidents.
As we all know rust and ford are both four letter words. But all of out cars are going to rust.
Just tru to keep ahead of it and keep the Chevells in a worm and dry garage during the winter season.