Hi there, Living in inland Australia I never thought I would be asking this question BUT I was looking for some info on resurrecting cars after flood damage. At the moment my 1957 Buick Estate Wagon is sitting in 4 ft of water, with more expected in a few days. Has anyone had experience with cleaning and possible successfully salvaging any or all of the vehicle. In the same shed I also had stored lifetime collection of motors, various parts, posters, books and photos. I know it's a long shot but was hoping to at least save some of this. Would be grateful for any input given. Have attached photos, these were taken early the water is over the window sill of the buick. There is no way of getting the cars out at this stage and more rain forecast in two days. regards Bob
Sad, we went though a flood in 2007. As soon as you can get in after the water subsides, drain all fluids and flush/clean/refill. In the case of the running cars, pull plugs and spins to get water out of cylinders. stored engines need to be torn down unless you can flush em and spinem over on a stands. Even then it is a gamble
Oh damn, my heart goes out to you - I had the same thing happen just before Christmas. Lost my '58 Chrysler mild custom a la Joe Wilhelm/Cliff Inman and a '40 Willys too. You can see the tide mark on the Chrysler (which was 99.9% finished) and the nose of the Willys - exactly 36"
If you have clean water available when the flood subsides, hose as much of the mud out as you can before it dries. Otherwise it'll be there forever, it smells bad and causes rust down the line. This means pulling some of the interior too. Also, be very careful if or how you claim on insurance for your cars. Being flooded that deep they technically qualify as a "statutory write off". Which means no registration in Australia - ever. This is despite the fact that after a fluid change they could probably pass a roadworthy inspection...
i put my jeep under water a few times.drain all the fluids.after you pull the plugs and crank it over,spray some wd40 into the cylinders.you have alot of work ahead of you ,,,but its not a total lose
Get in there as soon as you can like the other posters said drain all fluids and pull plugs spin over to get water out. trans should be fine as long as you change oil and flush before you start the car as far as interior go hose it all out after pulling interior. hang carpet on the fence and presure wash all the dirt out. let everythng air out real good. we even put osilating fans in the cars with the doors,hood,trunks open to air out we delt with it here in Louisiana after Katrina. If you think about it the rust buckets we bring back from the dead are in a hell of a lot worse off than a car that was in great shape and was just flooded. Hopfully its fresh water because the salt water goes to work fast on the metal.
restoring flood damaged older cars isn't that bad, first off get anything fabric out of the car, hopefully before mold sets in, and hope black mold doesn't develop, that shit in the air can kill ya. if there is anything electronic, toss it. also the battery usually can be saved if it was a fresh water flood, but its easier to just get a new one, and if the alternator + starter got soaked theres a chance theres grit in them too, they may work for a bit but will probobally give out quickly after its on the road. take them apart and clean em, or replace. check the bearings too, the water can corrode them too.
Man that sucks, you Aussie guys are really getting shit on this year....... Good luck and hopefully things won't get any worse.
Hi mate. I feel for ya. I am doing heaps of flood damage work on cars at the auto trimmers I work for. Here is what we do As regards interior: Pull it all out Asap. Do not attempt to re use underlay. Just dry out the old stuff a bit and use it as a template for new. Carpets can dried but the underlay really starts to stink if moisture is trapped. Take the covers off the seats and clean or replace foam. The more you take apart the less chance of mould developing. I know this is not the main concern as interior is simpler than rust and engines but every bit helps.
OUCH !!!!! Yeah, clean out all the drain holes, remove all the body plugs you can find in the floor, doors and trunk then flush the crap out of it before it dries then bake the car in a paint booth if you can get into one to dry it out as well as possible. Sorry, but that sucks !!!
crap! good luck i hope you can get it cleaned up. i know it's too late and i wouldn't have thought of it, but a big set of jack stands might have kept the car dry. i have seen water rise quickly, i was in Kentucky for the Street rod nationals when heavy rains flash flooded the parking lot. it was bad but no mud. again good luck.
What part of the country are you in? Lots of floods this summer. I see you got off to an early start with the roof vent on the Camaro. That really is terrible seeing old cars in water like that. It makes me shudder to think what I'd lose if my shed went under. Sorry I can't help with any practical advice other than the obvious and what's been already stated. Just a lot of work...quickly. Good luck. Pete
Went through this with a '65 Corvette I owned. Water up to the inside rear view mirror. Brought it back and drove it for several years after. All the electrical connections are going to corrode. Gauges have to come apart to clean. Be sure to get the mud out of the inside of the frame. All the seals are designed to keep fluid in, not out. My differential had mud inside of it. It can be done, lotsa work. I feel bad for you. Dennis D
That's a savable car for sure. Follow the advice of these guys, drain all the fluids, replace electrical parts, clean, clean clean. One of my buddies has been driving a car he pulled out of a flood that was in a basement garage. It was completely submerged. He wound up doing a drivetrain swap and put new interior in it, but the original paint buffed up nicely. Don't give up.
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