[PRCo] Re: locale- 1764

[Kenneth Josephson]

Bob Rathke wrote:

> Auto rust isn't always a good guide for dating photos.  We owned a 1962 Chevy in
> Pittsburgh, and sold it in 1972 with very little visible corrosion.

I know, Bob. The date was on the back of the photo. :-) I was just commenting that
the light colored '61 looked very good. In other photos taken at the same time, some
cars of the same vintage were very rusty. I have a 1966 East End shot of a 1600
passing a '61 Impala with gapping holes behind its headlights and doors. I also have
one from the same year showing a '59 Biscayne with a huge makeshift patch in front
of the rear wheel well. '58-'61 Chevys were notorious for rusting out when exposed
to humidity and road salt. While the '62s shared the same body shells as the '61s,
there were considerable inprovements in the '62 through '64 GM bodies sharing the
same platform.

I knew people in Pittsburgh with well maintained vehicles that showed little
corrosion, just like your '62. But I knew others whose cars rusted so quickly, it
seemed incredible. The annual inspections often resulted in patched up cars that
appeared great at 50 mph from 200 yards away, but looked lumpy and wavy when parked
right next to you.

And to get back on topic, I must confess that when I took a peek under 1711 during
my 1999 visit to PTM, I shuddered a little. The people in Elmira certainly have
their work cut out for them! Talk about rust! Ken J.