My cars dry off without an envelope. The air inside the bubble has the same amount of moisture as outside. A sealed bubble with desiccant inside would reduce the humidity.

 

I don't think there can be any argument that the outside environment does a lot of damage to cars, what with the ultraviolet light and ozone pollution deteriorating every part made of plastic, rubber or vinyl; pollen, fallen leaves, grass clippings and dust accumulating in all the nooks and crannies, holding moisture till it rusts through; the sunlight heat cycling the interior day after day till the dash pad warps and the headliner sags; the humidity and condensation corroding every part that is bare or sacrificial plated metals; critters nesting, chewing, peeing and pooping in and on it. Two years may not seem like a long time, but think about it this way. How bad does the average soccer mom's minivan look at 8 years old? Leave your Jaguar outside for 2 years and it is one fourth of the way to looking that bad. It may shine back up with the help of a lot of modern miracle car care products, but the damage is done.

 

You don't have to agree. A fact is a fact. There is nothing in an engine that needs 'exercise'.

 

agree, our plastics are not up to the spec of a mass market car and leather will require attention. perhaps some of our rustproofing has it shortcomings which is why i endorse an aftermarket solution regardless of use. interestingly corrosion in coastal warm areas can be severe as well as in sandy dry climates. the latter must be some sort of abrasive effect wearing through coatings and plating. perhaps in amazingly hot and sunny environments, precautions need to be taken to minimize exposure of any vehicle. it goes without saying that pristine, very low mileage examples require constant controlled garaging for obvious reasons.

regarding the soccer mom minivan example, my 1991 honda, purchased new, driven in NYC close to 500k, year round, sold 2007 to the person still driving it. looks like new in and out and underneath to the amazement of mechanics and auto detailers, original condition. other than basic maintenance and scheduled service we would thoroughly wash the undercarriage and bays in the spring and wax it. never garaged its entire life. when not in use parked in the driveway outside. only the black exterior trim got somewhat faded, not cracked or brittle, just needed some product to bring it back. only oddball repair was when the front spring broke due to age in 2003. just needed springs, shocks and bushings were fine. people do not know how to take care of things, let alone not drive their vehicles to destruction.

 

It is parked in a closed wooden garage, a dolomite gravel floor keeps it dry, and a bit dusty.

 

I have been restoring classic cars as a hobby for 30 years which is like doing forensic research into how they died. Yes, I have seen it. Scientifically, most all chemical processes are accelerated by heat. Corrosion is a chemical process as well as is the breakdown of plastics. Abrasion is certain too. Here in west Texas is like living in a blasting cabinet sometimes. I remember my uncle telling me a tall tale about driving to Arizona in the late 1950s, getting caught in a sandstorm and one side of his car was blasted to bare metal. A bit far-fetched maybe but I've seen evidence on old cars myself that like all legends, there is some basis in truth. Just polishing old windows with cerium oxide to bring back the clarity, the difference is amazing.

 

thanks, will have to remember the cerium oxide for polishing glass.

interestingly, we tend to accept certain things as wear items such as tires, brakes, oil, textiles and such. it seems sensible to accept that coatings and protective electroplating fall into the same category. obviously we are keeping vehicles well past any reasonable expected lifetime at manufacture. some do better than others in this regard and climate and exposure are a factor. in my line of work and when you think about most of life in general we are actively managing deterioration, corrosion a part of this. perhaps this is something that needs to be added to the hobby, however one crashes into the restoration and originality angle as well as cost and feasibility.

sometimes i can't believe it when someone has a vehicle for quite some time and announces a severe corrosion disaster. did you not see it coming. get under the vehicle when raised for service, ask your technician to tell you if something is brewing, aware of specific issues with your model? even if something rots anyway, you still only have to deal with one thing. even if a major mechanical component fails there is still a valuable hull. an interesting debate is whether corrosion protection should start at commissioning or after a period of time.

this might make for an interesting thread one day when i get the time.