Storing automobile

Mark Vine brought up the interesting problem of very long-term
parking (in an underground vault).

>... A brand new automobile is to be placed in a huge vault
>below ground where the plan is to seal it away till the year 3001.
>...
>Might a protective plastic or otherwise bubble-like structure be
>used to encapsulate the car and would such a structure last 1000
>years in such an environment.
>
>Alternatively can anyone suggest something else that might be used
>to reduce damp attack in such an unusual environment.

Although I cannot suggest anything less than "canning" the car, I'm
also curious about how long the polyethylene sealing layer of a
barrier film would last. A ceramic or foil barrier film would
provide good protection from moisture and oxygen. Would an anoxic
atmosphere keep the inner polyethylene layer of a sealing film (such
as ACLAR or Polyproof 2000) in good condition for a millennium? If
two layers/envelopes were used, there would be a safety margin and a
more effective inner layer. An oversupply of Mitsubishi's RP would
provide some years of protection from moisture and oxygen inside the
envelope, but I don't know what changes 1000 years would bring. What
kind and amount of off-gassing (if any) might one expect?

Alternatively, one could rely on the atmosphere staying relatively
stable on its own, and a box or tent of Corrosion Intercept
Coroplast polypropylene could be used to scavenge corrosive
compounds out of the air, reducing the activity of the naturally
occurring moisture and metal combination.

Whatever the solution, I would be sure to have plenty of small
change for the parking meter. Information about the above products
is at: <URL:http://www.interlog.com/~keepsafe/>

Jerry Shiner
Keepsafe Systems &
Forever Yours Bridal Gown Preservation
Toronto, Ontario

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:29
                 Distributed: Friday, November 12, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-13-29-008
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