For starters don't wash it and avoid rain. That should stop 90% of the rust growth depending on where you store the car. The steel in these old cars seems to rust badly compared to modern cars and I'm not sure why. High carbon content I suspect. On the Coast close to the sea you are fighting a losing battle even if you don't wash it. Rust needs water or air moisture to grow. Everyone has a rust proofing recipe of their own, and mine is fish oil as it gets into all cracks and crevices.
My understanding is modern day cars are dipped in a solution whereby neutralizing the promotion of rust. Something like adding coolant in your radiator to inhibit corrosion. This is why you rarely ever see a modern vehicle with rust. I've seen junk cars in wrecking yards, sitting there in the open for 20+ years, without any rust. From around the mid eighties (even earlier) onwards, rust started disappearing from cars. Whereas olden day cars did not have the benefit of this technology. Olden day cars were just assembled and the underside, along with other areas, was predominently coated with tar. The tar seems to have gone the distance though. Looking at my LH, I've sanded away tar from numerous locations, and to my delight, have uncovered clean metal underneath. In other areas (A pillar - plenum chamber, as an example) however, there was little if any anti corrosive treatment applied hence the vulnerability of these areas rotting away.
Edited by chriso-k, 16 May 2020 - 01:54 PM.
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Don't get the Gremlin wet!!!! 
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