Modern shite and corrosion

[Sir Snipes]

I think getting rid of sunroofs in favour of air con must help. Except for the big panaramic jobs- fuck knows how/where they drain.

[hpi_matrix]

I agree.

 

In many cases, the only 'electronic black boxes' in a lot of cars of this era were for the fuel injection / alarm & immobiliser, and quite a few mainstream manufacturers (Proton, Vauxhall, etc.) were galvanising their bodywork to prolong its service life. My 1994 Calibra is 23 years old and has never needed welding.

 

I think the reason there arent more of these cars about is due to the scrappage scheme.

[Lord Sterling]

Every car I've had/owned and not (in the case of the Ma_Micra) have had different levels of rust.

 

Micra has survived quite well but a patch on the will which had been welded up a couple of years ago is starting to show through. My Rovers have different levels of rust, worst one is my 1987 Sterling which had rust on every arch and bottoms of front doors. Best one is/was my 1990 Sterling which has just a blend of rust next to the wing-mounted indicator light.

 

The B5 Passat I briefly had had a blend of rust on the roof next to the guttering so B5s aren't infallible.

 

BMW has a small bleb on one front wheel arch. The W124 Mercedes had a bad wing which was replaced and was subsequently wrecked.

[MarinaJosh]

My partner has a 2013 Fiesta. I was shocked the first time I stuck some screenwash in it- the engine bay is virtually all still in primer. I take the piss out of my mega low mileage original Marina as small bits of that have primer showing but nowhere near as bad as this Fiesta!

[bunglebus]

Yep that trick's been around for a good few years now on Furds and probably others, the top coat barely reaches past the edges of the wings into the engine bay - I don't think that's caused any corrosion problems though.

Fords are a mixed bag, I don't think Mundanos or Focii have many problems with rust, but the Fiesta and especially the Kak have terrible problems with inner wings/floors/seams/fuel filler area etc etc.

[fiatdaft]

I think the reason there arent more of these cars about is due to the scrappage scheme.

Hardly, it's because of rust, big repairs to low value and accidents, same as it always has.

 

The scrappage scheme was 7 years ago and took 300k cars.

 

1 million cars are scrapped annually in the uk

 

 

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[Hendry]

Modern-ish VAG are really bad for it, I dont know many other 2008/2009 cars with anything like as much rot on them as VWs, Golfs, Golf Plus, Jetta, Passat of that era are all really bad, and it seems to always be the same areas, so front wings round the arch part, number plate lights on Jetta and Passat estate, Round the VW button which is also the tailgate opening handle on Golf and Passat.

 

Some 04 Golfs and the like are actually so bad they do look like the scabby rusty 10year old cars you used to see in the late 80s/early 90s.

 

Nobodys saying rust has ever not been a problem, metal oxidises in this country due to our weather, salty roads and the like, but there was a time when it was pretty good, when even Fords, Mazdas, Nissans, and Mercs were much better than they were or have been since. 

 

My personal opinion is its cost cutting, they all had a bad rep for rust and corrosion so they did something about restoring their rep for cars that rusted so people started adopting the mentality that makers cars dont rust now, and gradually theyve let it slip back to save money, not as if the likes of VW Group dont make enough profit as it is that they couldnt spend more on rust proofing, given their cars are overpriced anyway. 

[Sir Snipes]

I can't think of a time when Mazda and Nissans didn't rust.

[bunglebus]

I wonder which make was/is worst? I guess we all know about the Alfasud, anything 70's and Japanese seemed to dissolve in a few years too.

Merc had a bad patch which cost them dear, my mum always said Vauxhalls were known for rust (PA Cresta era I guess as she's on her 2nd Astra!), Fiat had a problem with cheap Russian steel (allegedly)..? 

[5speedracer]

'70s Datsuns rusted like hell but were reliable so got away with it. Polski Fiat rusted like hell but were unreliable so didn't get away with it.

[PiperCub]

If they didn't rot away the makers wouldn't be able to sell as many shiny new ones! Planned obsolescence (& cost cutting of course). 

[adw1977]

On the subject of rusty Fords, my 10 year old Sierra loved to rust, but then I had three Mark 3 Mondeos and none had the slightest hint of rust when I got rid of them at 11, 12 and 13 years old.

Now my 09 plate Focus has started to show rust bubbles on one wheelarch.

[bigstraight6]

The current fleet daily drivers have faired really well regarding corrosion, the 54 plate Volvosaurus S60 is as good as when it left the factory that built it, the 02 plate VW Polo is also very rust free, just a very small thumbnail size bit of light surface rust on the left side sill which I will deal with before autumn.......

I think generally cars from the last 20 years have good rot resistance.......

[fiatdaft]

 

 

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[Alusilber]

Another Big Shaaaht Aaaaht for the pre '99 B5 Audi A4. Astonishing degree of corrosion resistance. Bodily unkillable and mechanically easy to fix.

 

It's an Audi, though.

 

Unlike the contemporaneous A3, where the slightly pointless rubber strip along the bottom of the door did a good job of trapping muck around the clout nails welded into the door to hold said rubber strip on.

[Ben_O]

I bought my 02 plate Scenic almost 4 years ago complete with historical damage on the tailgate, one arch and one door which has taken off the paint down to the primer.

It wasn't rusty then and it isn't now and it's used and abused and hardly ever cleaned.

 

They must have done something right. I can't think of any rust anywhere on it

[matty879]

the modern kia ceed (59 plate),seems to be trying its best to compete with lancia,rotted subframes and rear brake backplates on a car so young!!! also working on a 2005 fiesta with 40k genuine,what a pear.

a lot of the older stuff seems to fair much better.my opinion is that cars are just as disposible as an empty fag lighter these days,i bet there are loads of 80s even 60-70s motors around with less rot now than our modern shite.

im guilty of modernish ownership,06 focus 2.0 tdci.had it 2 years,only bought it cause it was cheap and dare say next mot in 3 weeks it will need welding.

if thats the case depending how much it needs, i will have my 1998 (72k genuine) 306 dt back on the road as my daily.i need an excuse to tell mrs 879 its going back on the road,i will add its totally rust and rot free,even behind the rear arch liners

rant over.

[Hendry]

I can't think of a time when Mazda and Nissans didn't rust.

 

Late 90s Mazdas were ok, Im thinking of things like the 323Fs, Demios, 626s and so on, maybe even MX-3s, they are all far better than older Mazdas and newer stuff like 2, 3 and 6 models.

 

Nissan Micras werent too bad, the shape out from about L reg to 03 reg, the last gen Primeras were fine as far as I know, and i could be wrong but the mk2 Almera as well.

 

I will really need to get pics of every rusty bit of my car up for you guys to see just how badly modern shite can rot. although its less to do with rust resistance and more to do with 1. bad design, the wings are such a common problem due to some soundproofing foam stuff in the wings to quieten down the engine noise, it just absorbs water and rots the wing lips till it spreads all over it. and the rear number plate light units on Jetta tailgates, as well as the likes of Golf mk5 and Passat B6 estate, probably Golf Plus etc. which somehow collect water which rots the apertures, 2. VW paint is supposed to be hard/solid, but a lot of the rust has been caused on my car by paint flaking off which obviously leaves bare metal exposed, and VW metal doesnt take long to begin rusting when its not covered up with paint, unlike other cars which take ages after being cut down to the bare metal before it begins to rust. so the paint must be quite fragile. 3. Underneath protection isnt good, Vauxhalls had this thick yellowy stuff like hardened candle wax to stop rust, VWs must have nothing because the underside of mine although surface stuff looks like its been parked on a beach every day since new and got soaked by the tide coming in and rotting the underside. 

 

My mates Transit smiley which hes doing a concourse restoration on highlights some of the worst rust ive ever seen, its a 1999 V plate, with 189,000 miles, but had the same owner since it was 3 months old until it was 14 years old, supplying dealer maintained and serviced since new, original keys, handbooks, number plates, was very well looked after but its utterly rotten to the point it needs every panel on the outside replaced.

 

VW and Merc commercials are also really bad, I remember seeing a 3 year old 10 plate Sprinter which had random blebs of rust in the middle of panels etc, really bad, and our local council still use VW Crafter minibuses which even on 09s look like they were dumped in rivers and canals when new and were only pulled out recently. 

[matty879]

Late 90s Mazdas were ok, Im thinking of things like the 323Fs, Demios, 626s and so on, maybe even MX-3s, they are all far better than older Mazdas and newer stuff like 2, 3 and 6 models.

 

Nissan Micras werent too bad, the shape out from about L reg to 03 reg, the last gen Primeras were fine as far as I know, and i could be wrong but the mk2 Almera as well.

 

I will really need to get pics of every rusty bit of my car up for you guys to see just how badly modern shite can rot. although its less to do with rust resistance and more to do with 1. bad design, the wings are such a common problem due to some soundproofing foam stuff in the wings to quieten down the engine noise, it just absorbs water and rots the wing lips till it spreads all over it. and the rear number plate light units on Jetta tailgates, as well as the likes of Golf mk5 and Passat B6 estate, probably Golf Plus etc. which somehow collect water which rots the apertures, 2. VW paint is supposed to be hard/solid, but a lot of the rust has been caused on my car by paint flaking off which obviously leaves bare metal exposed, and VW metal doesnt take long to begin rusting when its not covered up with paint, unlike other cars which take ages after being cut down to the bare metal before it begins to rust. so the paint must be quite fragile. 3. Underneath protection isnt good, Vauxhalls had this thick yellowy stuff like hardened candle wax to stop rust, VWs must have nothing because the underside of mine although surface stuff looks like its been parked on a beach every day since new and got soaked by the tide coming in and rotting the underside. 

 

My mates Transit smiley which hes doing a concourse restoration on highlights some of the worst rust ive ever seen, its a 1999 V plate, with 189,000 miles, but had the same owner since it was 3 months old until it was 14 years old, supplying dealer maintained and serviced since new, original keys, handbooks, number plates, was very well looked after but its utterly rotten to the point it needs every panel on the outside replaced.

 

VW and Merc commercials are also really bad, I remember seeing a 3 year old 10 plate Sprinter which had random blebs of rust in the middle of panels etc, really bad, and our local council still use VW Crafter minibuses which even on 09s look like they were dumped in rivers and canals when new and were only pulled out recently. 

got a 59 plate tranny that i look after like that,rear seams fine surprisingly as well as inner sills,but front chassis members look like theyre held together by paint and seam sealer.

[Partridge]

I don't modern stuff is as amazing as it's often made out to be in terms of corrosion, it just isn't as visible as it used to be. It's not just X Types that hide rot traps behind plastic sills covers: my Accord is just the same. If you can get under the car, you can see the rot creeping out from the edges of the plastic. I dread to think how bad it is underneath, but I won't know unless an MoT tester takes them off, which I don't think will happen.

 

The underseal seems to be thinner on newer stuff as well.

[twosmoke300]

Im sure most of the vag stuff with rusty front wings is down to accident repair with pattern parts and not prepping / painting the edges properly .

[bunglebus]

No there's a problem with the wheelarch liner rubbing the paint away, then the orange demon starts creeping under the paint.

 

MK2 Golfs always seem to be immune to rust, you used to have to wipe off two lines of cavity wax from the rear valance regularly in hot weather, as it ran out of the tailgate.

[twosmoke300]

Mk2 golf immune to rust ? Seriously ?

[Dick Longbridge]

Mk2 golf immune to rust ? Seriously ?

They're infinitely more solid than mk1s!

[sierraman]

Mk2 golf immune to rust ? Seriously ?

Comparatively speaking at the time they were, compared to an Escort they certainly were.

[fiatdaft]

 

My 52 plate fabia.

 

 

My 53 plate slk.

 

 

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[New POD]

Just got back from South Africa.  It's winter there and night time is cold. Down to 6 degrees C at night. Not one rusty car in sight. A lot of 5 door Golfs/Citi's seem to be wearing well.

[Des]

Comparatively speaking at the time they were, compared to an Escort they certainly were.

A taco offers more resistance to weathering than any Escort. Factoid: The word Escort is Klingon for biodegradable.

[Ben_O]

Late Transits seems to rust above the windscreen quite well.

 

I have repaired a fair few now.

 

Also Later golfs and other VAG stuff go on the front wheel arches because they used a thick block of foam bonded to the inner wing to give support which of course traps moisture.

Done a few of them too

[Richard]

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