Cars that don't rust?
Discussion
Eighteeteewhy said:
Pug 205s are very resistant against rust. Fully galvanised body.
For their time, and even now they were superb for rust resistance, kind of a zenity for Peugeot was about 1990, before they got complicated and lost their dynamic edge, my cousin had a 205 that had been converted from a van, it ran and ran, think it did 250/300 miles, I bought a 309 "Look", well my dad bought it salvage to sell on and I nicked it £140 and it came up pristine, decent little car, hillarious handling on skinny cheap tyres, brilliant ride, rattly but willing little 1.3 engine which summed up what the French did best, cheap, cheerful and charming small cars, it all goes to pot when they try big, fast and complex. I really loved that 309, despite being about 13 years old it had not a spot of rust so yes, Pugs dont generally disintegrate, not totally immune but fatr better than most.
300bhp/ton said:
Do they exist?
Well ok, maybe don't rust is too optimistic. But what about aren't seriously affected by rust, or are very easily sorted if they do?
As a patron of older performance and interesting cars, I find it a shame that rust is still a major issue. And it's one of those things you can rarely fix completely and never cheaply.
I'm talking about Porsche 944's, Ford Puma's, BMW e36 328i's and the like - all great cars. But buying one is fraught with rusty examples. Oily bits a fine, you can always replace an engine or gearbox or upgrade suspension components. But once the rot sets in it's a losing battle really.
So what fun/fast cars of this ilk seem somewhat impervious to the rust bug?
Search function down again is it? Well ok, maybe don't rust is too optimistic. But what about aren't seriously affected by rust, or are very easily sorted if they do?
As a patron of older performance and interesting cars, I find it a shame that rust is still a major issue. And it's one of those things you can rarely fix completely and never cheaply.
I'm talking about Porsche 944's, Ford Puma's, BMW e36 328i's and the like - all great cars. But buying one is fraught with rusty examples. Oily bits a fine, you can always replace an engine or gearbox or upgrade suspension components. But once the rot sets in it's a losing battle really.
So what fun/fast cars of this ilk seem somewhat impervious to the rust bug?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
BMW Z3s are galvanised and unusually they have bolt on rear wings in the event of a knock. I looked at quite a few before buying mine and didn't see any that were rusty (oldest was an R reg, so 1997), just some with poor resprays... That's not to say they can't rust so as a precaution I took off the cover sill and wheel arch liners on mine to check behind and apart from 11 years of trapped dust/dirt, which cleaned out easily, nothing to report behind there (gave it a spray with Bilt Hamber UC anyway for good measure).
Even if you consider the 1.9 models not powerful enough, remember that they go upto the 321 PS 3.2 litre Z3M roadster or coupe...you get used to the 'hairdresser' comments too unless you're particularly thin skined.
Even if you consider the 1.9 models not powerful enough, remember that they go upto the 321 PS 3.2 litre Z3M roadster or coupe...you get used to the 'hairdresser' comments too unless you're particularly thin skined.
DonkeyApple said:
300bhp/ton said:
Watchman said:
My Scooby is pretty rust free. The panels are largely aluminium, as is much of the suspension, the engine block, the gearbox casing. It's done 105K miles and is 7 years old with no rust other than surface rust on the inside of the SS exhaust and on the cast diff casing.
lol not sure something as young as 7 years old really counts though 
give it another 20 then let us know 
Of course, the real genius to stop a car from rusting is to do what Lancia did and build them out of iron oxide in the first instance.
I'm surprised the 90s one above doesnt have the rusty arch and sill sydrome that all of them eventually get. Its now a major cause of them being broken up/scrapped.
nottyash said:
Contigo said:
Captain Muppet said:
My 15 year old Elise chassis looks like new.
Rust is the least of your worries, a crack however 
No cracks in the chassis either (because it hasn't been crashed) and no headgasket issues either.
There are lots of stone chips on it though, if you want to laugh at them?
flatline84 said:
What about pug 405`s?
I'll field that - mine is 17yo with 218K on and the bodywork is rust-free apart from one rear door which is bubbling where it's been damaged behind the trim (so water gets trapped there) - oh, and the rear bumper is rusting which is visible in the rear arches (the rear bumper is older than the car tho - I picked-it-up when I removed the towbar and wanted one without a hole in it!!).All the doors are chipped-to-hell around the edges but none of that is rusting either. There are FAR older 405s and 205s around here which are still solid too.
Underneath it's pretty solid - engine bay looks half it's actual age - rust won't kill this bus (the electrics might!!)
My Defender... when fully rebuilt hopefully wont be rusting/corroding any time soon.
Of course this means lots and lots of modifications to the factory setup
Aluminium and steel separated by nylon washers/grommets where possible and door skins separated from steel frames with inserts.
Chassis and bulkhead galvanised.
Should last me out anyhow
Of course this means lots and lots of modifications to the factory setup
Aluminium and steel separated by nylon washers/grommets where possible and door skins separated from steel frames with inserts.
Chassis and bulkhead galvanised.
Should last me out anyhow
Major Fallout said:
Model T fords!
This is part of a bonnet off a 1920 ford T, its only thin steal and its spent most of its 92 years outside.
Im guessing the paint started to flake off after about 20-30 years, so parts have been bare metal and open to the elements for 60 years.
And it still only has surface rust, a quick oat blast and its good to paint.
Awesome!This is part of a bonnet off a 1920 ford T, its only thin steal and its spent most of its 92 years outside.
Im guessing the paint started to flake off after about 20-30 years, so parts have been bare metal and open to the elements for 60 years.
And it still only has surface rust, a quick oat blast and its good to paint.
Liquid Tuna said:
Major Fallout said:
Model T fords!
This is part of a bonnet off a 1920 ford T, its only thin steal and its spent most of its 92 years outside.
Im guessing the paint started to flake off after about 20-30 years, so parts have been bare metal and open to the elements for 60 years.
And it still only has surface rust, a quick oat blast and its good to paint.
Awesome!This is part of a bonnet off a 1920 ford T, its only thin steal and its spent most of its 92 years outside.
Im guessing the paint started to flake off after about 20-30 years, so parts have been bare metal and open to the elements for 60 years.
And it still only has surface rust, a quick oat blast and its good to paint.
johnpeat said:
flatline84 said:
What about pug 405`s?
I'll field that - mine is 17yo with 218K on and the bodywork is rust-free apart from one rear door which is bubbling where it's been damaged behind the trim (so water gets trapped there) - oh, and the rear bumper is rusting which is visible in the rear arches (the rear bumper is older than the car tho - I picked-it-up when I removed the towbar and wanted one without a hole in it!!).All the doors are chipped-to-hell around the edges but none of that is rusting either. There are FAR older 405s and 205s around here which are still solid too.
Underneath it's pretty solid - engine bay looks half it's actual age - rust won't kill this bus (the electrics might!!)
Someone mentioned the Fiat Punto earlier - did Fiat not move to fully galvanised bodies from the Tipo onwards to try to shake the "Fiats always rust" reputation they had in the 80s?
Most 90's Peugeots are mainly rot-free, a few do need attention. 206's and newer will last well, their corrosion protection seems to be pretty decent - my next door neighbour has had a huge gouge out of his paintwork for about two years on his so far, no discolouration of the bare metal yet!
My Mk1 Punto was completely rust-free when it died, the old Fiat saying didn't really apply there!
My Mk1 Punto was completely rust-free when it died, the old Fiat saying didn't really apply there!
Any Fiat Group car post-Type Four project. Saab-style rustproofing became part of the design process for nearly all Fiats, Alfas and Lancias from thereon in, and almost overnight Italian cars went from having a dire rust reputation to one of the best in the business. Strangely, people who don't know anything about cars still trot out this 'all Italian cars are rustbuckets' line to this day. Well, Lamborghinis, De Tomasos and Paganis may well rust, but Fiat-owned cars certainly don't, or at least not much. You get some rust nibbling away at the rear floorpans and suspension mounts after 20 years of road dirt has flicked up at them, but nothing that can't be fairly easily identified and dealt with.
Post-1982 Lotuses are pretty impervious too. Composite body, galvanised chassis well-protected by the bodywork anyway, and stainless steel, aluminium or glassfibre in places you might expect ferrous steel in order to save weight.
Don't see many rusty post-'81 Audis or Porsches either. Pity that level of galvanising didn't make it onto Volkswagens of the period or I'd have a Mk2 Scirocco like a shot.
Post-1982 Lotuses are pretty impervious too. Composite body, galvanised chassis well-protected by the bodywork anyway, and stainless steel, aluminium or glassfibre in places you might expect ferrous steel in order to save weight.
Don't see many rusty post-'81 Audis or Porsches either. Pity that level of galvanising didn't make it onto Volkswagens of the period or I'd have a Mk2 Scirocco like a shot.
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