G
GreaseMonkey
Guest
Several threads have mentioned the old cliche about British cars being rusty, so I thought I would add some comment on how the different climates between here and there affect our cars.
Firstly, rust is not as common as it was, and I think for once we can thank the so-called 'Global Warming' for this.
In UK each local council is responsible for the roads within it's boundaries, and would send out trucks spraying a mix of salt and grit on days when forecasters predict snow or frost.
Driving on a recently salted road even in dry conditions meant a highly corrosive mixture was being thrown up under the car, but when driving through the salted slush of melted snow, the resulting muck was sprayed into and collected in every crevice in floors, mudguards, sills and all suspension components.
If left untreated this would pretty much guarantee rust will show up soon.
However, it was always known about, and quite common for people who looked after their cars, to both try to avoid driving in those conditions, or to thoroughly hose down all accessible parts under the car with fresh water, so not all cars suffered the same fate.
A lot of car owners also paid extra for a full rust-proofing treatment, whether with the Waxoyl injected system or the brush on bitumen based underseal type.
Also, relevant to our cause, from my experience, while working in the garage trade in London in the eighties, it was obvious then that Mercedes were better protected than most. I seem to remember rusty W114s, but not W123s, so I am not sure if this is a reflection of when they first started the galvanised dipping process.
While the salt spraying used to be common and widespread in the sixties and seventies, it seemed to be used less in later years, so later cars should not be regarded as automatically rusty.
The reasons may be many, but I think the most obvious which was clearly noticeable to anyone living in England between the fifties and the nineties is the climate has changed completely.
When I was a kid, winter started in November and stayed bloody cold through to Feb or March, with the possibilty of occasional snow as late as Easter.
I got used to walking to school through snow drifts as high as me, used to enjoy sitting on the wall out front watching passing cars try to negociate the hill opposite.
And this was in a north London suburb, not the colder northern parts.
It was quite noticeable how winters in London and the south of the country changed over the next two decades, and snow and icy roads became rare.
Part of this is due to 'Global Warming' but part is probably also as the population has grown to over 60 million on a fairly small island, the resulting expansion in suburban growth, and heat put out has affected the local climate enough to warm the whole country up by a couple of degrees.
Anyway, the point of this story is to say, yes a lot of cars from the fifties and sixties will have died due to terminal rust, later models were both better protected, and suffered less exposure to salt.
Generally though it was always thought that as long as all mechanicals were serviced, most cars would end up at the scrapyard due to rust than being worn out mechanically, although that will be changing now.
It has been interesting to learn about the motor trade here and see what affects Australian cars.
Obviously the single biggest difference is the damaging sun's rays, which cooks paint and all plastic and rubber parts as well as making everything run a bit hotter so keeping the cooling system, radiator, hoses etc, clean and serviced, is important.
I don't remember ever seeing a cracked dash or windscreen seal in the UK!
Of course, as a high percentage of Australians live at or near the coast, a lot of cars get parked near the sea and the salt spray there obviously is as dangerous to a car's health as salt on the road.
Given that the sun has already cracked the windscreen seal and now it is exposed to salt spray, it is not surprising that add in a bit of rain, and it is quite common for Aus cars to rust around the window frame areas.
Another difference is that British roads, while we all complained to the councils about poor maintenence , are generally quite good, and cars do not take the hammering they do here, again, replacing suspension joints and bushes is much rarer over there.
So,
my advice to anyone thinking of buying a UK spec car that has been imported, is by all means get under and check for rust, but do not dismiss a car based on an old cliche that has little truth today.
My '76SLC was imported from England in the eighties and is one of the cleanest anywhere, with no rust at all, and the '82 230E I sold in London when we came over here five years ago was in mint condition, and I would have shipped it out except I had heard horror stories about the treatment they get during shipping and also it did not have air-con (a not often ticked option box back in '80s England!).
Any comments from anywhere in the world to compare how the climate affects your car?
Chris M.
Firstly, rust is not as common as it was, and I think for once we can thank the so-called 'Global Warming' for this.
In UK each local council is responsible for the roads within it's boundaries, and would send out trucks spraying a mix of salt and grit on days when forecasters predict snow or frost.
Driving on a recently salted road even in dry conditions meant a highly corrosive mixture was being thrown up under the car, but when driving through the salted slush of melted snow, the resulting muck was sprayed into and collected in every crevice in floors, mudguards, sills and all suspension components.
If left untreated this would pretty much guarantee rust will show up soon.
However, it was always known about, and quite common for people who looked after their cars, to both try to avoid driving in those conditions, or to thoroughly hose down all accessible parts under the car with fresh water, so not all cars suffered the same fate.
A lot of car owners also paid extra for a full rust-proofing treatment, whether with the Waxoyl injected system or the brush on bitumen based underseal type.
Also, relevant to our cause, from my experience, while working in the garage trade in London in the eighties, it was obvious then that Mercedes were better protected than most. I seem to remember rusty W114s, but not W123s, so I am not sure if this is a reflection of when they first started the galvanised dipping process.
While the salt spraying used to be common and widespread in the sixties and seventies, it seemed to be used less in later years, so later cars should not be regarded as automatically rusty.
The reasons may be many, but I think the most obvious which was clearly noticeable to anyone living in England between the fifties and the nineties is the climate has changed completely.
When I was a kid, winter started in November and stayed bloody cold through to Feb or March, with the possibilty of occasional snow as late as Easter.
I got used to walking to school through snow drifts as high as me, used to enjoy sitting on the wall out front watching passing cars try to negociate the hill opposite.
And this was in a north London suburb, not the colder northern parts.
It was quite noticeable how winters in London and the south of the country changed over the next two decades, and snow and icy roads became rare.
Part of this is due to 'Global Warming' but part is probably also as the population has grown to over 60 million on a fairly small island, the resulting expansion in suburban growth, and heat put out has affected the local climate enough to warm the whole country up by a couple of degrees.
Anyway, the point of this story is to say, yes a lot of cars from the fifties and sixties will have died due to terminal rust, later models were both better protected, and suffered less exposure to salt.
Generally though it was always thought that as long as all mechanicals were serviced, most cars would end up at the scrapyard due to rust than being worn out mechanically, although that will be changing now.
It has been interesting to learn about the motor trade here and see what affects Australian cars.
Obviously the single biggest difference is the damaging sun's rays, which cooks paint and all plastic and rubber parts as well as making everything run a bit hotter so keeping the cooling system, radiator, hoses etc, clean and serviced, is important.
I don't remember ever seeing a cracked dash or windscreen seal in the UK!
Of course, as a high percentage of Australians live at or near the coast, a lot of cars get parked near the sea and the salt spray there obviously is as dangerous to a car's health as salt on the road.
Given that the sun has already cracked the windscreen seal and now it is exposed to salt spray, it is not surprising that add in a bit of rain, and it is quite common for Aus cars to rust around the window frame areas.
Another difference is that British roads, while we all complained to the councils about poor maintenence , are generally quite good, and cars do not take the hammering they do here, again, replacing suspension joints and bushes is much rarer over there.
So,
my advice to anyone thinking of buying a UK spec car that has been imported, is by all means get under and check for rust, but do not dismiss a car based on an old cliche that has little truth today.
My '76SLC was imported from England in the eighties and is one of the cleanest anywhere, with no rust at all, and the '82 230E I sold in London when we came over here five years ago was in mint condition, and I would have shipped it out except I had heard horror stories about the treatment they get during shipping and also it did not have air-con (a not often ticked option box back in '80s England!).
Any comments from anywhere in the world to compare how the climate affects your car?
Chris M.
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