Your tolerance for rust?

[XCIDMigs]

I think those areas with rust issues should just make it legal to run these tires. Increase the vehicle taxes a bit to compensate for chewed up roads and unlucky pedestrians, and be happy with cars that last a lot longer.

UNLUCKY PEDS.....
It seems to me that this road salt is a way of life that is now built into local government economics and they feel like there is no going back, would seem from various posters that the weather etc has zero to do with it. People in the NE have lived these commute heavy, city centric lives for a long time and seem reluctant to spend a few days sitting at home or doing without. The current pandemic just shows more of the same with parents demanding that kids be sent back to play contact sports or have in school instruction.

 

[Jetronic]

The average age of cars is 11 years. That means fully half the cars on the road are over 11 years old.

Don't think that's correct... you can have 2 1-year old cars and 1 50-year old. Average age is 26 but there's twice as many cars younger than 26 as there are older...

 

[Kestas]

11 years is average. This is published data.

 

[OilReport99]

 

[LeakySeals]

11 years is average. This is published data.

Is that a national avg? It's about right in my area because of rust. So it must be different reasons in Florida and CA.

 

[doublebase]

UNLUCKY PEDS.....
It seems to me that this road salt is a way of life that is now built into local government economics and they feel like there is no going back, would seem from various posters that the weather etc has zero to do with it. People in the NE have lived these commute heavy, city centric lives for a long time and seem reluctant to spend a few days sitting at home or doing without. The current pandemic just shows more of the same with parents demanding that kids be sent back to play contact sports or have in school instruction.

I really think you’re making quite a leap between road salt and economics, way of life, parents demanding their kids go back to in person learning and play contact sports. I mean, I find it an interesting topic, but I just think road salt is quite a stretch.

Living in New England - or anywhere for that matter - requires you to go to work everyday, it’s not that we want to necessarily , it’s just that it’s required. We’d love to stay home and lay low for a few days, but we’d lose our jobs. As for the in person learning/contact sports...I think it’s best to be safe right now, but the road salt isn’t going to have any bearing on that. I think some parents do want their kids in school because it is hurting them financially at home because they’ve had to alter their work schedules. They’ve lost daycare. Some have lost their jobs because of it. So yeah, I do think work/the economy is playing a roll in the rush to get kids back in schools but I can’t really blame them, they need to work. And I’m a school teacher. I’ve been teaching in person since September. And believe me I’d rather do it from home right now...every surrounding town in my area is in the red. We have cases everyday in school right now. I don’t want to catch this thing. Almost one in ten people in the community have it right now and yet we are still open. But I don’t think the road salt is playing negatively into any of this.

 

[eljefino]

Shorter vehicle life is part of the cost of living and doing business in those sorts of places.

Exactly. Real estate prices compensate for everything else we need to spend money on.

There are places in California where cars last 50 years, one doesn't have to heat or cool their house, and it's a 5 minute bicycle ride to a $100k/ year job. But the housing prices swell to take the money that would otherwise have been spent on... inconvenience.

 

[Kestas]

That's why I didn't stay in California. I wanted to be a homeowner. The money I saved on housing can buy me lots of cars, among other reasons.

 

[DweezilAZ]

That's why I didn't stay in California. I wanted to be a homeowner. The money I saved on housing can buy me lots of cars, among other reasons.

There was always Thermal, Kestas. Sheesh. ,>}

 

[mattd]

Little to no surface rust anywhere, especially on the body. Zero ROT anywhere on the Truck or else I won’t buy it.

Oil based under coating (fluid film or NHOU) around here is a must if you want to get at least 10 years out of it

 

[Kestas]

Salt is so destructive to cars and infrastructure that some have bantered the idea of not using salt and closing communities after a snowfall. The huge economic loss from salt corrosion makes this thought meritable.

 

[Peted]

Somehow the bottom of my truck has been showing rust.. Was only a little at first then spread pretty quick.. Lots of surface rust, nothing too horrible. I live about 5 miles from the beach so I guess the salty air and high humidity are playing a role..

I hate rust... =/

 

[gregk24]

I could tolerate it on a car that ran well and was gifted to me. On a car that I purchased new or used, no!

 

[slacktide_bitog]

While I hate rust, it's the way of life around here. I prefer to not have any at all, but a little scaling on the frame or subframe is acceptable. I try and be as diligent as possible keeping them washed off after a snow storm and Fluid Film what I can. My Tacoma has some scaling here and there on the frame, but is mostly solid. I try and run it through the touchless with the undercarriage spray after every salt event. If it's real bad I'll throw on a pair of overalls, crouch down on the concrete, and spray down the underside in the self serve bay before going through the touchless. It will still rust, but I can do my best to curb it.

There is a Krown shop in York, if that's close enough to you.

 

[doitmyself]

I prefer band aid rust repairs. This is an actual picture of one of my workplace trucks, considered a beater. 17 years old with 60K miles. Note: I'm the same guy that puts pink flamingos out by our entrance sign. Being warped in the head assists me navigating life!

I am very satisfied with the Krown experience on my personal vehicle. Below, mine is the nice one.....

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I prefer band aid rust repairs. This is an actual picture of one of my workplace trucks, considered a beater. 17 years old with 60K miles. Note: I'm the same guy that puts pink flamingos out by our entrance sign. Being warped in the head assists me navigating life! I am very satisfied with the Krown experience on my personal vehicle.
View attachment 37952

just use green spray paint. Nobody will notice

 

[dlundblad]

I have 2 cheap salt cars. The only vehicle I care about hides all winter.

Same.

The wife’s 2002 Volvo has zero rust though thankfully. I love that car.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I live in an area with very poor drivers and many ignorant people, I have tried to have nice cars but have given up, someone will run into it and run or crash into it, or key it. I believe our prius was damaged intentionally in a parking lot, probably by an enraged redneck.

My wife dont want to move and now is not the best time to anyway for us. So here I am, its a race to the bottom around here so I will drive junk. My wife knows the deal, move to a decent area and we will once again drive decent vehicles.

When I was an auto technician at a dealer the cars from Michigan were by far the most salt damaged vehicles I seen.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I will tolerate a bit of surface rust on a subframe, maybe some scaling too, but NO surface rust allowed on the body. Don't want to cut myself when I wash the car, don't want to look at unsightly rust stains or bubbles. Glad so much of the new cars is plastic or aluminum to keep them looking good longer.

Have you ever seen the rear tailgate or hood of a ford expedition? Around here there are several that cannot be more than 5 years old running around with serious corrosion issues starting on those aluminum body panels.

 

[admzn]

I hate rust enough that I spent over 2k getting it all repaired on my Xterra last spring (saved a ton of money not going anywhere) and it looks great now. This one I bought already rusty otherwise I try and only buy used cars in Ontario that have been rustproofed their entire lives. We get each car treated every year. $100/year is cheaper than complete rocker and wheel arch replacement.

If it is just small jobs where I can cut/patch or blast and paint it I will do it myself.

I wish they would stop salting the roads, it doesn't work 1/2 the time anyway because the temp dips below -7 or whatever salt doesn't work at.