The Joshua Tree

The reason i ask this is i've just sold my M2, and to tide me over until i can find a suitable Impreza Hatchback i've bought a runaround, it's a 2013 Focus 1.0 Ecoboost, it has a turbo tho lol. Whilst i was looking at run arounds i looked at various makes and models, BMW 1 series, Vauxhall Astra and Insignia's, VW Sirocco and Golf's etc etc. One thing that was obvious from looking at them, and all were a similar age to the Impreza Hatches i've looked at so far, these similar age cars were clean underneath, really clean in comparison. The majority of similar aged UK Impreza hatchbacks ive seen images of, or ive seen in person were generally rust buckets underneath, i was really surpised at how bad some of them are, i'd be nervous of pressure washing some of these older Subaru's as it looks like its just the rust that's keeping some of them together.

What do you put this down too, a poor build quality and cheaper metal used to build them or totally inadequate underseal from the factory considering our climate, it can't be all down to the underseal as a lot of the components on the underside look like they've been under the ocean for a 100 years, ive seen better conditioned historically recks being raised from the sea than some of these cars, their are some great example Subaru's out there but the owners will have put ba lot into them over the years to keep them that way, i'm talking generally, your every day type Subaru compared to an every day type car from other manufacturers that i've seen which seem to be in a far better condition, just curious as to why a lot of them are so bad condition wise.

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

I've watched videos of low miles for KA's rotten through, newer than my Impreza. Also seen BMWs same age rotten, don't know about newage models. Maybe it depends where it's been driven.

RockyRoad

In my limited experience I’ve been under a few Vauxhall’s of similar age to the Subaru’s I’ve been under and they’ve been just as bad if not worse. Maybe you’re just more likely to find Vaxhall’s/Ford’s etc that just aren’t driven very often or at least not when the roads have been salted and more likely to find Subaru’s have been bought simply as a winter beater so they get the worst of it.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Funny we just wrote off a StreetKA with just 26000miles....front chassis was rotted through right where the subframe attaches. Strangely the sills were still solid, But I think the Pininfarina built models have reinforced sills with better quality metal to compensate for the soft top. But it was ungaraged. So the elements rotted the other bits.

My MY97 was still on the road in 2019. Only advisories for rust was in 2018 at the rear (usual), but no fails. Been Sorn ever since so, so it maybe dead now

It spent its life under my ownership kept overnight in a heated garage (boiler was in there), and I regularly jetwashed the underside in winter to remove road salt and mud. As well as thin coat of waxoyl every year (modern waxoyl is not as good as it once was) and engine bay washed and lacquered. Engine bay and underside was still like new when I sold it; I even retreated the yellow zinc coated bolts (which always rust). Despite it being 9years old it looked 3yrs old underneath. So next owner probably had an extra 9 years worth of use if treated like the average person would.

My rules of thumb: Wash off salt/grit. Keep it in a dry heated garaged...Do NOT park it up whilst still wet. Rust proof trouble areas, re-treat any areas where the zinc coating is failing (usually spot welds and jacking points...just clean to bare metal retreat with zinc rich primer, top off with hammerite (again not as good as it once was) and dinitrol. Whenever I did chassis/brake/suspension work I always treated the bolt/nut threads with grease.

My Golf didn't get the same TLC and I treated it like it was disposable car (it was supposed to be a stop gap car...until I could get a hatch, then the engines started going pop, so I stayed with the VW). That hasn't fared well but I'm slowly getting back on top of it; It's a very early 2005 and it's now known they had corrosion protection issues...mine never had any protection sprayed into the driver's side sill cavity. And by the time I checked the tin worm was hiding beneath perfect looking underseal and was well on its way to rotting through from the inside out. Passenger side was perfect and had plenty of rust proof wax in the cavity, so its a issue during production at the factory when the wax was supposed to be applied into the cavities but drivers side was missed (blocked spray nozzle I guess). Nobody would know unless some geek pops out the grommets to take a look or it rots through and fails the MOT. So sill now patched and retreated, the zinc on the spot welds are also starting to fail, so one by one cleaning and retreating, entire front suspension has been replaced/renewed, nothing original left bar the ARB, wheel bearings and hub carriers. Rear suspension has been cleaned up, but will try and create some space at home to buy one off a salvage car and build up a complete rear subframe to swap over (might powder coat it all). Hopefully will get another five years out of it.

Now ask how many car owners are **** enough to do the above And that's why you get so many cars that look like they've swam with the Titanic underneath Sure, some cars are made with better metal and have better zinc coatings on the sheet steel and bolts (yellow zinc as used on Subaru bolts for example is crap, hot dip galvanised is best, spray-on zinc coatings vary; as manufacturers switch to more environmentally friendly products/methods). But overall longevity lies with the owner and usage...Some Lancia Betas still exist (not sure how mind ).

Turbovin

iTrader: (2)

The paint they use on metal parts is crap so no wonder they look horrible underneath. I bought a new rear subframe and it had already started to rust around some of the welds. I had it powder coated instead so it should be fine now.

My Type R has probably not seen many winter days apart from maybe the first 4-5 years in it's life. My E36 M3 had 3 times the mileage and was much nicer underneath. Old cars I know, but I doubt they have changed that much for the better.

fpan

iTrader: (11)

Interesting what you say Alex, I had the impression that VWs are galvanised.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

They are and they aren't!

There are various zinc coating methods. I think VAG traditionally used galvanised rolled sheet steel panels for the pressings, I'm guessing this is a hot-dip method, but maybe it's done differently now or alot thinner. But of course, once spot welded this coating is burnt through. So the bodyshells are also dipped in a zinc rich primer prior to paint.

The fact they wax coat some internal cavities must mean they know it's not perfect.

Then we have the usual under-seal which is great but if damaged (jacking points usually) can cause water to wick through via capillary action leaving metal in constant contact with water (or salt water in winter/coastal areas) for long periods. And really it doesn't matter how good the galvanising is, it will eventually fail if the metal is constantly in corrosive water.

The other area is the arch liners that collect mud behind them on the closing ends of the sills (and holding water as a result) and acoustic sponge which absorbs road spray.

The balljoint bolts are galvanised but still they have corroded on the exposed central section of the shank; These are mine, but I've seen worse, another few years and it'd probably shear off if I tried to remove it...



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Anti perforation warranty is ten years so I guess that is only as long as it's meant to last before it starts to fail.

A friend's C-class merc (W204) has just failed its MOT on rear subframe rust, just gone 11years old, 60,000 miles. Common issue apparently so I think Merc will do goodwill repairs.

My Subaru never had the body inspections stamps in the service book...I don't know of anybody that did!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Probably worth mentioning the Nissan D40 Navarra snapping in half. As the rear chassis rots by the leaf spring hangers. Nissan at first blamed it on owners neglect (kind of true...who cleans/rusts proof the chassis?), but eventually caved and acknowledged they were crap.