Why does it seem like every car on Wheeler Dealers is rusty? UK=undercarriage rust?
 

About the only "reality" show I can tolerate. A Brit wrench and his salesman partner flipping cars, essentially. Seems like the cars look like they have been marinated in road salt. I remember a TVR with a rusted out frame. Is it the island nation thing, abundance of sea air, with the attendant salt. I guess I am spoiled, living in such mild climates, but it is crazy how corroded stuff looks on some of those cars. This is not body cancer type stuff, this is rusty brake calipers and suspension bits, some pretty scary looking. It sort of blows my mind. Are all the cars in Britain rust buckets if they are more than a few years old?

Good question. I have noticed the same thing.... and the thread about the "Porsche approved" 911 shipped from England to AU, that car looks like it was submerged in salt water.

Not sure why this thread is in PARF however

Was all Margaret Thatchers fault.

every car in the Midwest US looks like this after a couple of years. we're spoiled in California.

Was just thinking, ever been to the east coast?

It rain in England most of the time and in winter they put salt on the road when it snows or freezes. Most of the cars on Wheeler Dealer are usually 15 to 20 years old at a minimum so time takes its toll.

Ever notice it's raining in like 90% of the episodes.

Question.

Answered...

:)

Yup, spoiled. I have never personally seen corrosion on an aluminum wheel, but on most of the cars they roll through that show the wheels are all eaten up.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Unless Chuck Norris has been there, then it's all red from the blood.

Being borne in the UK, specifically in Scarborough, Yorkshire I am well aware of the salt issues. I could see the North Sea from our kitchen window about a mile away(no I could not see Russia though my mother insisted the cold winds came from Russia).

Anyway weather was pretty awful, lots of fog etc and picking up the salt of the sea the moist air would eat away at the brick on our house. I could run my finger along the side of the house and the brick colour was on my finger. Can't really remember rust on the Austins/Morrises/Wolseleys at my father's garage but having rain, overcast skies and consistent high humidity was conducive to rusty cars.

You folks in California and Arizona have it made as it is so dry. I would not hesitate to buy a car in your part of the world. Elsewhere not so sure.

Cheers, Guy

Not to go off on a tangent, but if the California car has spent most of its life in a coastal town then for a 20 or 30 year old car that might be a gamble.

Yeah, I knew some guys that lived in Imperial Beach at the southern end of the state. One guys bug was pretty scary. They can get pretty crispy by the ocean.

I have been to the East Coast, but did not crawl under any vehicles while there. When I went to college in Oregon, did not seem to be that big a deal, and it rains there a lot.



Two different people rated this thread one star, really? You are some sad, bitter MFers doing that. I guess I should say, "Hi Parfessor, thanks for dropping by."

I once bought a Mustang 5.0 GT convert that had spent its days parked out at Malibu, facing the surf about 20 yards away, that had a blown up engine because the radiator had pin holes and it over heated. The under carriage of that car wasn't the prettiest either.
I thank my lucky stars every time I watch that show, that I'm in So Cal and don't have to put up with what they do from a rust standpoint. It always scares me when they re-do a car and never seem to pay any attention at all to the brakes.

Why does it seem that every car on Wheeler Dealers actually cost them far, far more to recondition than they say it did? Lately, anyway.

(Like watching the show however.)

British steel and/or rust proofing also sucks, just look at the Land Rovers and other cars imported after a few years.

I love that show. The UK is always rainy/damp/salty so go figure on the rust.

Love the show even made a 993 targa desirable.....

More Edd. Less Mike.

The cars in New York where I am look the same. It's the salt. Must be nice to spend 30 or 40k on a nice new car and know it will remain nice for at least the life of the loan. Not so around here

Yes please - 90% Edd, 10% Mike.

Having grown up in Socal and now live in AZ I can't imagine having to deal with the undersides, brakes, suspensions, fasteners, Blechh!!

I bought a Porsche from Boston once - NEVER AGAIN!!!

Not unless I can have it on a lift and inspect it myself, no way nah uh.

A 944 from the midwest, aside from spilled fluid/grease/gunk/grime from years of a dirt road + owner not fixing leaks is MUCH more pleasant to work on.

England is a tiny island, with the result that you are never mere than just a few hours from the coast. The result is that, even when it doesn't rain you are still exposed to the moisture coming in from the coast. Very few cars are also garaged, which doesn't help. In the Northern parts it snows regularly so there is salted roads to contend with too. All in all, rust heaven!

And I have seen plenty of rust buckets in Hawaii also.

Brakes are checked very thoroughly at our annual inspections in the UK, hence they are probably in good working order and need no further work.

Ever notice how their "tidy profit" never takes into account any labor costs? The guy that helps Ed lift something heavy occasionally - what's his end?

Mike's rug has got to go too.

It's almost like it is (GASP) a TV show!

Yep, a wrench as good, and as patient and timely, as Ed would come at a significant cost.

Nice clean rust free cars............
 

abound here in South Georgia also. I just took a 2 day road trip to Alabama and came home with a sore neck from looking at old cars parked by the road. While some did have a bit of surface rust, I did not see any that were seriously rusted. Find a place that is away from an ocean and enjoys moderate to warm weather and you will find lots of old cars that are rust free!