Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffbottman
... are the late '80s cars generally no trouble with rain, relative to mid-year and prior cars? I understand the earlier cars are a lot more susceptable due to lack of rust-proofing.
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Cars built prior to 1976 fare worse, as the older you get, the less galvanizing there was. Prior to the early 70's, there were no galvanised panels at all. They were progressively introduced until, by 1977, all the structure was made from galvanized steel. Plus, the older the car, the older everything is (seals, undercoating, etc.), the more miles it will have accumulated, etc.
Where Porsche screwed up, and this is true of all the impact bumper cars, is they partially assembled the car before painting it. Certain areas, like the inner fender/cowl joint had been put together before the stoneguard, primer and paint was applied. So, there's nothing in that joint, save for some putty. When the painters did apply the undercoats and topcoats, they sprayed the car from a position standing next to it. There are lots of areas that didn't get good coverage at all.
There are lots of plastic "seals" between parts, like the cowl joints, quarter panel to quarter extension joints, etc. where the "seal" doesn't actually prevent water from ingressing but it does keep the joint wet longer.
Then there are all of the areas that trap dirt, which gets wet and stays wet for a long time, thus helping the corrosion process. Look under a fender at the oil lines, A/C lines, filler hose for the windshield washer tank, etc. The look at the oil tank, tail light housings, etc.
In addition to all of this, the aluminum parts and plated fasteners take a beating when exposed to the elements.
It all adds up over time.
JR