Really bad rust stories - let's hear 'em!

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Lots of good ones so far.

What I'll never understand is the Dodge Ram. They seem to come from the factory with pre installed rust. I know a guy with a 2003. (same year as my Jeep) with holes above the rear wheels. They came off the same line as my Jeep too with what I assume to be the same sheet metal.

Even through at least 2010 model year some were still rusting in the rear wheel wells. My 2002 Ford F-150 is rusting in multiple spots, the same as many other F-150's of that generation. Yet I see other F-150's of the same generation not rusted. I wonder if different assembly plants used different quality sheet metal. Also I rarely see Expeditions of the same generation with rusted doors and tailgates where as the F-150's rust there first. At 10 years old my wife's 2005 Explorer is almost rust free, just some surface rust on parts of the frame. I think Ford's SUV's get better rust resistant metal compared to their pick up trucks.

Whimsey


The right side of my father's truck is rusting away. The left side? Fine ...

 

[dlundblad]

More salty slush on the right side of the road?

 

[kaboom10]

I have an 02 F-150. If u can find any rust on it please show me. I run it thru the car wash quite a bit and get a carriage flush each time. Seems if salt can get in from Michigan roads salt can be flushed out also.

 

[dlundblad]

The super duties of that vintage seem to rust at the 2 o'clock position of the rear wheel well too.

 

[andyd]

Heh heh really bad rust is how the state keeps worn out clunkers off its roads here in Taxachusetts. Most cars of mine die from it. I had 5 Grand Wagoneers turn in to soggy mush from the under the B pillar on the driver's side aft to the rear cross member. All covered by a soaked matting held together with shag rug covering it. If I had taken it out, there would be a void.My last '66 bug had the driver's seat slung on strands of baling wire run between the tunnel and the rocker panel. Where the floor pan was welded to the inner rocker panel had rusted through. I once roll started a battery-less 59 VW . When it didn't even click. I popped the rear seat cushion. There was hole where the battery should have been. All that was left were the posts in the clamps.

 

[kaboom10]

My dad got a new 54 chevy and by 1961 the frame was falling apart. I bought a 80s pickup truck that was held together with newspaper. I also had a 72 chevelle I paid 300 for. By the time I sold it the body wasn't even attached to the frame. Must have been around 86.

 

[ThirdeYe]

My girlfriend's old '99 Grand Am was so rusty that it started leaking gas and brake fluid right around the same time. The bottom of the doors were getting so rusty pieces were falling off. My Integra I sold was so rusty that I had the same issues with the brake lines and the fuel lines, as well as the fuel tank. The back fenders started getting so much rust you could see holes through them.

 

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
At 10 years old my wife's 2005 Explorer is almost rust free, just some surface rust on parts of the frame. I think Ford's SUV's get better rust resistant metal compared to their pick up trucks.

Whimsey


You must have lucked out with your Mountaineer, as our 05 started rusting around it's 5th birthday. Unfortunately, the corrosion warranty didn't cover surface rust only perforation. It only had about 60k miles on it at the time it started, which I think is just terrible. My wife's former 99 Mountaineer didn't have any rust on it at age 10 when it was traded in.

 

[PierreR]

My C20 has a lot of rust problems.
Most of them are thanks to the PO that thought that repairing rust meant weld a new piece of steel above the hole to cover it..

The doorbottoms on both doors are gone, rockers on both side are gone, A-pillars is almost rusted out and i put a cab visor on the roof to cover the worst holes just above the windshield.
Fueltanks are rusted out and leak if there is more then half in them.
Innerfenders are going to fall off soon if i dont do something
The hinge for the tailgate on one side is gone so if i open the tailgate it falls off from the truck (found that out when i was standing on it)

Had to replace the floor in the bed because there was nothing left of it.
But the frame is solid and eninge runs so thats something

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Originally Posted By: Whimsey
At 10 years old my wife's 2005 Explorer is almost rust free, just some surface rust on parts of the frame. I think Ford's SUV's get better rust resistant metal compared to their pick up trucks.

Whimsey


You must have lucked out with your Mountaineer, as our 05 started rusting around it's 5th birthday. Unfortunately, the corrosion warranty didn't cover surface rust only perforation. It only had about 60k miles on it at the time it started, which I think is just terrible. My wife's former 99 Mountaineer didn't have any rust on it at age 10 when it was traded in.


I think this goes back to the various assembly plants using different quality sheet metal. My wife's 2005 Explorer spends it's winters running on the same highly salted roads and sitting on the same stone driveway as my F-150. Yet my F-150 is rusting out in the same body locations as other F-150's. Yet other F-150's I see of the same generation are rust free.

Whimsey

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Doesn't anyone have a rust proofing place you can go to and get the car panels, doors and under-carriage sprayed with a coating? We have a company up here called KROWN rust control and I get my SUV treated every year and the underneath looks great. My old Chrysler Mini-van was 20 years old and went to the scrap yard with no rust on it. After 20 Canadian Winters with salted roads, no rust!!!!! I love KROWN!


From what I hear, they're having issues with their formula badly reacting with some of the galvanizing car manufacturers use nowadays.

 

[97f150]

Rust? What's rust? Lol