Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Shannow
Millions of cars make it to the junkyard without it after leading long lives with the corrosion protection that comes from the factory.
Don't you think if that wasn't the case, they would do something about it ?
Not up here they don't. The two biggest things that take vehicles to the wreckers:
- Rust
- Accidents
I'd argue it is even worse out east due to the increased moisture and salt year round. Out west is a lot better; lower BC is a far more temperate climate and Alberta is really dry and they don't use salt. Not sure about Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Ontario uses insane amounts of road salt, the maritimes, IIRC, use a salt/sand blend.
The difference between a vehicle that gets treated and one that doesn't is significant. Our 2005 Ford E-250 work van is close to being wreckered right now, it was sprayed a couple of times, but not early on and the salt got to it. Rockers are GONE.
Salt is not used as extensively here in Winnipeg as it is in southern Ontario and Quebec. The winter temperatures are too cold for the salt to melt ice and snow. However, salt is still added to the sand spread on the roads to help minimize the sand clumping due to frozen moisture content. The salt really takes its toll during thaws, on vehicles that are parked indoors, and during the Spring, when the temperatures are around freezing and the roads are filled with salty slush.
So even here, which is not considered part of the true rust belt, I'd say rust takes more vehicles off the road than anything else. I'm usually the last owner of a vehicle - the last two we sent to the boneyard were due to rust.