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How quickly did they start rusting?
- Thread starter Fairview
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Legal Bill
Jedi Knight
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Pretty quick if you lived in a salty area. BUT those in salt free climates held up quite well.
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That looks nice with the steel wheels. The old story was that they started rusting before they got off the boat. They probably did, in the midwest where I lived if it was a daily driver most cars would start having significant rust through issues in 5 to 7 years after new but a significant number it might happen sooner and some later.
I bought my first 3000 in 1972 (before I had my drivers license). It was a 1960. In twelve years it had already become quite rusty and had rust repairs before I got it. It still needed rockers, doglegs, front fender bottoms, etc. However, the Healey was sold new in Maryland and had rolled down a big embankment into the Chesapeake Bay. Owner had left it in neutral with the handbrake off.
Those were the days I was undaunted by any sports car project. That "irrational exuberance" stayed with me a long time.
The photo I found on ebay and the seller is from New England I think. I'm not sure of the vintage, but the Healey looks brand new- other than the rust starting along the bottom edge!
Those were the days I was undaunted by any sports car project. That "irrational exuberance" stayed with me a long time.
The photo I found on ebay and the seller is from New England I think. I'm not sure of the vintage, but the Healey looks brand new- other than the rust starting along the bottom edge!
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It's a good reminder how far rustproofing has advanced on modern cars. My '59 Massachusetts bugeye in '67 had rotted floors, rockers, doglegs, you name it. Then I had a series of brand new FIATS that I think were pre-rusted at the factory. It was really common to see rust-out in New England cars (American and Import) within five or six years. Can't remember the last time I saw a really rusted out car lately.
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I have a friend who had a BN2 in Vancouver, BC. He says it rusted faster than he could fix it.
Legal Bill
Jedi Knight
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I bought my first bug eye in 1977. It had no rust and had never been repaired. It was in a garage with a dirt floor for the last 8 years of its life until I bought it.
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Modern cars still rust, but where the rust free 10-15 year old car was the exception for cars of the 50s 60s and 70s, the rusty 10-15 year old car is the exception today, and it is usually mouch more isolated, one or two spots, rather than pervasive, but if you live in the rust belt take a look at the 15 year old cars still driving around, some are starting to rust.
Our collector cars were "throw aways" for a lot of owners back in the day, tops were left down in the rain, dirt wasn't washed out of the wheel wells, they led hard lives for the most part. I think Donald Healey himself said they were designed to last about 7 years or so.
The life of a collector car is much easier, my brother and I both restored Triumphs 20 or so years ago, he a TR3 and me a TR4A, we repaired all the rust, but we didn't do that great a job, but 20 years of sheltered life as a collector car and no rust issues whatsoever on either car.
Our collector cars were "throw aways" for a lot of owners back in the day, tops were left down in the rain, dirt wasn't washed out of the wheel wells, they led hard lives for the most part. I think Donald Healey himself said they were designed to last about 7 years or so.
The life of a collector car is much easier, my brother and I both restored Triumphs 20 or so years ago, he a TR3 and me a TR4A, we repaired all the rust, but we didn't do that great a job, but 20 years of sheltered life as a collector car and no rust issues whatsoever on either car.
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Did you ever see pic or a video of an auto assembly line? there's alot of welded pieces going together before you see any paint. they don't build any of them (a few exceptions) to last.
But, I will say in regard to fairviews picture, a car that has been gone over as well as the one in the pic should not show any external rust for sometime. It is the external surfaces that should and can be treated with enough deligence to abate the rust on the surface for many years. If it comes back quickly, you just got a paint job, nothing else.
dave C.
But, I will say in regard to fairviews picture, a car that has been gone over as well as the one in the pic should not show any external rust for sometime. It is the external surfaces that should and can be treated with enough deligence to abate the rust on the surface for many years. If it comes back quickly, you just got a paint job, nothing else.
dave C.
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My Dad's BN2, in the Pacific Northwest (used as a daily driver - where it rains a fair bit), developed rust in front of and behind the doors (down low - standard spots)... but it didn't show that rust for at least 12-14 years (1956-1970). Don't remember any other major rust problems back then. 'Course it helped to have such large parts of the car be aluminum.
Lotuswins
Jedi Trainee
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I think the brits planned their cars to last only a short time, so they could then turn around and sell you a new one. Job security!
The frame on my 73 Lotus still had the paint on it, and it looked okay, just dull from age. But if you scrapped it with a finger nail, it would flake off and there was a fine coat of surface rust underneath, as well as new looking, but bare metal. This car had a garaged life too. The surface prep wasn't what we would do today apparently. The shroud on the rear of my BJ8 wasn't prepped too well around the boot lid channel, putting tape on it pulled the paint right off. Again, surface prep issue. Today though, my wifes s-type has the full body galvanized, and the suspension components are aluminum. It had a 5 year warrenty on rust/corrosion too IIRC.
Jerry Rude
BJ8
73 Europa 'Guenhwyvar'
The frame on my 73 Lotus still had the paint on it, and it looked okay, just dull from age. But if you scrapped it with a finger nail, it would flake off and there was a fine coat of surface rust underneath, as well as new looking, but bare metal. This car had a garaged life too. The surface prep wasn't what we would do today apparently. The shroud on the rear of my BJ8 wasn't prepped too well around the boot lid channel, putting tape on it pulled the paint right off. Again, surface prep issue. Today though, my wifes s-type has the full body galvanized, and the suspension components are aluminum. It had a 5 year warrenty on rust/corrosion too IIRC.
Jerry Rude
BJ8
73 Europa 'Guenhwyvar'
AUSMHLY
Yoda
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I remember growing up in Milford CT, with Dad's 64 BJ8. Two things I remember.
1. The interior always had this smell, that I thought was sports car smell as a kid. Now I know what it was...the musty smell of mold in the jute.
2. I think Dad traded the car in when the rust became too much. I remember one winter day, watching dad get in the car, and when he closed the door a bunch of rust fell from the rocker panel, clearly showing up in the fresh white snow.
The Healey was his daily driver for over 8 years. No garage, he didn't wash or wax it. He did however stay on top of keeping it running.
Like father like son?
Well I do drive her every day; but I gargage it, take a wrench it and have so much wax on it that Mequire's sends me thank you letters for keeping them in business.
1. The interior always had this smell, that I thought was sports car smell as a kid. Now I know what it was...the musty smell of mold in the jute.
2. I think Dad traded the car in when the rust became too much. I remember one winter day, watching dad get in the car, and when he closed the door a bunch of rust fell from the rocker panel, clearly showing up in the fresh white snow.
The Healey was his daily driver for over 8 years. No garage, he didn't wash or wax it. He did however stay on top of keeping it running.
Like father like son?
Well I do drive her every day; but I gargage it, take a wrench it and have so much wax on it that Mequire's sends me thank you letters for keeping them in business.
I remember that smell too, dad was good at keeping his Healeys in top mechanical shape, I remember him picking me up from work one day sunshine all day,top down rush hour traffic, stop and go ,then it happened a sudden down pour right on the highway nowhere to go. Typical Colorado weather.
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Oh man, don't get me started on the smell, I LOVE the smell of an old daily driver LBC, I first started driving in the mid 70S, and my first cars were Sprites and MG, restored cars seemed to lack something for me, and I figured out it was the musty interior smell, just what a sports car should smell like to me, I need to find some must old carpet and stick it under my floormats or something.....
The chap who paints my cars starts life as an apprentice for the local BMC garage when the 1100-1300 range were rusting so badly because Issigonis ignored the advice of Pressed Steel Fisher.
To overcome to the problem my mate was sent on a one week BMC rust prevention course at the factory. When he arrived they gave him a hammer and a long spike and told him to knock a hole through anywhere he found water! He spent the rest of the week in the Pub!
Truth is that Government interference (social engineering) and the unions had completely demoralised the Brit motor industry by 1955 when German car exports overtook ours. They soldiered on for years knowing the end was approaching. By 1970 two industry leaders given the job of sorting out the mess, we're prevented from making anyone one redundant for fear of a Labour PM losing an election. They had 42,000 more employees than they needed and they were striking every week.
In the circumstances it's a miracle that BMC and Triumph managed to make such loveable and characterful cars that even now people want to preserve and enjoy them.
Herbert Austin was a great man, and his legacy kept the companies going all those years.
Believe it or not, this year the UK car industry may make as many as when it peaked in 1972.
Sorry for the thread drift.
Ash
To overcome to the problem my mate was sent on a one week BMC rust prevention course at the factory. When he arrived they gave him a hammer and a long spike and told him to knock a hole through anywhere he found water! He spent the rest of the week in the Pub!
Truth is that Government interference (social engineering) and the unions had completely demoralised the Brit motor industry by 1955 when German car exports overtook ours. They soldiered on for years knowing the end was approaching. By 1970 two industry leaders given the job of sorting out the mess, we're prevented from making anyone one redundant for fear of a Labour PM losing an election. They had 42,000 more employees than they needed and they were striking every week.
In the circumstances it's a miracle that BMC and Triumph managed to make such loveable and characterful cars that even now people want to preserve and enjoy them.
Herbert Austin was a great man, and his legacy kept the companies going all those years.
Believe it or not, this year the UK car industry may make as many as when it peaked in 1972.
Sorry for the thread drift.
Ash
Steppenwolf
Member
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My 67 3000 lived in northern Cal it's who life. I purchased her in 1976 and the dog legs were rusted but none of the other usual spots.
I took both rear fenders off and fabricated my own dogleg replacement. Besides paying special attention to the design of that area of the car it couldn't help but rust with it's negative direction for drainage. In other words, water and road dirt automatically collected there and it had zero drainage.
I built a few tricks to allow water to drain out. It worked pretty well but that design was a dirt collector. Any moisture in the dirt just did it's corrosive thing.
I would just power wash it out at the 25 cent car wash ever time I washed the car and sometimes just to wash out that area.
It worked for me.
I took both rear fenders off and fabricated my own dogleg replacement. Besides paying special attention to the design of that area of the car it couldn't help but rust with it's negative direction for drainage. In other words, water and road dirt automatically collected there and it had zero drainage.
I built a few tricks to allow water to drain out. It worked pretty well but that design was a dirt collector. Any moisture in the dirt just did it's corrosive thing.
I would just power wash it out at the 25 cent car wash ever time I washed the car and sometimes just to wash out that area.
It worked for me.
Richard Dickinson
Jedi Trainee
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I bought my BT7 new in 1960. By the late 60"s the dog legs were rusted out. I had them patched and the car repainted. By 1976 I quit driving it and stored it away for a future restoration. So I'm guessing seven or eight to rust through, depending on driving conditions and attempts to keep the rust prone areas clean.