True, but then how many cars die of rust these days?
Depends where you live. Around here....those that are not crashed generally die of rust about 12-14 yo.
True, but then how many cars die of rust these days?
My old Transit.
But then it's, well, a Transit
Every MX5, and every Impreza that avoids being wrapped round a lamppost or turned into a garage queen, dies of rust...
But it's not just that simple really, corrosion makes everything else worse. Like, I have 2 Subaru Legacies, one is a rust free JDM import, the other is a scabby UK car. Jobs that are easy and quick on the JDM one, because things still come apart and bolts come undone rather than everything being fused together, can become a nightmare on the UK car.
I blew up the transmission on the JDM car, fine, it all just came apart. I'll be pulling the gearbox out of the UK car and there will be whole new swear words invented, and everything'll be gas axe, reciptrocating saw, air chisel or dynamite to get it apart. If it had to go back together it'd be much worse- it'd need lots more replacement parts, I wouldn't be able to just snap bolts off, the exhaust definitely won't come apart and go back together without welding... but most of all it'd eat a mechanic's time. That can easily make a repair noneconomic.
Ok, but for the mainstream, the Ford Mondeo's owned by the Southern 90% of the UK population? Not convertible sportscars and JDM imports in Scotland.
those that are not crashed
Raises an interesting point about all the driver aids, are manufacturers going to have to support older models for much longer as they get harder to crash into each other.
I see far more older cars in Italy and Spain than in the UK.
Theories:
A) Better weather/less salt, they dont rust away
B ) Are their MOTs less strict and the older stuff is road legal there but not here
C) The UK is a richer country and we can afford more new cars
D) The Btits just like to show off their new cars and the Spanish simply dont care about having an older one, less keeping up with the Gomezes
E) Somethkng else I've missed
E) Somethkng else I’ve missed
2nd hand cars are a lot more expensive in Western Europe too because they're easily exported to the poorer countries. A bit like older (90's, 2000's) motorbikes are ££££ even in the UK because after the Berlin wall came down there was a ready market for 2nd hand machines so there aren't as many left.
Which possibly makes them better maintained and longer-lived because it's worth it.
A) Better weather/less salt, they dont rust away
B ) Are their MOTs less strict and the older stuff is road legal there but not here
C) The UK is a richer country and we can afford more new cars
D) The Btits just like to show off their new cars and the Spanish simply dont care about having an older one, less keeping up with the Gomezes
E) Somethkng else I’ve missed
2x Italian family here.
A- They have FAR, far deeper winters in Italy. Can't comment on whether they salt the roads though or if they all just use snow tyres.
C/D - They don't really give a shit, from my experience. People in England seem to really strangely care about 'what care they're seen in'. Especially if you live near a city. You'd realistically expect your car to be bumped a few times each visit, especially if you parallel park. Not uncommon for Italians to have a city car for bumping about in.
Can't comment on Spain. I imagine it's similar affair.
thisisnotaspoon
Full MemberNot convertible sportscars and JDM imports in Scotland.
Think you missed the point- the UK car (a pretty common, practical car) is the rusty one. It hasn't- and won't- rust to death, but the rust is the biggest part of why it's dead. The JDM's just the counterexample of the same car without the rust, which still has a long life ahead of it for that reason.
But, the same thing was fast happening to my mondeo.
Just looked on Autotrader out of curiosity. My car is worth at least 1.5K more than I paid for it last February 2020. There are only 2 cars for sale nationwide for that year and model. World has gone mad. It’s a bit like house prices it only helps you if you decide to sell and use public transport or cycle.
Well it’s not the same as what I’ve read here. I bought my Astra CDTI 165bhp Vxline for £6.6k 2 years ago, part-ex value is now £2.2k and they’re selling for probably about £4K! Is it just my car was too cheap to see a value increase...
although there are some weirdos that post every time one of the original ones get’s broken for spares
Those are words that bring a little gladness to my heart!
Secondhand car prices in the States are the same - it’s the shortage of chips for the modern car systems that they rely on that’s the problem, people are having to wait for months for a new car, or accept a compromise on colour, style and extras, so they’re opting for a secondhand replacement. My mate has a work colleague who’s now expecting, so she’s having to get rid of her Mustang, I think she’s been offered £10k more than she paid for it! Which will go a long way to make the replacement Kuga cheaper to buy.
Still, the demand for secondhand cars is keeping us very busy, 24-hour working in the workshops, and they’re setting up an MOT department and a facility for re-finishing diamond-cut alloys, so we don’t have to keep sending cars off-site.
There’s another thing that’s affecting sales, people coming to the end of a lease who need a car are pushing things up, and those who’ve had a car written off and who desperately need a replacement as well.