[Closed] Rust-free bangers

Cars that are not in the north of Scotland would a start.

Infact I'd say exclusively that it's a bad idea to buy older cars from the north of Scotland because rust salt water and all that goes with.

Volvo - they are galvanized, they still have the odd potential grot spot (front suspension turrets being the main one) but they are generally pretty good. We have a 16year old V70 that's in fine fettle. The 2.4 petrol non turbo is old school simple for bangernomics

Mate I'll take any bangers atm rusty or not.

I have an Audi A3 in the shed I really need to get gone. It is an 02 model and is like new underneath. Might be worth looking for one of those?

The Renault Espace had a galvanised chassis up to the 3, not sure about the 4 - after assembly unlike some cars which just used galvanised parts on which the galvanising is damaged by welding. The panels are mainly composite.

Alfa 156s are galvanised

Yet still rust....

I'd go as far to say I cant really give you one manufacturer to avoid or pick...

Honestly thought this would be a barbecue thread

Our 99 Yaris was more or less rust free other than a small patch on the front wheel arch. We sold it about 4 years ago - it's still rust free and a couple of roads away, although the red paint has faded. I did regularly hose/jet wash ours off underneath though, so definately the Scottish conditions.

Honda civic mk8?
Mines an 06 with minimal rust showing.

generally jap cars seem to suffer more than most with rust - but cars that are ~10 years old now are light years ahead of where they were a decade ago. I had a '99 mondeo that was welded for its 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th MOTs, whereas my '06 signum (vectra) on similar moon milage (175,000) has only had one advisary for rust on the brake lines.

I'm not saying a vectra is a good car, but its not rusty, and most of its rivals are similar. I think bimmers and mercs of that age are both somewhat suseptable though.

surface rust is very different from a rotten car, you have to know what you're looking at. If there's none in scotland, car delivery isn't bad value, or you might find someone willing to drive a car up there (I was going to head for a week in Thurso from Brighton until lockdown struck)

Thanks very much. I've heard that Volvos and old Audis (eg Audio 80) are almost impervious to rust. I suppose I need to decvide on what sort of car to go for - a Volvo is a bit bigger than a Yaris!

My Yaris is a 2001 model I was given it 3 or 4 years ago, so can't grumble, but the underside looked pretty sorry for itself then. Years of Highland salt had taken its toll. I managed to get it through a few MOTs and about 60,000 miles, but a pre-MOT check exposed significant holes in the sills, rear spring mounts, floor by the seatbelt mounts, and front subframe. The bodywork looks fine apart from a little rust around the front arches and rear valance. It also needs some mechanical work, including lamda sensors, so although I'd like to keep it going, it's really too far gone.

Fiat Uno or a Metro?

As someone up there suggested, seems like post ~2000 manufacturers mostly got rust proofing sussed?

Based on my last car and my current car (and excluding the MG).

Ford - nothing other than cosmetic surface rust after 16 years on my C-max, I put it up on the ramps to get the towbar off before scrapping it and the only rusty bit was an exhaust bracket that might have needed tacking back on, even the exhaust itself was still the original but it had done a lot of motorway miles so the exhaust was unlikely to rust from the inside out like a car used about town.

Citoren - my new (to me) Berlingo is completely solid, at 15 years it's still actually body-colored underneath! But the rear axle is another story. It got an advisory at the MOT, and I've no idea which bits are structurally load-bearing but you can knock chunks of rust off it! Recon axles are only ~£300 though and apparently, the whole lot comes off with 4 bolts so I'm not too concerned about that. It spent it's life in Cornwall which goes some way to explaining the state of the axle!

than those from the south of the UK

Not looked at ones that have sat beside the Cornish coast for a while?

205 post 87 were galvanised IIRC, 205XS is great fun....

I just sold my 02 civic, barely any rust underneath. Had it for 11 years and they're very well made cars.

Our 99 Yaris was mint underneath - Manchester though. I have a 2002 Nissan Primera and that's pretty much mint but I do top up all the chassis/suspension with underseal once in a while - the MOT/local garages don't believe it's as old as it is.

You might need to find a car that's been just 'washed' regular TBH. People don't bother with underneath, then you end up with large areas of wet mud on metalwork.

If you're looking for something a similar size to a Yaris you could try a Fabia. I've got one of the last of the MkII's and even though they're all over 7 years old (the oldest are 13) I have yet to see a rusty one. Even the Polo they were based on I've yet to see a rusty one of and they go back to '03.

Audi 80swere rusty when they were current
.... Parents had 3 of them .

Anyone offering opinions actually jn the north of Scotland ?

They start galvanising chassis and/or some panels in the early-mid 2000s I think.

I dropped some sealant on the boot of my Passat (2006) and it peeled the paint off on that spot leaving a perfect round hole in the paint and bare metal. It didn't rust.

Our '06 plate VW Polo has a little rust spot on the door and a bit on the sill.
The rest of it seems rust free.
I'd sort it if I could be bothered!
We are thinking about selling it if you are interested!

Not in the North of Scotland but we have an 04 plate Astra G estate. It had a waterleak from where too much stuff on the roof and cracked the seam sealer on the roof. It had a water feature for years whilst my tree surgeon mate merrily chugged about with it full of mud and chainsaws.
My Oh took it on for £300 after he upgraded to a pickup.
It has no rust, there was a tiny patch on the vin number where it sat in water, so I treated it. Obvs brake lines and some bits of suspension reacted badly to years of muddy fields but the body aside some moss growth and dents is fine.

I recently sold mskenneththecurtain's '56 plate Yaris due to rust-induced MOT failure that I couldn't be bothered fixing. Once you start fixing rust, it's a neverending job until you strip it to a shell and do it properly. The yaris only had 80-odd k on the clock IIRC.

Anything that age in this part of the country is going to rot if it's used year-round and not religiously de-salted underneath in winter. Not many people are going to do that unless it's something special, in which case it won't be a banger.

I'd just buy something from down south if I wanted a rust-free banger, chances of it happening up here are somewhere 'twixt slim and **** all.

You can't be picky on make / model when buying a banger, it's a case of buy whatever is cheap, localish and in good condition.

Also, there is no magic rule for when cars stopped rusting commonly. Galvanised panels are not a silver bullet

Skoda Fabia, standard hatch or better an estate is a pretty savvy buy; again, well rust proofed, decent Czech engineering, spacious and really tough. Base models are best in terms of bangernomics, less to go wrong. 1.2 petrol light turbo (made in Czech) is probably the best engine, although oil burners tend to be more popular with buyers. They're a really hardy car, designed for eastern European roads. Estate is plenty big enough for chucking two bikes in the back.

Civic +1

Anyone offering opinions actually jn the north of Scotland ?

West definitely every bit as bad.

I'm not in a desperate hurry to buy, so I'll keep looking...

I had thought about a Fabia. However, I know someone who had one, and theirs was extremely unreliable.

My parents had a Punto (supposedly galvanised) which rusted badly. Also, their Polo from around 2000 is rusting, but I think it's mainly on the wings and bonnet, so maybe the main body and floorpan are better protected.

Perhaps I need a kit car or a Reliant Robin!

Don't Laugh, but Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 petrol. (07+)

Cheap to run, cheap to buy, and very cheap to repair.
Also massive in the back when seats are flat (I can fit my large gravel bike without removing the wheels.)

They are also generally rust free (well in Norfolk anyways..)