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[TheBoy]

When I was in Southern France a couple of months back, my mate and I commented on how tidy all the cars were, from a rust point of view, despite the apparent age. Sierras, Chavaliers (badged Vectras), old Astras and Fifis.

Thought little more of it.

Now, today, in Cyprus, its dawned on me again, nothing rusts out here. Yet at home, anything Ford or Vauxhall rusts like hell.

Do they use a different paint spec for UK?

[Elite Pete]

They probably dont have the same winters as us or use salt on the roads

[Webby the Bear]

i dont know the answer to the question but i know in paris EVERY car is beat up! me and my old man (in paris, romantic i know  ) were sat in a cafe near the moulin rouge and we watched a guy with a jag XK no less paralel park straight in to someone. got out didnt even check the damage and walked away lol wtf!!!

[albitz]

Salted roads.

[andyc]

As Pete has said, Hot weather, little rain, no salt. Take my GT for example, built in '68 and spent its life in SoCal . Its a couple of rust spots but its not rotten

Andy

[TheBoy]

i dont know the answer to the question but i know in paris EVERY car is beat up! me and my old man (in paris, romantic i know  ) were sat in a cafe near the moulin rouge and we watched a guy with a jag XK no less paralel park straight in to someone. got out didnt even check the damage and walked away lol wtf!!!

Same in most euro cities. Park with handbrake on lightly on. Next person to park will 'make space' for them

[TheBoy]

As Pete has said, Hot weather, little rain, no salt. Take my GT for example, built in '68 and spent its life in SoCal . Its a couple of rust spots but its not rotten

Andy

Even the little Jimnys that there are reversing into the sea to pull out wetbikes etc, unmarked paintwork...

[cem_devecioglu]

I think rain is the #1 factor..
 
here we also have salt on the roads in winter as it snows frequently..
 
but to give you an example;
 
the cars from the cities İstanbul and İzmir (they are near the sea) rusts quicker than Ankara.. because they have more rain..
 
my omega , despite its age (15 years old) have no rust anywhere else.. and believe me its washed minimum twice a week..

[cem_devecioglu]

i dont know the answer to the question but i know in paris EVERY car is beat up! me and my old man (in paris, romantic i know  ) were sat in a cafe near the moulin rouge and we watched a guy with a jag XK no less paralel park straight in to someone. got out didnt even check the damage and walked away lol wtf!!!

Same in most euro cities. Park with handbrake on lightly on. Next person to park will 'make space' for them

I have witnessed the same   but same event here can cause murders

[cem_devecioglu]

and one point I forgot to add, I think weather temperature for UK also dont help.. if it was hot rain would evaporate quickly like here, but instead temperature keeps the water inside car parts   

[Kevin Wood]

Don't forget the dreadful state of our roads, where "resurfacing" means spreading a load of stone chips onto some tar and assuming the traffic will eventually roll some of it into the surface. Each stone chip in the paintwork is just waiting for rust to take hold.

[cem_devecioglu]

Don't forget the dreadful state of our roads, where "resurfacing" means spreading a load of stone chips onto some tar and assuming the traffic will eventually roll some of it into the surface. Each stone chip in the paintwork is just waiting for rust to take hold.

thats quite an important factor.. and explains me why old painters prefer to cover the cars with many layers of paint despite the crazy customers/car dealers who measure the paint thickness before buying..

[TheBoy]

Of course the downside of hot countries...   ...most cars in the last 15yrs have polycarbonate headlights, and anything here over 2 or 3 years old, they are all cloudy and knackered.

[cem_devecioglu]

Of course the downside of hot countries...   ...most cars in the last 15yrs have polycarbonate headlights, and anything here over 2 or 3 years old, they are all cloudy and knackered.

yep.. good way for me to make some money with my polisher
 
but another problem is colors fading and very hard to match after paints

[dbug]

i dont know the answer to the question but i know in paris EVERY car is beat up! me and my old man (in paris, romantic i know  ) were sat in a cafe near the moulin rouge and we watched a guy with a jag XK no less paralel park straight in to someone. got out didnt even check the damage and walked away lol wtf!!!

Same in most euro cities. Park with handbrake on lightly on. Next person to park will 'make space' for them

Agreed - its the norm to make the parking space fit the car.  Even if you park in a big enough space, likely when you return you will have to "move" cars fore and aft to get out