Chassis

Stretch said:

Yep - I remember when men were men - sheep were scared - cars were built to last (just like the Dolomite!) - footballers shook hands (!) - and all this was fields...

Click to expand...

Still is fields here, and a few sheep, but no Dolomites, or footballers!

They didn't use so much rock salt on the road back in the day. We use Defenders in a way you wouldn't use an S1, with much higher mileage. Saying that look at truck chassis. You don't see them rotting away and they'll do a million miles. When I look at the rear cross member of a newish Defender the metal looks thin...and the paint finish. I also see them with rust bubbles on what used to be the galv trim. My sons friend parked up his 90 last summer when they were away on holiday. Had a good nose around it and generally speaking it's a well built vehicle but not in the same way as say an S2 I owed years ago. It was built really solid.it's not like for like but the new ones aren't as solid.

Hd1966 said:

I'm sure I heard that the mid to late 70,s were the worst, due to British Leyland taking over.

Click to expand...

The problem was the same for all car makers in that a rule was brought in that new steel had to contain a certain amount of recycled steel.
Trouble was the methods to remove impurities from the recovered metals had not been developed. Lancia had a terrible reputation with stories of some cars failing first MOTs because of rust.
[ By the way I loved my Dolomite,after all Bodie or was it Doyle drove one in early episodes of the Professionals ]

My Granddad had a Dolomite - despite the stories of it being "built too well" he only bought German after that one!