Quality "feel" vs actual durability? Do light cars last?

[cyclopathic]

On the other hand, the power:weight ratio will improve as owners let the car rust away!

No unless you start loosing rusted parts. Rust weights more than original metal.

[Eggman]

No unless you start loosing rusted parts. Rust weights more than original metal.

How is that? I've never heard this.

[deleted user]

An oxidized material, as long as it's mass is the same it was originally acquires oxygen molecules as a part of the process of oxidation, therefore it will weigh more that it did originally but only if it does not shed any of its mass.

regards
mech

[cyclopathic]

How is that? I've never heard this.

More info on iron oxide:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron(III)_oxide

[Eggman]

Interesting. This must be measurable. I wonder just how much this could affect weight?

[cyclopathic]

Interesting. This must be measurable. I wonder just how much this could affect weight?

A few oz give or take.

[Eggman]

A few oz give or take.

Nice!

[deleted user]

The difference in weight would be minuscule. Consider the atmosphere is pushing down on you at 14.7 pounds per square inch. That is the weight of that column of air going to outer space, over 100 miles.

regards
mech

[cyclopathic]

Nice!

Rusting equation is 4Fe + 3O2 -> 2Fe2O3
so 1 mole of Fe2O3 is made from 2 moles of Fe.
1 mole of Fe2O3 weighs 56 * 2 + 16 * 3 = 112 + 48 = 160g.
2 mole of Fe weighs 56 * 2 = 112 g.
Gain 48g total or 24g per mole.

Or 0.85oz gain for every 4oz of iron.

[Mirage_Sydney]

My last car was an Audi A6, 1997 model. I sold it 3 months ago when the cost of a few basic repairs were going to cost me twice what the car was worth.

The Audi certainly had a quality feel to everything and the interior, exterior, seats, switches, everything were still in excellent condition when I got rid of it. It was still a wonderful car to drive and the driver's seat was like the world's most comfortable leather armchair. The problem was that a small repair or part replacement was stupidly expensive.

Rust isn't an issue here unless you live at Bondi or something, no salt on the roads in Sydney (even in winter). So cars don't go off the road when they fall apart due to rust, it is generally down to the cost of repairs vs. the value of the vehicle.