165000 KM general advice from New User

[littlemoule]

I'll take a picture of mine soon. Want this sucker to last 400,000 km and still go strong. (wishful thinking)

[7milesout]

I'm glad we don't have to do that rust slower-downer crap down here in God's Country! Right Dirk?

[Fummins]

The rust on my Mirage identifies as ultra slim fast for cars.

I'm pretty sure there's a law now that prevents you from making fun of rust because it's offensive and stuff.

[littlemoule]

Lol a law to make fun of rust. **** that.

[inuvik]

Don't want to hurt Fred's feelings!

[Wallythacker]

The rust on my Mirage identifies as ultra slim fast for cars.

I'm pretty sure there's a law now that prevents you from making fun of rust because it's offensive and stuff.

Naw, just use the right pronouns when you talk about rust, it's all good.

[MetroMPG]

Want this sucker to last 400,000 km and still go strong. (wishful thinking)

Wishful but doable, with care & maintenance:

Thread: How many miles/kilometers on your Mirage/Space Star so far? (PLUS! Leaderboard)

[Fummins]

Rust proofing isn't really a thing out here. Some dealers "under coated" a few cars when new with some black rubberized crap that does nothing imo.

Dumb question, does that rust proof oil stuff not collect and trap salt, sand and other road debris? I've always wondered about that? Or is it a rust inhibitor kinda thing?

I had one of the 2023's in for an oil change and looked a little closer at the black goop that's sprayed under the car. It might have been done at the factoria? I think it might be more of a sound deadener than a rust proofing material. It's kinda sprayed on thick under the spare tire well, the charcoal canister would have been removed to apply it there. It's pretty thick up at the front foot wells too.

[7milesout]

Sound deadening.

[Wallythacker]

I had one of the 2023's in for an oil change and looked a little closer at the black goop that's sprayed under the car. It might have been done at the factoria? I think it might be more of a sound deadener than a rust proofing material. It's kinda sprayed on thick under the spare tire well, the charcoal canister would have been removed to apply it there. It's pretty thick up at the front foot wells too.

Deadening. It will be on cars for all markets. but you are right, some "undercoating" is like rubber and can be cut and then salt and slop enter the cut and it's trapped there against the metal and starts to rot that area out. Wax is suprisingly a decent product to fight corrosion. It will melt and bleed out so it needs inspection and touch up but done properly I'd have faith using it.

The best thing obviously is to galvanize. It's cost effective when you realize there's no longer a multi dip process using materials in some cases more expensive than zinc. Mopar was big on galv in the mid 80's. All the Caravans I owned from that era stood up really well, except the back door on passenger vans. Cargo vans were galv. No problem with them. My family had several Mopar mini vans from that era and even the 300,000 KM ones looked pretty good.