Which side is rusty?

[Ross]

Here in the US the right side seems to be the first to rot away. My theory is this is due to the rightside being the dirty side of the road more dirt accumulates in the panels on that side.
Will the Brits and Ozzies comment on their experience? I'd mention Shogun too but know that old Japanese cars are typically sent elsewhere to die.

[yaofeng]

Never thought about this but I guess it is plausible. I thought it interesting Japanese send their cars to die somewhere else. There is a big market for used Japanese RHD vehicles in countries like Trinidad & Tobago and Surinam (both drive on the left) where vehicle inspection is far less strigent or non-existent. You see old clunkers puttering along side brand new cars on the same road in Trinidad. As late as 2000 Trinidad was still selling leaded gasoline. I wonder if we raise the vehicle inspection standards to that of the UK or Japan would it stimulate the economy so people buy more new cars. You hardly see any clunkers on the road in the UK.

[Mordan]

my cars don't have rust on the doors. I never buy a car that has rust except around the rear wheels. nearly all bimmers rust there. you got to clean inside with a water hose everytime you wash your car.

rust fixing is bloody expensive. it would cost me 2000euros for a well done job for the 2 rear wheel passages.

[shogun]

In Japan we basically do not have probs with rust, no salt on the roads.
Except some islands like Okinawa where the air has a lot of salt.
Maybe that is also one of the reasons that in the U.K. you have so much probs with rust, plus (maybe in the past only) a lot of salt brine sprayed on the streets in winter. (?)

[Mr._Graybeard]

Here in the US the right side seems to be the first to rot away. My theory is this is due to the rightside being the dirty side of the road more dirt accumulates in the panels on that side.
Will the Brits and Ozzies comment on their experience? I'd mention Shogun too but know that old Japanese cars are typically sent elsewhere to die.

In downtown Milwaukee I often see cars with surface rust on the left side, actually. I always figured it came from parking on the street, which would leave that side of the car exposed to stuff thrown up from passing traffic and snow plows.

The city's inner core is one of the poorest places in America, and the elephant's graveyard for old Buicks and Oldsmobiles.

[whiskychaser]

Rust on the body panels isnt that much of a problem these days but going back a little while it was always the driver's side. The theory is not only do you kick up your own crap but people going the other way treat you to some of theirs too. If I saw rust on body panels I'd run away quick as I'd shudder to think what the underside was like:D We use a lot of rock salt on the roads in winter. (London buses ground to a halt recently - presumably they forgot what the salt was for or where they left it) There is a decent sized market in Japanese car imports and engines in the UK but the dont appear to be cheap.

[BennyM]

Minneapolis is about the same. Rust is just something we all have to live with. The head turners in my neighborhood are the cars without rust. Sigh.


In downtown Milwaukee I often see cars with surface rust on the left side, actually. I always figured it came from parking on the street, which would leave that side of the car exposed to stuff thrown up from passing traffic and snow plows.

The city's inner core is one of the poorest places in America, and the elephant's graveyard for old Buicks and Oldsmobiles.

[e34.535i.sport]

Rust on the body panels isnt that much of a problem these days but going back a little while it was always the driver's side. The theory is not only do you kick up your own crap but people going the other way treat you to some of theirs too. If I saw rust on body panels I'd run away quick as I'd shudder to think what the underside was like:D We use a lot of rock salt on the roads in winter. (London buses ground to a halt recently - presumably they forgot what the salt was for or where they left it) There is a decent sized market in Japanese car imports and engines in the UK but the dont appear to be cheap.

Dito... Drivers side is worse. Rear bumper mount (replaced!) and front drivers (RHD) jacking point has seen better days. :p

[russiankid]

Mine has the left door syndrome and I am in the US.

[GJPinAU]

OK. So now you are just scaring us.

I had a touch of rust in my Toyota Supra in the rear hatch. An E30 we wanted to buy had the floor on the passengers side and bulk head rusted out but I believe it was an import.
I had to clean out the rust around the windscreen on the E34 before I could get it replaced but again, it was only minor.

If we didn't get the Jap imports here we would never see the likes of Nissan R33, etc on our roads.
There are some Euro cars that were never released here like the M1, E30 M3, Z8, Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220. If it wasn't for private collectors we wouldn't ever see them here.

[tim eh?]

drivers side here from passing traffic, snowploughs, drive-by shootings, etc...

it's very obvious on old vans and such.

[sal_park]

How about this for a difference L-R with the bumper mounts:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3357811424_44a3d6ab85_o.jpg

This was caused by a missing mud flap on the right hand side - you should have seen the volume of muck that I had to remove from inside the bumper !

[nirvana19]

Interesting, passenger side on my car which grew up in Canada. Just had the entire rocker panel replaced.

[Mordan]

How about this for a difference L-R with the bumper mounts:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3357811424_44a3d6ab85_o.jpg

This was caused by a missing mud flap on the right hand side - you should have seen the volume of muck that I had to remove from inside the bumper !

visually informative and scary. I will have to check that more often.

[BennyM]

If we didn't get the Jap imports here we would never see the likes of Nissan R33, etc on our roads.
There are some Euro cars that were never released here like the M1, E30 M3, Z8, Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220. If it wasn't for private collectors we wouldn't ever see them here.

Ooooooh, the XJ220, IMHO is the most beautiful sports car ever. I hear they're really unreliable though. I've never seen one here in the states.

[tim eh?]

Interesting, passenger side on my car which grew up in Canada. Just had the entire rocker panel replaced.

maybe it grew up on a one way street? I'm changing my answer to...


both sides! :D

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=7&pictureid=75

[E34-520iSE]

I'm in the UK, and the right hand side of mine has been hit with rust over the years - the affected areas were the petrol flap area,rear sill(rocker),doors, front wing. There has been no rust appearing anywhere on the left hand side except for the lower part of the original front wing.

Shaun M

[Mr._Graybeard]

I'm in the UK, and the right hand side of mine has been hit with rust over the years - the affected areas were the petrol flap area,rear sill(rocker),doors, front wing. There has been no rust appearing anywhere on the left hand side except for the lower part of the original front wing.

Shaun M
Ah yes, another likely spot, but often rust from the inside out. I pull back the rear half of the wheel well liners every year or two to clean out the debris that collects down there.

[E34-520iSE]

That's a good piece of preventative maintenance Mr Greybeard, mine is all Waxoyled down there now but I will do what you suggest annually from now on. Thanks for the tip.

Regards,

Shaun M

[Dave M]

you should have seen the volume of muck that I had to remove from inside the bumper !

A regular occurance in most e34s. Any time I have I have rig in the garage I smack (gently) the rerar bumper cover with the jack handle and sweep up the residue. It turns into rust when its ignored for too long.

Dave