Lancia Delta Integrale

The later ones were but the earlier ones weren't.

I could say exactly when they started with the zinc but I have a feeling it was around 1990.

My Dad has a 1993 Thema and even though it is galvanised it is starting to show through in a few places (leading edge of roof and one rear wheel arch).

-- James

Galvanising doesn't prevent rust, it merely delays it's onset.

IIRC, the zinc works as a sacrificial layer, and once it's all used up, then the steel rusts as normal ?

snip

D'oh - I was thinking of the Evo one!

What was it they said about the unsinkable Titanic? "She's made out of iron, she will sink" or some such. Same can be applied to most cars. "She's made out of steel, she will rust".

I've not had a rusty car ever, but I've not been owning cars for that long. It seems today rust doesn't kill cars, owner neglect and lack of maintenance seem to kill more cars than any other cause. Go down to your local scrap yard and I'm sure you find lots of cars which were perfectly ok before they were scrapped. Cars get scrapped because they develop a little fault that would cost more to fix (in terms of garage labour) than the car is worth, hence they are worth more as spare parts.

-- James

Wrong.

Wrong again.

You know, I did double-check this as most Fiat group cars were galvanised from about 1990 onwards, but all the buyer's guides say the same - check for rust.

The EvoII cars _did_ have much improved shells and paint - however, the only reason these are less rusty than the early cars is that the don't flex and crack the shell to the same extent.

Yes, it happens. But you have to be _really_ careful with an Integrale as they just didn't rust-proof them in any way at all.

My Spider was LHD. But the missus _hated_ it with a passion. Never went out in it in the passenger seat, as she wouldn't drive it, so I don't really know what her problem was.

Mates got a LHD 205, and every time i go to get in i choose the wrong side. Bloody things!

I thought that'd be a bonus?

Ye Olde (Still for sale, now £350) Golf is for sale if anyone wants to get used to LHD ;-)

Heh...... I'm too soft..... she wouldn't even travel as passenger in it, so it was sold.

Heh.

After reverse parkin the integrale today i think i'll pass. Bloody hell that was awkward

-- Chet

You need practice, my son, you really do. If you can reverse park my Golf, you deserve the Integrale.

Will only cost you £350 to convince your dad you can park the Grunty... and you could have the Golf for when the Grunty's bust.

Now you're not being helpful, you're trying to take advantage of the poor irish boy :(

-- Chet

As if I'd do something like that...

I was merely attempting to further your cause towards eternal happiness and Integrale reverse parkitude.

That and flog the Golf.

Hmmm That and flog the Golf.

Aha!

-- Chet

That's on boats :) It's to protect against corrosion due to electrolytic action when two different metals are immersed in the same electrolytic solution.

When used to galvanise, it's just being used as a protective layer, like paint but much tougher, and it doesn't flake off. You can still get chips in the zinc coating, and you will get rust at that point, but it won't spread like it would under paint on untreated steel.

Andy

Yeah, that was it ;)

Ah, I see. Cheers :)

What about in Winter when we get our own share of electrolytic solution spraying the undersides of our floorpans and arches?

But for electrolytic corrosion, you need both the metals to be immersed in the electrolytic solution. In galvanized steel, the steel is safely cocooned inside the zinc, so no electrolytic corrosion.

If the zinc gets chipped, then there can be corrosion, but the relative area of the exposed zinc to that of exposed steel is enormous, and the electrolytic corrosion of the zinc is negligible.

Andy

Doh, I screwed up on basic school boy science trying to be a smart arse.