March 20, 2003
Rust and Rovers
Rust. What else can you say? Everyone knows about rust and Rovers. When we lived on Guam there was this stuff they called “creeping crud”. It was basically rust on your car. A small rust spot would start and it would creep up your car. Rust was due to the salt air and all the tropical conditions that foster rust.
But today I wonder about rust. Why so much of it on Rovers? What make them so special? I have owned many cars not one of them had any rust. Not one of them has had the exhaust rust out.
My last vehicle was a 1993 Ford Ranger pickup truck. I drove it 189,000 miles in 7 years. Not one bit of rust. Exhaust was pristine. But in the 10 years my Rover has been in existance it has developed several rust issues. They are too numerous to mention but every time I climb under it I see more rust.
Well this week while crossing a busy intersection in town in five o’clock traffic my silencer falls
off my truck. My carpool buddy said, “Did that just fall off your truck?” I replied I don’t think so
as it was only 2 years ago that I had replaced it and there is no way it could have rusted out by now. I was wrong, it was mine. And trashed it was, by the time I got back to pick it up.
I reported a month ago that the exhaust would need to be replaced. I thought I would be able to
replace it at my leisure. I guess I was wrong again.
With the need to replace it looming I have several questions that I will have to research or ask
the good people of several Rover Message Boards for explanations.
The obvious, “Hey he’s in a Land Rover, he must be rich.” look on mechanics and others faces is
almost a bad cliche in Oklahoma. I can’t tell you the number of times I walked out of a shop or store when I was about to be fleeced. So I hope to have my homework done first and not be taken advantage of when getting my exhaust replaced.