Rust buckets??

[George in GA]

Since I'm thinking of buying a 2010 Mazda3 five door I've been reading reviews and scoping out whatever info from owners I can find. I've read posts of early rust on 3s and Protoges, and complaints about "thin paint." RacerXGirl thought some Georgia owners might share their experiences. Anyone have any tales of woe, or ??

 

[stdntDrvr]

i've had 3 proteges...no real complaints other than the a/c switch needing to be cleaned...i do have some minor rust on my msp. the battery boiled-over and now i have a spot of rust in the engine bay...but that's about it...

 

[Shadow102]

Rust? Does that exsist in ga?

My g/f's 03 protege spent all but last year in MD and aside from some normal bolt rust that every car gets everything else is fine. My 1990 rx7 is a ga car all its life and has zero undercarriage rust and the body is showing no signs of rust either but its been repainted so I dunno.

Paintwise, mazda had some really crappy paint in the 90's they did however get better in the 2000's although some people do report the clearcoat burns off occasionally...however I do have to wonder how much care is put into the paint on those cars because the occasional wash and wax will make the paint last a long time. Once again no aparent paint damage on the gf's p5 with the exception that she never washes it so it doesn't shine like it should and the paint on my msp was in great shape (the original parts that weren't repainted)

 

[TheDirtyGoatee]

What's funny is I posted a comment in the "New to GA" thread. My bro was in a car club called Rust Buckets and his Datsun 510 definitely fit the bill.

 

[George in GA]

Rust in Georgia??

Thanks, folks! I'd seen some posts in another forum about rust problems from all over the country. That's why I thought I'd mention that I live in Georgia where snow and salt are rare. I drove my 96 Ford Contour SE to 180K miles with the only rust where a tossed rock cut through the paint. Can't blame Henry's company for that!

 

[aMaff]

Yeah, unless you live on the coast, rust is pretty much a non-issue.