Does anyone know if Nissan is using galvenized steel like VW. I would also like to know if they use zinc rich epoxy primers, etc. One of my fears is my 3.5 will rust out in these northern climates!
Where are you worried about the rust starting, underbody, a deep scratch down to bear metal, why don't you just call Nissan, where is your northern climate
My non-undercoated '96 Maxima has seen 5 winters of salted roads and doesn't have a spot of rust in 105K miles. Can't say that about some domestic makes I've seen around here.
By the time that thing rusts out, you will not ne the owner. I have owned many cars, the only ones that rust in the first 5 years are, sadly, American Made! I love Japanese steel!!!!!
The Alty has double sided galvanized steel body panels and aluminum hood and trunk lid. I do not know about the paint. Whatever the paint is made out of, it seems to chip very easily.
If the Altima have the double sided galvanized steel, it will explain why the paint chip easily: Galvanized steel don't hold paint very well because of the treatment.
but I'm still not sure if the Altima has this double side galv. steel???
Just a heads up to all , ALL North American manufactured cars and light trucks using steel have been using a Galvanized product for the past 8 years or so . All body panels are galv, the exception generally being the roof sheet as it subject to little road debris . Most of the unibody structure parts are all Galv , consisting of many different steel grades and coating weights . As far as the paint not adhearing to the zinc coating , this in itself would hold true however a complex primer system is employed by all manufacturers before painting to ensure total paint adhearance . A scratch right through to the base metal will , in most cases not rust as the zinc coating has the ability to create a temporary zinc oxide layer across the wound . The science of this effect is seen on ships , outboards ect. using a sacrifical zinc anode system .