After eight years of exposure to daily morning moisture, rain and northeast winters on Long Island, my 40 year-old 1971 Vega has no rust anywhere on its original sheet metal and chassis! I had decided after paying storage the first year, it would have to be parked outside (covered) - a huge savings that has amounted to $14k (200. per mo) over a seven-year period.

The Vega had been warehouse stored in Alabama nearly thirty years through 2002 by the previous owner. I don't possess that luxury, only a 1-car garage. Now granted, I did not expose it to salt and mud, and it is undercoated, but if these cars are not exposed to the worst conditions, they will not rust faster than any other car.
My theory explains why only thousands of sets of fenders were replaced by Chevrolet (under warranty) instead of a million, or more. (Vega 1971-1977 production totaled nearly 2 million)

..and this early 1971 model built within the first 6 months of Vega production has no fender liners (added '74-up models) and no galvanized fenders and rocker panels (added on '76-'77 models).



see also:
Chevrolet Vega - Chevy Vega Wiki
http://chevyv...hevrolet_Vega

Image: My 1971 Chevrolet Vega 2300 Panel Express

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