• P00ptart@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I used to build stainless steel farming equipment for industries like fertilizers and such. The acidic nature of which, would eat through paint. Stainless steel gas to be cleaned of that “surface rust” constantly or that rust will transfer to the stainLESS steel (note: not stainPROOF steel.) 100 years in the elements and no vehicle would be recognizable. Especially knowing the reaction of lithium to water.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      The Cybertruck manual actually says you have to clean all bug splatter and bird shit off immediately or else.

    • piccolo@sh.itjust.works
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      7 days ago

      There are different grades with different alloys. The type of alloy of steel the CT uses is similar to kitchen grade, but reduces the chromumium to make it cheaper, but more prone to corrosion, especially around salt.

    • ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      I think you’d still agree that, compared to the regular steel used in most other vehicles, one made of stainless steel would offer superior corrosion resistance, right? It may not last forever, but it sure beats the alternative.

      My 17-year-old truck has its wheel arches rusting through, despite the paint and undercoating. I feel pretty confident saying this wouldn’t be the case if it were made of stainless steel.

      • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Well that all depends. 17 years old and rusting through, I’d say you’re likely in a wet environment. Possibly near salt water. And it’s moving a lot more than one would while in a field, sitting. I bet you drive on gravel a bit, yeah? Doing that also makes wheel wells rust out faster because even minute damage to the paint will make it rust pretty fast. So from my point of view, sitting in an unprotected field, I would take the Corvette over a cybertruck. It’s a heavily painted fiberglass body over an alloy chassis. Honestly the more carbon fiber the car has, the more likely it is to be recognizable in 100 years. The point is, you’ll see badly rusted cyber trucks pretty soon because it’s actually quite a pain to maintain. Any dent or scratch will be rusted BAD if not rectified within 6 months or so in a wet environment, 18-24 if it’s dry enough.

        • ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee
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          7 days ago

          All else being equal, stainless steel is a superior material compared to regular steel. I don’t get why that’s so difficult to admit. If my truck had been used in the exact same way but was made of stainless steel, it wouldn’t be rusting through. It might not be completely rust-free, but it would definitely be less rusty.

          • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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            7 days ago

            Sure, all things being equal, you’re right, stainless is better. But most stainless is unpainted. If it’s sitting in a field, not getting damaged by rocks and such, id honestly trust a modern paint over stainless depending on the grade. High grade stainless is great. That’s not what the cyber truck is made out of, though. Deloreans got rusty with stainless steel and they rusted without ever even going down gravel. To be fair I haven’t checked on the quality of the stainless panels in either car. But, you do know that the frame and components aren’t all stainless either, right? Also, don’t be mad at me, I’m enjoying this conversation.

            • ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee
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              7 days ago

              I’m not mad. If I come across that way, it wasn’t my intention.

              I agree about the paint - the best way to prevent rust is to keep the steel from coming into contact with water in the first place. I’m not sure how well paint adheres to stainless steel, but if I were to get a Cybertruck, wrapping it would seem like the obvious thing to do, which is what many people do with new, expensive cars anyway. Another advantage the Cybertruck has over other vehicles is that its steel is much thicker, so it’s not only less likely to dent, but it would also take much longer to rust through, even if it were made of normal steel.

              I’m not saying that you are, but many people get overly emotional about this vehicle because of its controversial CEO, and I feel it’s getting a bit of unfair treatment as a result. I don’t think there’s a vehicle on the planet that would pass this level of scrutiny without criticism. Just yesterday, I watched a video of a $700k brand new Lamborghini that was never driven or washed, needing extensive paint correction due to poor quality finish straight from the factory. It seems indefensible for a vehicle of that price, but it is what it is.