The weather has been colder than many recent winters but I am sure that there has been no more salt put down than in past years. The fact is Local Councils get a quota of road salt and if they don't use it the next years allowance is reduced. So to ensure their quota remains the same they use it regardless of it being needed. In recent milder winters our concil have been gritting late in the season even when its been mild simply to use up the stock pile.

As for rust under modern cars I have not owned a car since the early 80's (Ford Escort) that has shown signs of corrosion. A 7 year old Golf, a 6 year old Golf and a 7 year old Micra were rust free on the body and underneath. Dads 7 year old Almera and 6 year old Golf were exactly the same.

I look after my cars but I am not about to start carrying out work that is simply not needed. A drive in the rain puts far more water under the arches and on suspension parts than any quick hosing manages.

InnerLondon.

Its a case of finding a proper old school mechanic, probably a recommended indy is the best bet, because too many dealer type garages simply don't service brakes properly, and yes it is most certainly cost effective because calipers not looked after can fail as quickly as years 3 to 5, especially after a winter like this one.

Depending on the car and how involved you want to go, an hour minimum to strip clean lube all 4 and exercise the pistons, if you've got a parking brake shoes inside rear disc set up (which our three cars do) those discs will have to be removed to check and lube the parking brake (wheel has to come off to adjust the brake shoes anyway on most...this is very important on V60/70 type Volvos where the shoes can delaminate causing a right headache...assume a couple of hours for the more involved systems, so anything from £50 up to £100 or more, obviously more if parts are needed, and if they haven't been done for some time an ideal opportunity to get the fluid changed whilst there.

Some people never remove those disc drums, but rust can set in to the drum which doesn't get cleaned off unless the owner partially applies the parking brake now and again to clean it off (this is good practice but needs care obviously), this rust builds up and can gouge huge grooves into the parking brake shoes, and its only when the car needs new rear discs that the whole sorry mess is revealed that you need new shoes as well as discs, and often the shoe hold down springs are weak so a fitting kit on top.

A good indy would do this as part of a thorough major service anyway, but i know some posters here get their indy's to service the brakes now and again because the main dealers generally don't, Toyota used to every other year (major service) but i don't know if that's still the case.

I'm lucky that i have good jacks and ramps and stands, and all the tools needed, and a place to do it where i can't be seen (by the borrowers), though age is creeping up and these jobs are harder than they once were..:-)

PCharlton.

I rustproofed mine last year with Bilt Hamber's best, probably on a par with Dinitrol, by the time the summer's over you should be able to wash it quite regularly with a good garden hose, i have a wide spread right angle lance for underbody washing, and i can turn my pressure washer right down so it doesn't remove the product.

Mine needed touching up in places and i have completed 75% of that.

One interesting thing i discovered whilst starting intial painting of suspension and subframes (now done, but more paint on me than the car), the rear diff on SWMBO Forester is indeed a limited slip jobbie, so very pleased i hadn't changed the diff oils yet and put standard GL5 in as suggested on several oil chooser sites.