The rust buckets putting Australian drivers at risk (1966) | RetroFocus

Shoddy repairs and dodgy used car yards were on the increase in Australia in 1966. Weekend Magazine investigated NRMA pre-registration checks and visited the Sydney School of Vehicle Trades.
"Rust Buckets" aired on 22 August 1966.
#automotive #cars
For more from ABC News, click here: www.abc.net.au/news/
Follow us on Twitter: / abcnews
Like us on Facebook: / abcnews.au
Subscribe to us on KZbin: ab.co/1svxLVE
Follow us on Instagram: / abcnews_au

[@jessejohnson159]

I was shocked to see that '56 Ford getting crushed! 😲

[@rozzyretreat3300]

Bought a 65 Holden 35dollars in 1980 reliable rust bucket drove it up the beach Cronulla 6guys 6 boards GOOD DAYS 🇦🇺

[@netforce0]

could you imagine going to an auto shop and some guy in a full suit greets you lol

[@DMSVICAU]

Or the Mechanic wearing a bow tie.

[@netforce0]

@@DMSVICAU never trust someone in a bow tie even bill nye lol

[@iamasmurf1122]

Some dealerships have managers walking around in suits ; and they do actually know about cars ! Why are a lot of you people stupid ! Regardless if someone wears a suit or not doesn’t make them stupid

[@DMSVICAU]

@@iamasmurf1122 How did you draw the conclusion we were calling them stupid? It was a comment on how fashions have changed.

[@netforce0]

@@iamasmurf1122 yeah thats a dealership trying to sell you expensive cars, not some guy changing your oil

[@craigdawson1749]

I bought a car that had the floor pan reformed with paper-mache, chicken wire, fibreglass & bog.

[@johnnytenjobs]

Composite. Very flash.

[@Gopferteckel]

50 quid for an FJ Holden ......rusty gold. If only those guys knew what they are worth today.

[@PurityVendetta]

Look at all those fab motors going for a song 😲 I'll take 6 😊 Ahhh, the good old days!

[@seansingh8862]

3:12 and the prize for the "World's Poshest Mechanic" goes to...

[@damienluxford4480]

I bought my first car, a 66 Holden in 1980. It was a complete rust bucket. The 1960s Holden's and Ford's, especially the Holden's, were prone to severe, prolonged, omnipotent rusting.. 'Cancer' we called it.

[@railtrolley]

HD Holden. I had one. Rusted floors, bottom of doors, guards, window surrounds.

[@chuckselvage3157]

I had a HG Kingswood that was full of rust..good motor 186 red and i picked it up for $500 but yeah the floorpan had had it.🙄

[@cory99998]

Thrown away after 3 years??? My car is like 25 years old lol

[@davidtapp3950]

And Australian car retailers are still not marketing cheap enough cars to allow the poor people who are forced to drive rust buckets to replace them. This is an attitude problem for the retailers, not the rust bucket drivers.

[@peterdawson8180]

I love the Aussie accents of this bygone era.

[@Mark147KTM]

So much better then the auto tune accents of today...

[@johnnywadd3020]

very English

[@basingold3651]

0:06 its crazy to think the spit Bridge is still the same size today as it was back then.

[@RolandElliottFirstG]

parts of king georges rd are still the same now to, its a main rd and been 2 lanes for 60+ years, so mmuch for the fuel taxes and other taxes we pay to have upgrades.

[@touchstar68]

I couldn't believe when I arrived in Queensland in the mid 90s how many rusted vehicles there were on the road.

[@jamessmyth5949]

Wow, those old and junked cars would be worth a good dollar nowadays.

[@billmago7991]

Don Waite legend.....those 50 pound rust buckets are now $10000 rust buckets waiting for restoration 🤣🤣

[@roberthall2979]

The good old days love them.

[@wazowski6709]

@5:25 when mechanics wore bow ties ..... bow ties are cool!

[@johnclayden1670]

Agreed!

[@sandwichbreath0]

Love the Doctor Who reference!

[@wazowski6709]

@@sandwichbreath0 😁

[@redwolf7929]

Love how the music goes with the scene

[@antonbrum5492]

What is so amazing about this video, the price of these old cars? Today, many a collector would give his or her arm for one of these cars. Just go to a swap meet and see the prices they want for some of these old rust buckets. A restorer's dream come true.

[@hasteau4917]

get alan onto it!

[@L0veisl1ght]

Thanks, Alan

[@olboymotoaustralia4294]

Alan works under cars in a bow tie. Ohh tutt tutt ol’ boy!

[@ludakris6688]

I purchased a HK wagon for a carton of beer in 1993, same thing 6 blokes 6 boards and so much more happy days. If only I had any idea the gold mine I’d be sitting on if I had kept allot of the old cars I had purchased for a song.

[@coloradostrong]

"Allot" is to apportion something, generally money. "Alot" is a town in India. "A lot" is more than one of something, multiples of, many of.

[@ludakris6688]

@@coloradostrong Well I guess I have learned A Lot from your response thank you.

[@time2kickarse]

I got a running datsun 120y for 2 tyres back in the early 90's.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

I'm sure we have been there but where to keep ?

[@brettnetherton398]

So many beautiful cars gone. Ugh. Sad.

[@aussiedownunderman]

So heartbreaking to watch @0:31.

[@johndavid3474]

If they only knew how lucrative it would of been, to stow those cars away for the future.

[@Mark147KTM]

Mr Morris knew....His car was 18 years old

[@archygrey9093]

If they did that then they wouldn't be worth anything today. They are worth alot today because there are so little left.

[@AmigaA-or2hj]

I can remember when people used to put sawdust into a dying gearbox.

[@johnhenshaw7655]

Yeah and your point is 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄👍😳

[@barryrudge1576]

Sawdust in a gearbox was the sort of thing they did in the 1950's it was a world wide bodge, so was concrete in rusty wings before the advent of modern fibreglass fillers etc

[@VeyronBD]

If your in the car dealer business you still do. I heard that banana peels do the job too, havent tried that one though.

[@rods6405]

Banana peels in the diff!

[@tonymontana897]

Ahh, The innocence of a by gone era. we've become nothing more that a selfish bunch of jackals in this shitty modern age.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

No , I don't reckon its that , its taxcollectors with guns , and the Hurry , whereas we were just happy to get there , Then petrol price , odds n evens days , an I know I could not afford to run a V8 nowadays , esp. Carby ,

[@RemusKingOfRome]

OMG ! how much would those FJs be worth today ... very sad what we've lost.

[@Deevo037]

I wouldn't have minded the 70 pound one the reporter bought.

[@montinaladine3264]

They were junk then and they are junk now - nothing there has changed - only the stupid sentimentality for junk has increased and multiplied.

[@RemusKingOfRome]

@@montinaladine3264 Traitor .. :D

[@abcmatt]

@@montinaladine3264 And I dare say in another 70 years, people will be commenting on the junk technology that was around in 2019. As for "stupid sentimentality for junk", I see you watch a fair few old timer car videos and 70's Bathurst racing. So I guess you're counting yourself as someone with the stupid sentimentality for junk. Now, remove that nerve that connects your arse to your eyes and stop having such a shitty outlook on things.

[@autophyte]

@@montinaladine3264 I totally agree- Bodies that would rust out in a year, shit drum brakes, gutless engines, lousy handling, deadly, poorly designed interiors. Many people look at the past through rose coloured glasses.

[@jsmith6259]

.1 ABC allows us to comment on this but not on Refugee issues. .2 1965 was a great time where everyone had a British accent. Even the NRMA man. .3 1965 what is the beginning of the end 4 awesome made cars. And probably the death of Australian Automotive industry

[@tubester4567]

Yea and mechanics wear bow ties.

[@nealbeard1]

And women were grateful.

[@mattkaustickomments]

When your butler is your mechanic...

[@cadifan]

Vehicle testing, or inspection, what we call "Warrant of Fitness" was introduced in New Zealand in the 1930s.

[@saxongreen78]

The Roads Minister (Mr Morris) has my utmost respect - that's what I call a proper motorist.

[@davegoldspink5354]

Looking at this video there’d be a lot of old cars on it that if they were still around today they’d cost heaps even if they were wreckage. Can remember years ago an old Holden HR here in Wollongong had been stretched and actually split in half while simply driving down the road.

[@Open-6]

That’s why they cost so much today. Otherwise they wouldn’t be rare.

[@vk4jrc]

Rust rarely caused crashes.......crappy drivers cause crashes. It’s obvious the NSW roadworthy system did not work well. Not much has changed today.......a slab of grog gets an easy roadie:-)

[@SunRise-ul7ko]

I own 3 collectable 1970's Holden's. They are absolute rubbish compared with a modern car, but they are so easy to repair.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

I owned 3 collectable 1970's Holden's when they weren't so collectable. Anything mechanical was ridiculously cheap and easy to repair. The problem was always rust. Replacement panels were always expensive, if you could find them and structural rust effectively wrote off the car. Yes, they were absolute rubbish compared to modern cars and they were rubbish when put alongside many of their contemporaries of the day. That doesn't stop me having a soft spot in my heart for them, still. Fortunately my head is hard and my wife's head is even harder.

[@fredderf551]

My daily drive is from the 60's. I drive it because I know modern cars are absolute rubbish.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@fredderf551 I guess if you put aside numerous safety features, fuel economy, emissions, creature comforts like demisters, air conditioners, stereos, improved road holding, lower maintenance and so on, yes, modern cars are absolute rubbish.

[@grubmuntedlunchbox1599]

@@davidbrayshaw3529 you’d rather all the electronic sensors and computers? a faulty tps not letting you kick down gears in an auto going uphill unless you turn it off and on again, I’d rather older cars any day, I know the fuel economy and that is better but one little computer related issue and you have to call a towie

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@grubmuntedlunchbox1599 They're still not perfect. That's a fact.

[@TxCoby]

How is the commentator saying statements but simultaenously sounds like hes asking a question. 💀

[@michaele7880]

Amazing how fast those two older cars rusted.

[@railtrolley]

Plenty of box enclosed structural sections in the monocoque body shell. Often, the paint applied did not reach many of these areas, and they rusted from the inside out. Or they were areas like the guards/panels surrouding the wheels. The paint got chipped off by gravel, stones, leaving raw steel to corrode. I'm in a tropical humid climate. Raw uncoated steel will start to surface rust in a few hours after production, if not galvansied or painted straightaway. Repairing rusted out sections of the body shell is the biggest hurdle, when restoring a classic car.

[@barryrudge1576]

In the United Kingdom the problem became so bad in the 1950's that in 1960 they brought out new laws requiring vehicles to have an annual inspection for roadworthiness which included lights, steering, exhaust emissions and rust corrosions of important structural parts of a car and tires require at least 1.5mm of tread depth across the whole width and circumference. It was slowly introduced over a few years starting with cars over ten years then within 5 yr period cars thre years old. It remover all the old unfit cars off the roads very short order. Gradually over the years amendments to these laws have been made tightening them up particularly with emissions. Modern cars with their anti rust preventive measures at time of manufacture have seen corrosion problems gradually die out but there are still those who will run their cars mechanically into the ground with a reluctance to service or repair them.

[@piercehawke8021]

Here in the USA; more and more states are dropping their safety and emissions checks. Michigan, no inspection and that state's noted for cars dying very young from rust. Wash St; surprising enough, cancelled its smog checks state wide; which is weird since that state still has a LOT of 25 YO+ vehicles with intact bodies still on the road.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

In ACT was always that way till 30 years ago , no local garage inspection Govt rego inspection ,

[@peterkirgan6850]

Wish I could buy an old Holden for£50!!!

[@seansingh8862]

The cars in those "bomb yards" would go for around 100 to 500 times those prices today, while CPI has gone up about 20 fold in Australia over the same time frame!

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Yeah but only the British could buy them now.

[@rakeau]

Was thinking the same, there'd be a lot of interest and $$ into saving some of those old cars nowadays.

[@pomarem]

My old fj snapped in half as I was driving over the Auckland harbour bridge way back when

[@grandadneal8114]

Now the bridge is more likely to snap in half

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Mate cut n shut went on till 90's dont feel bad

[@petersargeant1555]

Today's cars don't last long enough to rust, and in NSW, damaged cars are usually condemned, not repaired.

[@petergoodwin2465]

@Jeff Seto I had a vz alloytec , worst car I've ever owned. Was a shocking engine, my old Chrysler i ve had for 25 years has over a million on the clock now . First 318 did 750,000. Used the second one for 220, 000 then built a hot 360 for it .The V8 L's engines are great , wife's one has 300,000 , burns no oil. The alloytec broke down all the time , timing chains ,coil packs sensors and I serviced it every 5,000 . They have no power either, it got to 270,000 and wasn't worth fixing. Ask any mechanics and they'll tell you the same thing .The L's engines are one of the best made but not that alloytec.

[@mincenchez5887]

It’s because back in those days a lot more cars were designed to last forever. If it breaks you can fix it and if you can’t fix it someone with a welder can. These days cars aren’t meant to be fixed but replaced, if a car breaks anything the mechanics job isn’t to take the part out and fix it but to take it out and put a different part in its place. It works sure but once the car starts getting old like 90s cars everyone stops making parts, you can’t fix a plastic part and if no ones making a replacement your screwed

[@jayden793]

@@petergoodwin2465 Barra falcon engine the best Australian engine

[@petergoodwin2465]

@@jayden793 for reliability the 265 Hemi. Can't beat a carburetor.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

@@mincenchez5887 Is that why there is so many 30yr old cars on the road.

[@taketimeout2share]

You get a free six pack of Fosters with each car.

[@MarcoUchello02]

And you get to keep the cans for a later structural repair

[@hodaka1000]

£70 ! I'll take it

[@PP-gy8gg]

Alan is the 'go to' man for Mr Gafney.

[@saxongreen78]

This was a paradise for the Fix-It Man...there are some beautiful old cars in that 'bomb yard' - pre-War beauties, decent 1950s models for cheap...1949 Packard!

[@woodstock69girl55]

Such a shame these cars weren't fixed and saved.

[@kenchristie9214]

In the documentary program Project 69, it was revealed that it would cost car manufacturers $2 per car to rust proof. This would prolong the life of the vehicle and was in direct conflict with their policy of planned obsolescence.

[@catey62]

Plus, having worked at Holdens for 10 years I found that if they could save 70 cents on each vehicle they would.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

Yep, and what a terrible business model it was. The Japanese and Germans came along with Galvanised bodies, better reliability, fuel efficiency and longevity and in the 2008 GFC the big three went to Washington cap in hand to save them from oblivion while the Japanese and the Germans just kept soldiering on unabated. And what have the big 3 learned? Absolutely nothing which is why I will never own one of their offerings ever again.

[@gav240z]

@@davidbrayshaw3529 well said. Although I am not so sure modern Japanese cars are as well made today and they were 20 years ago.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@gav240z Interesting hypothesis. Perhaps the new "Japanese" cars are Korean. There's a thought.

[@gav240z]

@@davidbrayshaw3529 I suspect some of it is due to outsourcing manufacturing to counties outside of Japan. But also modern car complexity makes them harder to work on and maintain. I also think Japan during the bubble era was pumping out super high quality cars where penny pinching wasn't a concern. But as of early 2000s you saw big companies like Toyota suffering a lot of recall issues. It could be that modern ones are still better made, but I just have little interest in owning them because I feel the quality of components in them isn't as good and there's a lot more components.

[@realryder2626]

Can anyone do a historical check on that plate? The 48-215 appears to be in the first batch that ever left the production line.. can anyone shed more light on this car?

[@jamesgovett3225]

Geez l remember me and my mates used to go around to all the pokey used car yards in melbournes suburbs in the north and north east especially bell street coburg to preston as teenagers around 1966 onwards to pickup an old trade in that may need a bit of work cheaply to thrash around the paddocks north of essendon airport, you could pick up an fx, notice that no one ever called them a 48215 it was always called FX when they were like arseholes, everyone had them, it was only the future younger generation that started calling em 48215s the dickheads, can you imagine down the pub one grouse looking shiela says to you, what sort of car do you drive, and as if he would say to her he drives a hotted up 1951 48215 with triple SUs and extractors with a lukey exhaust, the terminology was never used whatsoever it was always FX, anyway l would pickup an fx or fj anywhere from 10 quid to 25 quid going and literally destroy them i.e. roll em over or thrash them till youd blow the donks, root the clutch or gearboxes or snap axles then leave em there and buy another holden or old ford customline and do it all over again the next weekend, man that was fun and if you didnt kill youself as some of us unfortunately did you really learnt to drive and handle a car well before geting your licence

[@dralenvan]

Did you post this comment using speech to text?

[@evanc6110]

Is this real lol

[@jamesgovett3225]

Yeah it’s was real alright, as a young bloke you have to understand that old used cars did not last as long as cars of today, the cars probably had a quarter of the life of today’s cars, back then a Holden totally changed its model after 2 to 3 years even 1 year like an FB to EK or EJ to EH, HD to HR and so on so models were out of date quicker and became obsolete and were cheaper to buy 2nd hand a bit like mobile phones and computers today and don’t forget we had to make our own fun back in the day and there wasnt much around to do but buy old cars and motorbikes and fang around the countryside in it was a different time indeed!

[@aussiemal5295]

The old FJ would be knocked back today on oil leak alone.

[@shoominati23]

That's a perfectly good 57 coupe! STOP!!

[@amraceway]

Close, but it is a 1956 Ford.

[@databanks]

@@amraceway either way, such a shame.

[@piercehawke8021]

@@amraceway And probably a USA or Canadian model: between the two doors snd what appeared to be LHD.

[@djafri84]

@@piercehawke8021 It's in the US since Australia was very strict on forbidding LHD imports back then.

[@saxongreen78]

Yes - US footage...there's no way known that a car like that would be crushed in Australia in 1966!

[@goldwingman1500]

Mechanic wearing a dust coat this is one very old video .

[@johngurney1069]

not only old cars that are dangerous modern cars that have not been cared for just as bad, if you maintain new or old cars they will last , its the car makers that should have been made to rust prove those earlier models not just Holdens that were mainly shown in 1966 most of those cars were less then 10 years old

[@rickmurray442]

Mechanic with a bow tie, you dont see that everyday.

[@fredderf551]

Anyone got a TARDIS ?

[@nealbeard1]

I've got a sonic screwdriver but the battery is flat. I've also got a tin of Fosters in a steel can.

[@LiveInSydney]

“Quite safe”....

[@noelgibson5956]

When looking back from 2020, no car was safe in 1966. Motoring was a dangerous activity back then. You didn't even get a windscreen demister as standard.

[@AaronVanDerLinden]

Haha I wonder when it got changed to shit boxes.

[@mebeasensei]

Yes, but the designers assumed the cabin of the car would be filled with cigarette smoke and the smoke would vaporize the mist. Failing that, the driver could tip his or her tinny of beer onto the affected area.

[@johngoosen1962]

Noel I drive a Defender, the demister at best is useless, it's a 2000 model, a mere 21 years old.

[@johngurney1069]

yes but no distractions like mobile phones, text messages no park assist, no ABS braking we learnt how to drive and park, i would like to put a P plate driver in old car and watch how they would go

[@tally5k339]

You got that right, Noel. People nowadays like to think their classic Holdens and Fords were built better because the panels did not deform anywhere near as much in a crash, but this in effect made the occupants the vehicle's crumple zone. On top of that, we have the leaps and bounds also made in vehicle reliability, emissions reduction, and power output.

[@mjhmech4903]

0:32 Find a 57 2d pillared or pillarless in any condition now for under $50K

[@jessejohnson159]

That is a '56 Ford. I own both '56 and '57 Ford cars and a '57 F-100 to know what they are right off. Other models, not so much. And since it's not a Victoria 2 door HT model, the $50K may be a little high.

[@smkh2890]

The date is given as 1966 , but prices are shown in Pounds [ not Sterling, but Aussie pounds] "On Valentine's Day 1966 woke to a brand-new . decision to from Australian pound (with awkward shillings and pence) to a decimal - Australian dollar - "

[@smkh2890]

The accents are surprising. The manager has an army officer's toff accent, while the mechanic with a bow tie [!] has a more evident Aussie 'twang', The tv interviewer less so, but his is less 'British' than the manager. Even in the UK the Public School toff's accent is less heard, and a middle-class standard has set in. 'Regional' accents are much favoured in UK media.

[@milesellis2847]

Rego stickers are 1965

[@artdecotimes2942]

@@smkh2890 I don't believe the Television operative is from 1966, It sounds like they are speaking as a voiceover.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

14 Feb 1966 , was a kid , found hole punched pound notes , in bins at back of the primary school thought I was rich , lol , True Story

[@ashleyschooneman2998]

Why didn't they save these classics,what a shame

[@OGBootleg]

Because at the time the cars were not considered classics

[@David167projects]

Same reason you don't save today's cars.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Back then people were saying the same when watching a ABC doc about the 1900 cars.

[@CH6P23]

Is that the same Morris minister that was pushing the super car scare in 74 to ban high performance V8’s ? i think so

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

...and people reckon cars were made better in the olden days. LOL

[@t_z1030]

Not to mention the comment near the beginning about cars often being scrapped after only a few years of use. I'll have to remember that next time some boomer has a go at millennials for being wasteful compared to their generation.

[@archygrey9093]

They were made better, but the metals used to make them weren't as good.

[@Gopferteckel]

How often do you see rust in a car made after the mid 80s. ? Metallurgy and galvanic protection doesn’t even come close to those built before the 80s. Nowadays cars are thrown away not because of rust but newer ones are so cheap and repairs are not economical. Just like smart phones , TV’s computers ect . It’s far cheaper to upgrade than repair.

[@justanotherrandomperson1359]

today’s cars don’t last long enough to rust.

[@rosewood1]

Bit biased and inaccurate. Rust never caused dozens of deaths on Australian roads. Bald tyres defective brakes worn out tie rod ends and steering issues were more significant. Speed combined with alcohol consumption and poor driving was a far more significant issue. One of the biggest issues with vehicles of the 40s and 50s however is the maintenance cycle. These cars had very short service intervals and they needed servicing properly. Early hydraulic brake systems worked but they were not split systems so a neglected wheel cylinder could result in complete failure. But if maintained properly they were fine. Many people became mechantics of a sort because they had too...

[@farnthboy]

Shit roads don,t help either

[@railtrolley]

Disc brakes were available as an option on the HD Holden. But not until the HK, was a tandem master brake cylinder? And cross-ply tyres were still the norm!

[@Cheepchipsable]

Well there was between 2500 and 3500 road deaths each year in the 60's. Seems reasonably a few dozen might have been due to rusted vehicles. I think he was using the term generically, like shitbox, to indicate a poorly maintained unsafe vehicle which had been patched up in an unsafe manner.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

First car I ever bought , 1935 V8 Ford , Mechanical brakes , that was pull left then right , , Lucky i'm alive ,

[@beniamino939]

This is a crime against humanity to describe it like this!

[@robertharle6377]

Commentator is Martin Royal from the ABC

[@pattheslut]

He was the ABC's soccer commentator as well.

[@philipstorm97]

"Rust?" "Nothing at all, no" It looked very dirty underneath the car, there must have been rust but it's hard to tell when the video has no colors lol

[@pashko90]

A lot of suspension components on this cars was been with grease plugs and you will need to fill it up with some frequency, of course grease was been pushed away from boots, witch was been covering ball joints and other components. As well as oil leaks... All of it does not make underneath looks pretty.

[@danmartin7823]

Umm, Alan was using the screwdriver to check the frame.

[@Christopher-xn8qk]

2.43 …unplug the battery buy a car cover and hold onto it for 50 yrs and it will worth 250 grand

[@leenevin8451]

What is it

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

Back then we never imagined they would be, just as you don’t think a car now will. They were crap, poor primer and paint and lucky if you got 5 years before the holes started showing.

[@lankaat]

Not much has changed since

[@henribuhagiar9445]

We pay too much for cars in Aus

[@JamesJansson]

I need a 17 pound car.

[@pattheslut]

Like everywhere else.

[@iver3]

No emission test on that day .

[@kradikt666]

Way it should be

[@whatwouldiknow1759]

No wonder Victoria in 1970 had a road toll of 1065! Now it's lucky to get to 300, with a population 3-4 times larger!

[@dazaspc]

That was seat belts that fixed the problem.

[@keithammleter3824]

@@dazaspc Also massive campaigning against drink-driving, making appointing a skipper to stay sober and get you home. And the cars are better - padded dash, collapsible steering columns, and controlled crumpling. My father managed to run his 1939 Chev into a wall. He was only doing about 25 km/hr but had to go to hospital. I had a driver hit my 1990's car head on - both cars doing 60 km/hr. I walked away without a scratch, though the cars were a write-off. When I was a teenager, it was the norm for one's girl friend to sit in the middle snug against you. They all did it, which was rather nice. But In a crash, even at not particularly high speeds, she would die from being smashed against the metal dash and being disemboweled by the gear stick. That can't happen now because bench seats are gone - all cars have bucket seats in front with a centre console. Little kids used to sit in the middle between Dad driving and Mum next to the passenger window. In a crash, same thing happened to the kid as happened to girlfriends. If Dad was driving, mother used to have her baby on her lap. That killed babies and could kill the mother as well, which is why its illegal to do that now. Babies must be strapped into an approved baby carrier.

[@roflman]

Im surprised they had plastic and fibreglass filler in 1966, i thought they would still be using lead solder

[@leoncutajar1369]

Fiberglass was invented in 1932 and I believe bog was also invented about that time.

[@keptinkaos6384]

most cars were full of lead when they left the factory one of my great uncles was a lead wiper at GMH Elizabeth in 1948 to this mid '60s when he went to the engine plant at Woodville till he retired

[@geoffbell166]

They used to use chicken wire and concrete in N*Z back in the day!lol

[@duncanyourmate2433]

I'd dearly like a Bowell Nagari , 2 coupe , 186s , straight six , (that near square Motor kept many Landrovers going ) Rod Hadfield from Castlemaine ViC , sold many conversion plates , flywheel ,

[@barryervin8536]

Reminds me of the 66 Volvo P1800 that I bought that I had to replace the entire floor in and most of the floor reinforcement pieces. I don't know how the Swedes managed to build cars back then that turned to pure rust in a couple of years here in the Northeastern US.

[@sandwichbreath0]

My family had a 1960s Holden EH, in which you used to be able to see the road through the rust holes in the floor -- which we obviously thought was cool as kids in the 1980s, haha.

[@andrewdunbar828]

Anyone can build a car that turns to pure rust in a couple of years. All you need is to make it out of steel and drive it somewhere that uses road salt in winter.

[@callummclachlan4771]

Damn. Such a beautiful looking car too. Funny how the idea of Volvo changed during the 80s and 90s. Became one that could survive the apocalypse.

[@barryervin8536]

@@andrewdunbar828 And not properly corrosion proof it.

[@pablopicaro7649]

They survived in the Sunbelt, but brought some pretty big money for old cars

[@southerndiy1]

They don’t build em like they used to!!! Oh wait

[@bryanbressem5026]

Not any vehicle here in MN that isn't a rust bucket, from the day new, by 5 years, bad rusting

[@danmartin7823]

As someone from IL, give any car 10 years here, and you’ll start seeing some major “natural weight reduction”.

[@davechristian7543]

@@danmartin7823 why is that my child ?>

[@danmartin7823]

@@davechristian7543 We dump an ass load of salt on the roads in winter to melt the ice, which causes rust.

[@railtrolley]

@@danmartin7823 Salt treatment on roads is unknown in Australia. Snow only occurs in mountainous areas with small towns. The population is only substantial numbers during the snow season. I live in a tropical area, and no snow ever. The major rust cause is usually being close to the ocean.

[@TheSchokobony]

20£ wtf😱😍

[@stupidoburrito5915]

So many of those would be worth a fortune

[@anthonymisell8845]

Yes I would love an EH or FJ Holden right not

[@xDiddz]

A car for *20£*

[@lMobiuscidl]

IKR 😂😂😂

[@GameBoy616]

Adjusted for Inflation in todays money thats $550+.

[@tomlantis8016]

I love the rules Australia has for cars. Not all will agree of course. I think this should be used in North America some cars you see on the road here would be punishable by death in Australia hahaha

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

BC did a study on whether to introduce mandatory vehicle inspections for everyone and it was found that so very few accidents were caused by faulty vehicles that it would be an undue cost and the only things that should be inspected if one was introduced it should just be a brake inspection. Basically it would not have been worth the money spent and accident reduction could be done far more effectively in other areas. Vehicles can be written up for inspection on a case by case basis as well as dealers must inspect their used cars before sale and that pretty much did away with anything overly unsafe. I think the money was much better spent on drunk and distracted driving.

[@craigdawson1749]

@@user-xg8yy7yl1d they should have invested in building better & safer roads, but it worked out cheaper to blame driver distraction or B.A.C

[@paulreilly3904]

When a car is 3 years old it must have an annual inspection called an MOT inspection, which is pretty thorough, every year. Here in the UK.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

Thats why the vast majority came from Canada , Commonwealth Country , no Tariff , anything even vaguely different requires engineers certificate , then worth more than the car ,

[@beeqool]

make cars from plastic so they last centuries and bottles from metal so they rust after 20 years

[@relaxingnature2617]

Rust buckets ? ..how ? ..Austrailia gets hardly any rain and it doesnt get real Winter ..so no salted roads ..people in Canada have long known its smart to buy a used car from Arizona because it wont have rust so it's worth buying it and driving it up north

[@mcduffchannel]

Living in places like Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, being on the coastline have higher salt levels in the air from the costal winds. Canberra being in land is popular for its used cars because of their limited rust condition. Similar to your Arizona scenario.

[@Sem5626]

vast majority of people live within a few kilometres of the ocean

[@janeblogs324]

We park on the front lawn. Worse than snow

[@freakyflow]

@@mcduffchannel Southern Ontario Canada we get sand and salt mixes Because if its too cold the salt does not work..Add in the factor of crap falling off the trees into the hood vents and nooks and crannies Turn to mush Then mud...The salt likes to sit in there and rot Mud takes longer to lose water So you will find the bottom of car doors rotted out from plugged weeping holes Trim pieces etc etc If you ever see a Canadian car with black rubberized coatings Its been rust repaired And a junker

[@mcduffchannel]

@@freakyflow I don't doubt for a second the rusting conditions are worse in Canada, I was just addressing OPs comment about how Australians shouldn't get any rust.

[@adamthompson3162]

Get some WD40 in those door hinges!

[@stevesavage4247]

3:12 so strange seeing a car withwith tail lights

[@donniefermor8592]

I'll stick to my old 69 val

[@scoldedcat]

Anyone heard of a phone worthy instead of a road worthy ? Un-Australian, my arse.

[@vk4jrc]

Yep, no sweat in Qld :-). They are submitted direct to Qld Tpt electronically......You drive by the ‘phone worthy’ man and drop off a slab or two and it’s job done.....oh and the cash for the ‘inspection’ fee :-)

[@yarrum3]

4:45

[@jimmyhamm9737]

5:06 NEEDS SOME NEW TIE RODS AND GET HIMSELF A NEW CENTERLINK AS WELL.

[@pogmothoin1342]

And on a real quite night in the outback you can hear the holdens rusting, the use of bread to stuff rust holes was common.

[@victor-oq7dl]

My car sills were stuffed with newspaper and finished of with sand and cement , cheapest way

[@grubmuntedlunchbox1599]

And Fords Only Rust Daily lol

[@avus-kw2f213]

Can I should have to be examine before going up for sale

[@siksicilian2825]

why are the car prices shown in pounds? 1966 was the year Australia changed to dollars.

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

like any big change over it doesn't happen instantly. There was a 2 year grace period to get rid of the old money and get used to the new way.

[@hamemu1]

Although the clip says it was from 1966, you can tell by the rego labels it was made in 1965.

[@shakeAbooty88]

Doh? It was released in '66.

[@yusuf.alajnabi]

1965 is when we went from pounds to dollars but it took a bit of time to filter though

[@montinaladine3264]

stupid question.

[@leopoldonotarianni8663]

I drive an XP today 😂

[@catherineoconnell3213]

Now they want you in SMART CARS! Thanks.....but NO THANKS!

[@gazzafloss]

Bought my first road car in 1966, it was a '52 Austin A40 ute, paid 30 quid for it, weekends it had a "push blade" fitted to the front to spread power station ash on my Mum and Dad's building block at Lake Macquarie. Didn't like Milton Morris, he bought in "P" plates in NSW for all new drivers.

[@m2heavyindustries378]

"Power station ash" on a residential property? Jesus this was the same time as leaded petrol too.

[@gazzafloss]

@@m2heavyindustries378 remember it was 56 years ago, the world was a lot, I mean a big lot different then...

[@festivve]

Are your Mum and Dad still alive?

[@gazzafloss]

@@festivve only in my memory...

[@festivve]

@@gazzafloss Rip :(

[@peterkarakoulakis5031]

I've got 1500 pounds I'll take the lot

[@keithammleter3824]

Sometimes older cars can indeed be better. !970's cars quickly became rust buckets because manufacturers had changed to cheaper paint processes. Ford was the worst. Some 1970's Japanese cars eg Mitsubishi used to chew out the plastic bushes in steering linkages, and in a turn the steering could jam without warning when the link rode up and fouled the chassis. Very nasty. No recalls in those days.

[@qamarpasha2818]

I see pounds on the price tags but today Australia has a dollar .... whats the story ? and that might a gonna b a good one

[@tubester4567]

Australia changed from Pounds to Dollars in 1966. This story was done in 1966, must have been just before the change.

[@fab60s64]

yep thats right and now its so Costly here you need to take a wheel barrow of cash to woollies !! Or if you live in Sydney or Melbourne you will need about 1 Million before you can start looking at buying a house .....

[@peterbond3628]

To make the car sound cheap, the used car industry used £ s d up to 1969 when it was deemed illegal.

[@snozzybosch7503]

Dozens of deaths on Australian toads every year........? Whew...... now it’s phones and facefuck and the inattention that they bring that brings dozens of deaths. Cars nowadays do not rust; unless u park them in the ocean. I’ve seen little to no rust on any vehicle I have owned that has been built since say 1990

[@PaulHayman-tq5kb]

The Old shifty are just to lazey to get the job done properly

[@manfredvonrichthofen4738]

wasn't the rust causing problems more likely the drink.

[@duncanyourmate2433]

bitta both ,

[@rjl110919581]

still on roads today the dangerous modern cars and trucks in 2021