2021 Land Rover Defender owners, are you unhappy with your SUV’s finish? Heritage Customs will give you corroded parts with real rust.
Based in the Netherlands, designer Niels van Roij co-founded Heritage Customs. While aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, zinc, and gold finishes are available, it was rust that caught our attention.
Through his automotive design studio Niels van Roij Design, Niels focuses on automotive design. He develops hand-built cars that are based on existing chassis.
Land Rover owners, being the trendsetters that they are, will want Heritage’s metal-binding technology. van Roij can spray thin layers of metal onto any surface, which he says will adhere for 20 years.
After application, he can sand, polish, brush, or oxidize the metal to achieve the desired look. Why anyone would apply rust to a set of custom 22-inch wheels is beyond us but to each their own.
Far more in keeping with its heritage, van Roij offers rust-colored brown leather interiors. There are carbon fiber door inlays and dash trim. The dashboard, steering wheel center, and dash grab handles are color-matched.
The intent is to create a bold look, and seeing rusty panels on a new Land Rover would no doubt create controversy. Heritage Customs’ Valiance package for new Defenders includes all of this. With their Vintage program, they can do the same for classic Defenders. Let’s see how many owners of classic Defenders are okay with adding rusty parts.
[Images: Heritage Customs]
That’s true heritage styling right there. I remember a time when you had to wait at least three weeks before your British car started rusting. Now you can have one that way right off the boat, like an old Fiat!
Was it 3 weeks before rusting, or was it 3 weeks before it fell off? :-)
At least this isn’t plasti-metal or fake carbon fiber. I have to say it looks kind of good on the Defender.
You’ll wait longer for this fake rust than you will for the real thing. Is this the automotive equivalent of those fake muddy jeans?
Ford beat him to it. The new F150 has rust all over the underside before it even gets to the dealer.
https://fordauthority.com/2021/03/2021-ford-f-150-owners-are-already-facing-rust-corrosion-issues/
Lame. Name a specific part. You know nothing. You know LESS than nothing. If you even KNEW you know nothing, that would something. But of course you don’t.’
What a brake caliper? Rotor? Axle housing? Exhaust pipe?
Yes some automakers choose not to paint them. I prefer the rust look. It’s just superficial and it looks way better than flaking paint, and it will flake, or get thousands of rock chips, “rusting” at those spots, looking like crap.
Ford has been leaving the same parts “raw iron” for 70 years or more.
And just recently some pencil necks noticed and think it’s news.
More than just axle rust. Heavy corroded rust on spring shackle U-bolts and nuts that would need a full can of WD40 to free up. Looks as though they were parked in a foot of water, which as tens of thousands of F150s were stored for several months at the beginning of 2021 waiting for some part or another (not microchips). You need to do a little googling like I did a month ago before telling other people off.
Thanks for the advice, but I’ll tell you off too. Those aren’t even shackle bolts. You don’t know what you’re looking at.
Even then, you don’t know if they’ll turn just fine despite the surface rust. You’re telling me you’re some kind of expert? On anything?
Yeah OK. The article is as concerned with the axle housing. Dumb is right. It’s just a bunch of mama drama.
You are the type of person to buy a brand new house and have corrosion on all of the water faucets and fittings and just shrug your shoulders like it’s supposed to happen.
Meanwhile, houses that are many years older have zero rust showing.
Ford even recognized the significant rust on the new F150s was an issue as they said they are looking into it. Ford doesn’t do anything to help customers unless it’s truly an issue. So clearly this is an issue.
Do you know what a pacifier is? Ford can’t call it what it really is (in a statement). Mama Drama, horse sh!t, trolling, etc.
Obviously not all rust is bad, as seen in this article, not to mention rat rods, etc.
Ford is making no changes, the nonsense will go away. Like I said, the same parts have gone unpainted for more than the time the F-series has been #1.
Not treating metal for corrosion is a cost cutting measure. Now manufacturers can charge extra for rust while saving money.
I had to pay extra for a “Carbon Edition” and it was essentially a paint delete option on the carbon body.
I like it. It’s like COR-TEN architectural features on a building.
I spent years trying to perfect 1,000 salt spray hours test pass (per ASTM B117) after the hex chrome prohibition; and these boneheads are charging for it. :-/
Yes, yes, very Edgy, will light up Instagram.
(Yawn.)
Wonder how this works on vehicle inspections? Maybe if your car fails for rust, you can claim it’s the intended finish and an artistic expression.
The real laugh is that the Defender is an aluminum vehicle.
No. It’s aluminium.
Shark! Jumped!
Ah, the latest trend. Expect to see fresh flat Coca Cola on sale next. Why bother carbonating the muck if you can sell it without? “But I like flat warm Coke,” many will argue. Well, hey, like pre-rusted panels and pet rocks, here’s a way to coin money for jam.
I remember referring to a sporty VW sports coupe as a Corroda once, which, being in Newfoundland at the time, was probably oddly appropriate. I still remember going to look at a lemon yellow ’76 Dodge Aspen coupe my sister had won in a radio contest and thinking how rusty the leaf springs already were.
I can guarantee the rust on my Chrysler will not last 20 years, so, progress?
OMG this just goes to show that rich people are also just as stupid as everyone else but in this case can be even stupider than the average joe – seriously?! paying more for a rusty look is like paying more for a more experienced escort to maybe have sex with – if the colour is the draw (and i’d be hard pressed to argue that having rust really is!) just get a can of spray paint and DIY or pay a shop to do it for you and keep the rust off!
On a tangent – I’ve a really rusty old car that’s apparently going to appreciate as it rots if this becomes a thing.