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Is there ever a case where only one would need to be replaced? Sure: rust will kill anything but it does tend to start at a point of entry and spread. It could kill one strut before it dissolves the rest of the car. Likewise, a side or corner impact could bend a single strut. how can I test which one needs replacing if this is the case? Realistically, ...

Regular washing and waxing is your best bet. We kept our cars in one piece through the Rochester, NY winters with nothing more than this. The wax provides a sacrificial protective coating for the painted parts of the body. You can apply wax to your wheels as well. As a bonus, the brake dust will be easier to wash off of a waxed wheel. Then wash, wash, ...

The dealerships I worked at would take it off at the request of the customer. It's simple you're the customer and the salesman isn't going to lose a sale over the sticker. If you have already bought the car or just aren't comfortable asking them to do it you can DIY by following this post.

Wash off the salt whenever possible. Inspect the car regularly (especially in locations where salt and water can get trapped). Repair any noticable damage immediately (damaged paint, damaged undercoating, etc). Set aside some spare funds in the anticipation of such repairs. My experience is that body panels don't rust, it's the strut towers, floor, and ...

It has been my experience that the gas struts are similar to headlights. Occasionally one will fail early, but most of the time the second unit fails shortly after the first. If only one side is replaced it will take the load of the weaker side. This causes it to wear prematurely as it is carrying more than half the load. Also remember that any extra weight ...

The firewall is typically made up of metal with a layer of fire retardant material. There are holes through the firewall for necessary pipes, wires etc from the engine bay to the passenger compartment. With old cars (much older than a Mazda 323) I have seen heavily rusted firewalls, but not seen anything like that recently. It certainly shouldn't be a ...

The main thing I look for when I am picking any service provider is reputation. Usually you can find a provider that is recommended by their customers. For custom car wraps I would look for quality of the designs and the wrap itself. I would also look for durability. As for the application of the wrap, http://roadragedesigns.com/installation.html has ...

Most do, yes - It is free advertising for them. Round here it is usually a sticker in the rear window, but I have seen some dealers put something on the back panel. They also put their details on the licence plate (a legal requirement in the UK for anyone supplying plates) I suspect that if you asked them not to, the sales person would say "Yeah, sure", ...

My first concern would be getting the firewall inspected by a bodyshop. If it is that rusted the vehicle may not be safe to drive. In the event of a serious accident the firewall deflects the engine under the passenger compartment. In my experience most leaks are due to either a leaking windshield or as @Rory Alsop has stated a bad grommet where a cable or ...

I am in USA and not aware of some products mentioned. The basic idea is to use a very mild abrasive and a wax, both in the same product. I use Turtle Wax Chrome Polish. Just rub hard with a rag. The repaired area will match surrounding paint. Any minor scratches in your paint will remain, but all foreign paint will be cleanly removed without the dulling ...

Yes, you can sand back to the primer everywhere, but I wouldn't make that the goal. The goal is to provide a smooth (but not too smooth!), level surface that the new paint can adhere to (and of course that adheres to the metal). In some places, that might require sanding back to the existing primer, or even bare metal if you need to do body work. Be ...

If you have the undercoat layer intact you should be fine, as it should prevent rust - but be very careful when you take it this far back. My recommendation would be to strip it back and then re-coat the primer/undercoat. That way you are protecting against areas where the moisture can get to bare metal. If you are in the UK you may have problems doing this ...