At what point do you call a car "rusty" or mention rust?

[Project TNX]

The recent feedback thread got me thinking. In the rare event (hopefully rare) that I would have to sell my car I would call it rust free. Does that mean there is no rust? That is where we get on the slippery slope..... There was not one single rust hole on the body, there was only 3 door dings, none on the trunk, and the usual light bottom door issue (I would mention that and take pics). The underside has no holes, but your usual oranging surface rust, no weak spots, no soft spots, no wore out body bushing holes that I could see. The infamous drivers quarter is spotless. I'm going to eventually coat the frame and undercarriage with POR-15 but not until I decide if I am putting a GNX repro rear in it, until then it will have a coat of Krylon on it just so it has a uniform color. The gas tank was rusted like crazy though. So would that be what you consider rust free?

I know I would rather buy a moderately priced car with bad original paint than with a MAACO paintjob on it so I can see what I am up against. My first TR resto was a car with what I would call rot, not rust, I should have never bought it but I was young and naive, life lesson learned. I'm currently looking for a 79-83 Toyota 4x4 pickup, now you want to talk about rust....that car is rust personified.

Here's some pics of my car to illustrate what I would consider rust free.

New tank installed, you can see where I stopped the Krylon on the rear until I take my wheels off. I just wanted to hit the area above the tank

Front clip before paint:

Front clip after paint:

The day I picked up, a true barnyard find, you can see my old 86 in the background.

Sealed and primed, about 4 table spoons of bondo on the whole car, mainly to fill trunk spoiler holes and the 3 minute door dings.

The best shots of the undercarriage I have:

I would consider it rust free, as in it was always rust free, but I would post so many damned pics and details it would make your head spin. But you never know what someone else with think. What do you think?

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

I would have to say that all of these cars have some surface rust on the frame, but its really nothing to worry about if its cleaned and painted, probably good for 50 years. Thats your typical rust

Some cars from the upper north, the seams start splitting apart in the trunk area and you realize its rot inside there, but you cant really see it, under side of them also tend to do the same, you know its there, and EVENTUALLY its going to be a real problem.

Personally, when i purchased my silver limited about 9 years ago, someone drove on a gravel road and the paint is missing inside the door jamb, all the way down at the bottom where the rocker meets the 1/4 panel. Its bare metal, and it has a haze of rust on it, but its never been a issue, and ive been too busy to take car of it, i assume if this silver car had rust "issues" then it would have gotten alot worse in the past 10 years,... It hasnt, and i think 10 years from now it will look the same.

Anyway, i think there is many stages of rust on these cars, and id say it was rust free if there there was no body repair done to fix it in the past, and or no repair needed in the distant future.
BW

 

[salvageV6]

A good rule of thumb to use, is, when the water runs out of the car not into it.

Then it's rusty. :biggrin:

 

[Grumpy]

ok now MOST guys in here know what rusts looks like and what ROT looks like :biggrin: This is why they invented the digital camera. I have sold both types of cars .. really nice and what I call the New England special Fred Flinstone floors My idea of nice and others idea of nice can be the difference of night and day . Some cut rust out of a rusty critter and say it's a rust free car Then ya get into can I see where you pieced it all back together .. Again a camera doesn't lie :biggrin: I allways take 60/100 pics of cars I am selling .. I hate surprises . Oh I will not buy a car site unseen .. I will waste the few hundred $$ to fly out and look at it before I plunk down the cash .. I remember goin threw this years ago buying Shelby Mustangs.. Get out there and open the trunk and see the ground Seller says "hey it's a 10 year old New England car (ya it was years ago)

 

[Project TNX]

Is a car that had rust, but was fixed right a rust free car? I wouldn't use the term "rust free" on a car that had extensive body work, done right or done wrong, but I could see someone doing it if they disclosed the repair.

Having "restored" 2, I can tell you that I will never buy another car with any rust issues past surface rust, at least not until I get some better metal working tools, that is for sure. And I know I would never buy a T-top car that wasn't garaged or the owner wasn't willing to remove some trim for me to take a look, lol.

I may be going to look at a 1982 Toyota 4x4 pickup tonight, should be interesting. The first question I am asking is "how rusty is it?" not whether or not it has rust, it's a foregone conclusion. I found a place that makes repro fiberglass beds or I wouldn't even be interested in it, but the cab and frame have to be good. I figure if they are good I should be able to put a drivers resto on it for less than $5,000 total, but who knows.

I think I have a sickness, I'm glutten for punishment, that and I'm stuck in the 80's. But I always had a sweet spot for those Toyota's and they make a nice simplistic beater, lord knows there isn't much to them. I'm also ordering the power steering/hydroboost hose I need and hope to have this damn TR running by the end of next week.