Rust- How much of a concern?

[el_loco]

I am considering purchasing an 86 T4R 22re, 5spd w/215,000 miles. The body is pretty straight but does need some work and the paint could use a good buff and wax. The issues:

-Crunch in rear quarter panel and some dings over that flare that have a bit of rust.

-Paint burned of roof over driver/passenger area about 1 square foot and is white beneath

-Front passenger side fender has about a 2 1/2 inch long, 1 inch wide paint chip, like a small corn chip of the paint got dinged out of it and beneath the metal is rust. That fender also has a white splatter on it I take to be primer showing through.

-the Hardtop needs to be painted

-the wheels have some rust/corrosion.

So if I buy this rig and have some paint and bodywork done, is the history of damage and rust going to come back and haunt me? The owners son actually does high end restorations and refurbs and I think if I gave him my business he'd do the work for a very fair price. What do you guys think?

 

[el_loco]

pics of the damage

Here are some photos I took of the damage. The large dent on the rear panel looks minor in the photo but it is fairly big and you can see how it's affecting the black mud shield (or whatever that is) and the wheel flare. Then some pics of the fender, roof and the hardtop where the holes were filled. It's like that at each corner.

 

[Iroke17]

haha thats not rust! lol thats easy to fix stuff not an issue at all.

 

[Dylan]

I would bet if you took off that black plastic piece in the second picture then you would find some more rust. Moisture tends to get trapped behind those moldings.

 

[el_loco]

Ha ha! Thanks, that's what I was hoping for. But corrosion is corrosion, and can sometimes indicate a deeper issue. Plus the idea of paying for rust bothers me :biggrin2:

 

[BucknutBob]

I tend to agree with Iroke--that looks pretty mild, and should fix easily. The bigger question is what does it look like underneath, where the expensive parts hide? Are the frame and suspension in good shape--those are a lot more important than some rusty quarter panels.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Taking Chrome & Unnecessary Moldings Off

I would bet if you took off that black plastic piece in the second picture then you would find some more rust. Moisture tends to get trapped behind those moldings.

Yup, that's why I wanna remove all the unnecessary trim/moldings from mine ASAP- before I start using her for my ocean kayaks- Especially the chrome that make her look like a Cadillac . Also considering removing trim around the windshield (rust starting there already) and looking for more functional alternative - maybe just leave it bare around the glass, except for good silicone sealant.

 

[Dylan]

Yup, that's why I wanna remove all the unnecessary trim/moldings from mine ASAP- before I start using her for my ocean kayaks- Especially the chrome that make her look like a Cadillac . Also considering removing trim around the windshield (rust starting there already) and looking for more functional alternative - maybe just leave it bare around the glass, except for good silicone sealant.

I didn't (still don't, knock on wood) have rust around my windows. But pretty much anything extra I removed...running boards, wheel well trim, rear bumper, mud flaps. They all had rust hiding behind them to some degree. No place to hide now...although I do intend to reinstall mud flaps and sliders at some point