How bad is it to buy a car with rust?

[maystar]

I know that you need patience to find the right 2002 to buy, but I was thinking in the meantime, i might buy this other car by my house....(lack of patience!) As usual, they want way too much for it ($3,500), although I noticed they took the price off of it, so maybe they would be willing to sell it for less...

Anyway, I happened to come across pictures of it online, and I was wondering what you guys think of the body damage/rust/whatever it is?

Is it a bad idea to buy a car in this condition?

picture:

(mainly concerned about that grey blob on the back...it looks like water damage, maybe rust? i'm really not sure....)

(On another note, if anyone has a 1968-1970 (hopefully automatic) 2002 w/black interior that they want to sell, let me know!!!!)

Thanks in advance for your help

[c.d.iesel]

give more details of the rust - with photos -

sounds like a $500 car from here - blind.

your link is of a COMET ?

[Mike Self]

as the Comet is basically a tarted up Ford Falcon, and an '02 isn't!

Seriously tho--what rust? From a midwestern standpoint, with some cleaning it looks ready to take to a car show! The grey primer blob on the trunk lid looks like someone's misguided effort to french in the trunk lock with bondo.

But if you really want a 2002 for its performance and handling, a 61 Comet won't make you happy--altho it's a fairly rare car.

There are plenty of 2002s in California...and most are (by the rest of the country's standards) unrusted. Just be patient. It took me three years to find the '02 I wanted, and that was in 1975!

mike

[andrewro]

Your cats are awesome! I'm a sucker for cats.

[FutureMan]

wooo that is one ugly car lol

just wait and spend your cash on what you really want, the kind of money it takes to fix up an antique car is better spent on something you know you want more than an impulse buy.

[punchesdfw]

:yikes:

[andrewro]

If those aren't your cats, then they are still awesome and cute.

Do what you want, it sounds like a little bit too much money, but if the rust isn't too bad and you like it, then why not cruise it around for a while? I bought a 1965 Plymouth Valiant sedan for $300 plus $300 worth of "free labor" in the owner's vintage shop. Drove it for a year and then sold it back to her for $500. It had some issues, holes in the floor, leaky brakes and transmission that always had to be topped off, but it was a cool pimpin' cruzer and served me well until I got the '02. In the end going from driving the 911 every day to driving the valiant 80% of the time was just too much of a change. I wanted brakes and handling and shoulder belts! It was nice, though, to have a genuine beater - half turquoise and half rust-colored, a dent in every panel. Liberating!

[maystar]

yeah, i thought it might be nice to drive an old beat up car that i don't care about ...

but then i guess i do worry that i won't be able to sell the thing ...

hmmmmmm......

There's an 02 I'm looking at across the country that might be 80% right.... maybe that would be a better idea....If they will consider selling to a non-local craig'slister ....

oh i wish i just had a car NOW!

there is the most beautiful 02 in my neighborhood and I have to stare at it every day.....!! i wish it was for sale!