Date:         Sat, 19 Jul 1997 10:23:27 +0100
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Bebb <bebb@EMBETECH.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: Looking for info from up north of TN

>
>I recently test drove a nice looking Syncro from PA.
>The body was beautiful.  But when I raised the deck lid the motor
>compartment was covered with rust and corrosion.   Is this common in
>cars from the north.

Hi,
Here in the UK rust is the big car killer. I'm doing some rust reparation
on my 81 camper right now (well, I would be if I wasn't reading the vanagon
list!).

Here, in general, if the bodywork is good that's a very good sign - but
CHECK IT CAREFULLY, a magnet is often suggested to sort the steel from the
filler, look carefully for signs of a respray etc. If I wanted to sell a
rustbucket I would concentrate on getting a good first impression and
getting the bodywork to look nice. It's possible to quickly get a lovely
looking job with some filler and a couple of spray cans - it only has to
last a couple of months and that's about all this kind of tart-up does
last. But if the bodywork is genuine that's a good sign for the rest of it.

I don't know how bad or wide ranging your rust is, of course. If the
vehicle is 10+ years old you must expect some rust (here). However, if you
think it's been used in a salty zone, think twice about getting it. Also if
it's much younger and rusty, worry.

I guess you're from a relatively rust-free area, so any rust is unlikely to
get much worse and you can clean it up in time, if you like the van and are
prepared to do the work. By the same token, body shops in your area are
unlikely to be used to doing rust repair welding (if necessary) and
anti-rust preparations may be hard to find.

Look at the rust you can see - rub it with your finger. Is it superficial
or deep? (This is only a very rough guide)
Rust is repairable - there's lots of 60's and 70's vans running around
here, on the south coast. But it costs... You need to get someone to look
at the underbody structural metalwork (big safety failure point here),
front footwells, wheel arches.

Don't worry too much about nuts and bolts. Some will be too rusty to shift,
but it's unusual that you can't find some way and the hardware itself is
replaceable. This isn't your main worry - structural corrosion is.

Hope this helps,
--
Malcolm

Malcolm Bebb      bebb@embetech.demon.co.uk    Tel/Fax (44) 01202 772162
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