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That's a loaded question... Posted by Larry West [Email]  (#1140)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Larry West) on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:57:25
In Reply to: Rust: How do you know when it's time to retire vehicle?, Kevind, Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:32:02 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Rust, in any amount, **by itself**, is not necessarily a reason to retire a car. Many other factors and issues come in to play.
Just go to any humongous bookstore & browse for "Practical Classics" a British magazine about restoring old cars. Some of the things their staff & readers bring back from the dead would have long been made into tuna cans over here.
Some of the factors that will affect your decision include:
Money: There's no getting around it, it will cost you to restore a car. Whether it is NOS body parts, kits from vendors, labor, paint, undercoating, whatever, it won't be cheap. Body work costs so much because it is a labor intensive job. You can mitigate a lot of that cost by doing the work you can yourself.
Space: To restore the car you need a place for it. Major work will require removing parts, storing them, etc. Protecting your car is important.
Work environment: A garage is best, the larger the better, but can you tie it up with your disassembled car?
Time (part 1): Do you have the time to do it? I've seen phenomenal work done with "just an hour a night", but that involves a garage, and a car that doesn't move throughout the process.
Time (part 2): Can you tie up the CAR for that long? If this is your only car, you'll need to find something else while you work on it. Major rust remediation isn't a weekend job. It'll take many, many hours of careful work. Sure, you can slap on something quick and dirty, but you'll only be back doing it again!
It's all a balance. What I won't or can't do, someone else will look at and have it done in a month.
I had a 1990 900 that had bad rust about the right lower control arm, the driver door, and the right front fender. I do not have the facilities to work on that kind of thing myself, so the decision was made to sell it to a friend cheaply, and the friend harvested the transmission for one of his cars. Of course, with 20-20 hindsight, I should have just fixed it, because it would have been a lot cheaper than what happened next, but those are the breaks.
Just be very aware that any rust you see is like the tip of the iceberg. Tiny little rust spots can grow to the size of a quarter or bigger, once you get in and start working on them with the grinder.
Check your local Vo-Tech high schools. Often they will have an evening auto body class you can attend cheaply. This gives you space to work, the proper tools, and help from the instructor and other students. I did that about 10 years ago with a 99. I sanded it down, replaced a rotted panel (with some help), applied filler, and generally prepped it for paint. Bought the paint, then the instructor shot it in the booth one night. This works best with a car that's mobile, but even bolting a bare body to a cheap trailer is "mobile"...
I'm sure that, if you want to, you can keep that SPG on the road for many years to come.
_______________________________________ Current: 2002 9-5 Aero Kombi Cosmic Blue 2000 9-5 SE sedan, Imola Red 1990 900S Rose Quartz, Auto Past: 1999 9-5 LPT Combi 1999 9-5 LPT sedan 2002 9-5 Arc 1990 900 5-speed 1986 900 turbo Convertible 1991 9000 turbo 1980 99 GLi 1986 900 turbo 1986 900 S 1991 900 turbo 1984 900 turbo 1976 99 GL
, Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:57:25 <-- Viewing This Message
, Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:22:45
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