What is the rustiest vehicle you have owned?

[andyd]

A '66 bug I had in the 80s where I used baling wire to suspend the driver's seat between the tunnel and the door sill. Or my first 4wd a '60s era Willys Overland wagon that I revived with oak framing and 1/4 AC plywood panels.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by gfh77665
74 Ford Maverick. So rusted you could see the pavement go by under the floorboard in many spots. Had to be careful about dropping any small items through the holes.

Too many joy rides through the salt water at the beach.


My Dad had one of those as well.
Miserable.

 

[MCompact]

My 318ti is still rust free, but in 23 years and 146k miles it's never been a DD.

 

[oilpsi2high]

89 Cavalier Z24. It had rocker moldings that trapped dirt/salt.

 

[tcp71]

88 E250 club wagon. Took out the rear bench and had some carpet rolled out in the back. it was fine until I was unloading something and my leg went through the floor. Cut it up and had to get a tetanus shot. I ended up putting plywood between the carpet and the floor for another year or two until I sold it. Not this one, mine was rustier.

 

[Onetor]

Good for you! Should last you a very long time.

 

[Linctex]

You guys don't know what a rusty car is until you see the "held-together-with-spray-foam-and-chicken-wire" cars on Guam called "Guam Bombs"

 

[eljefino]

Many contenders, but could be this one. Have had lots with bad rockers and a few with bad floorboards, but this was my rustiest street legal car and the only one with problems in both areas.

If we're counting other junk, my plow truck has a lot of holes in the cab, yet a strong frame.

 

[Kestas]

My 72 Ford LTD. It reached a point where the sheet metal started buckling when I would jack the car up. It wasn't safe working under the car anymore. We called the salvage yard to tow it away.

 

[E365]

I saw this W220 Mercedes S600 not long ago and was amazed at how rusted-out it was. Paint was really nice, but pretty much every panel was rusted-out at the bottom.

Surprised that a $100,000+ car made around 2000 would have such poor corrosion protection.

Although the original Mercedes Sprinters and W210 are among the rustiest cars I've seen that made in the last 20 years.

 

[Aichiguy]

I had a Chevy LUV that required me to slide the floor mat all the way to the left on a rainy day to prevent getting wet from tire spray.

 

[Nick1994]

Took this picture earlier too and forgot to post it. It's of the bottom of the 1970 VW Beetle with who knows how many miles on it (5 digit odometer just says 28k). The picture is of the drivers side floor pan, which is immaculate. The passenger side was actually replaced at one time, very common as the batteries were under the back seat and used to leak acid and eat them. Rest of the car has 0 rust after 48+ years.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Underneath, 98 cavalier.

 

[Kurtatron]

I have lived in California most of my life, so I never knew what a rusty car was until I moved to the Midwest. I brought my rust free 1991 Previa out here with all my belongings stuffed into it. Ever since then I have been battling rust, whether through salt, humidity, or rain. it's immensely more difficult than the arid dry conditions of the west. For comparison, here's the underside of my Previa, the clean one. And here's a 1995 Previa I visited in a junkyard 2 months ago. Mine has 200k, that one had 300k on the odometer. I think these things can run forever if rust doesn't kill them.

 

[Cujet]

Frozen Newspapers make a great way to cover floor holes in a 67 mustang.

Yup, it was that bad!

 

[StevieC]

Never had one, been using Krown since I had my license and sent all the cars to the scrap-yard with 0 rust.

 

[jongies3]

The frame rotted out in my 04 Tacoma, I bought it used and it was originally owned in New Hampshire. Toyota replaced my frame though a couple years ago so it's all good now.

I test drove a 1979 Chevy half ton 4x4 manual years ago that had low miles and a straight body. But on the drive I went to put the clutch in and ended up punching a hole in the floor it was rotted so thin. I passed on that one! The owner wasn't happy but it wasn't really my fault either.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by ZZman
Being in the rust belt has it problems. One being rust on vehicles. Currently my worst vehicle is my current 2003 Grand Marquis. It has bad rust over the fenders and behind the front wheel wells. A close second was my Chevette that had a rusted out driver's floorboard. I found this out when I drove thru a deep puddle as high speed and a wave of water hit me in the face!


When friends and relatives start complaining about my rusted vehicles in their driveways - that leave rust all over their driveway cement when I close the driver's side door..... or when I must seat myself lightly behind the wheel, for fear of the floor below me collapsing, then it's time for a new vehicle.

I am first & last owner of my vehicles BTW. They usually go to the junkyard in driveable condition - with a clear dipstick and a smooth-running engine. I am living proof a vehicle only needs basic filters and contain oil that's been blended with 2-3 different manufacturers and weights..... and still run great at/near 300K ...... not burn oil excessively, nor smoke..... nor have the valve covers removed in the 17-18 years that I owned the vehicle.

 

[Anduril]

My XTerra has some surface rust on the frame, and the roof had some rust creeping out from under the roof rack where it had been leaking (didn't notice when I bought it because you just don't check for rust in CA...). I've fixed the rust and the leak and now keep the vehicle under a carport so I don't expect it to ever return.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted by E365
I saw this W220 Mercedes S600 not long ago and was amazed at how rusted-out it was. Paint was really nice, but pretty much every panel was rusted-out at the bottom.

Surprised that a $100,000+ car made around 2000 would have such poor corrosion protection.

Although the original Mercedes Sprinters and W210 are among the rustiest cars I've seen that made in the last 20 years.



Probably parked in a heated garage.