Rust

[BOX CHEV]

I'm no expert on rust, so I figure you guys could help me out.

This is an 88 caprice, I been looking for this specific year for so long and finally fount one, car runs great. Interior is pretty clean too. BUT there are some rust spots on the car. Now I'm no expert on rust but it didnt look too bad. There arent any spots where it has eatn complelty through. Looks like just on the surface.














Now how should I go about this problem if I go and buy the car this Monday? If I take to a body shop and and have it primered and get it taking care of will the rust be gone forever lol?? I did some googleing and was reading somthing that said you cant get rid of rust once it has started.


Car has no dents not one,

needs new front bumper, but the guy has a new one already just hasnt put it on yet and will supply me with it.

Has rebuilt transmission with less than 5k miles on it

New A/C, blows cold air

187,000 miles on the car.

just been smogged, use to be a daily driver for the guy till he bought a new saturn

Now I did a blur book and for GREAT condidtion its says $905

He wanted $3500 which is crazy. He hasnt had any serious offers so I got him down to $2500, trying to get him down lower then $2000

I know at the end of the day its my money and my choice but what do you guys think as in price wise and what should I do about the rust spots?


Thanks for any help, I'd really appreciate it

[PeteA216]

It is true that rust will not stay gone if not taken care of properly. If thoroughly sandblasted, and properly primered and painted there is a very good chance that the rust will not resurface as long as you keep it out of the salt, and keep the paint well waxed.

[BOX CHEV]

Thanks for the reply

If I get it this monday It will be primered by the next following week hopefully, and I'm still undecided on what color paint job still, so this summer it will be painted though. So if I get it sandblasted and treated correctly it will be good till later on during the summer till it gets painted? or does the paint even matter.

[silicon212]

This is surface rust, no big deal. It is not of the 'cancer' variety by its appearance.

Check the underside of the car for rust.

As for the car in the pic, sand all of the paint off or have it media blasted, use an etching primer on the bare metal (this is expensive, but necessary if you don't want this to happen again), and paint the car.

[BOX CHEV]

thanks for the help, appreciate it. You guys know any good website to order new triming and weather striping for the car?

[bobss396]

In my neck of the woods, with 187k miles, it looks like a $400 point A to point B car. But that's your decision. I'd advise you to get a mechanic to look it over and under. At $2500 in some states, it has to be a pretty good car and may fall under lemon law coverage, I'm sure you can find out online.

Bob

[silicon212]

I agree with Bob in this - $2500 is still way too much for the car, much less $3500.

With 187k miles on it, unless there are meticulous records on the car, there's no way to know how the car was run. It might be beyond usability without serious work.

Stick your finger inside the tailpipe and rub against the inside of it. Look at your finger. If it looks oily or sooty, there's a good chance the engine is an oil burner.

[BOX CHEV]

Originally Posted by silicon212

I agree with Bob in this - $2500 is still way too much for the car, much less $3500.

With 187k miles on it, unless there are meticulous records on the car, there's no way to know how the car was run. It might be beyond usability without serious work.

Stick your finger inside the tailpipe and rub against the inside of it. Look at your finger. If it looks oily or sooty, there's a good chance the engine is an oil burner.

IT's an older guy, seem to take real good care of the besides the body and interior, he has records of anything and everything done to it. Plus he owns his on trunking company that work on truck and other things so I'm sure he knows what to do and not to do with the car.

Also when he started it up a lil smoke came out the exauhst pipes, is that bad?

I'm guessing it's not cause he just had it smogged that moring I came to look at it.

yeah $2500 is a lil much, I'm trying to get him down to 1800 or maybe lil less.

And In my neck of the woods, caprice are like a high demand I guess, so even the worse looking pretty much worth less caprice are going for high prices. So In my case this is pretty cheap.

[bobss396]

Mine puffs when I start it at 165k, been doing that since 111k when I got it. No doubt that means valve stem seals, which means wear in the valve guides or just tired oil seals. Oil from under the valve covers pools in the back of the engine, leaks down over night into the combustion chamber. Mine goes through a quart in about 800 miles in the summer, 2000 in the winter.

Hate to burst your bubble on the car, but unless you're handy it could cost you some big dollars. I think that the car looks great and if you don't buy it, it will probably just sit there, so see if you can wait the guy out a few weeks.

Bob

[BOX CHEV]

Originally Posted by bobss396

Hate to burst your bubble on the car, but unless you're handy it could cost you some big dollars. I think that the car looks great and if you don't buy it, it will probably just sit there, so see if you can wait the guy out a few weeks.

Bob

I got some money to take care of the car, as in engine, tranny work etc etc. So thats no problem...

[BOX CHEV]

Any other tips, I should look out for when I go take a second take of the car. I didnt really have too much time to check out the car when I first seen it.

I need like a some what check list to go down by. so I can find things to point out and get him to bring the price down.

[PeteA216]

Originally Posted by bobss396

Hate to burst your bubble on the car, but unless you're handy it could cost you some big dollars. I think that the car looks great and if you don't buy it, it will probably just sit there, so see if you can wait the guy out a few weeks.

Bob

Valve seals themselves are very inexpensive, and are decently easy to replace if you have access to the right tools. I can't see it being too outragously expensive, although we all know how over priced mechanics can be.

[mike561]

I would also check for rust in the trunk around where the back speakers are, this is the second caprice ive had and has rust in the same as my other, it always starts out under that long panel at the bottom of the back window. seems pretty common to happen on these cars.

[bobss396]

If you have some money to put into it, it should be a good car and last a long time. My dad had one of those in Florida, he had some problem with it (intake manifold or something related) and he sold it to his mechanic cheap! I didn't find out until it was too late.

Bob