http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/2477603835.html
Is this kind of thing common? Should it be as big of a red flag as I think it is (huge). Any other thoughts on this particular car? Can one of you buy it so I can't?
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July 8, 2011 5:56 a.m. thestig99 Reader
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July 8, 2011 6:26 a.m. EvanB SuperDork
My first Miata had some rust at the top of the a-piller under the weatherstip but nothing like that.
Talk him down to $800 and do this:
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July 8, 2011 7:21 a.m. Keith SuperDork
It's not common, but it's not unknown either. I'd take it as a sign that there is going to be so much crust under the car that you'll never be able to work on it, never mind the structural implicatons.
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July 8, 2011 7:45 a.m. mw HalfDork
The blue car above did have a pillar rust. So have a few other rusty miata I've bought. I would say it's common for very rusty miatas to have a pillar rust. Also, I agree with Keith that everything will be hard to work on. With the above blue car, I think at least half the bolts required to change shocks and springs were either cut out or need a torch. The other half just needed lots of penetrating oil and long breaker bars.
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July 8, 2011 2:00 p.m. Junkyard_Dog Dork
Rust like that is usually from a poorly done windshield replacement and does not necessarilly mean there will be rust elsewhere on the body. Still, check it carefully since it can lead to rust in uncommon areas.
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July 8, 2011 7:09 p.m. 93gsxturbo HalfDork
3rd gen F bodys rust there as well.
I briefly had a 91 Camaro with a 350 TPI that looked cherry pretty from the outside, but if you got underneath or looked close, the car was completely gone. It had a hole in one A pillar big enough to get a pack of cigarettes into and was rotted beyond believe under the ground effects.
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July 8, 2011 7:55 p.m. RexSeven SuperDork
That's one of the reasons Miata buying sucks in the Northeast: all of the garaged/stored cars are overpriced and rust got to the rest. If you decide to buy the car anyway and tackle the A-pillar rust, then this episode of "Wheeler Dealers" can give you an idea of what you are in for:
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July 8, 2011 8:19 p.m. Taiden HalfDork
I actually just tackled typical Subaru A pillar rust.
The entire A pillar was covered in horrible surface rust. Paint peeled right off with a scraper. I wire wheeled, flap sanded, wire brushed, acetoned and bondo'd it. Then I sanded it and shot it with some primer. Looks pretty freaking good if I do say so myself. There were only two places where the rust went through, they were each about 1/8" x 1/2". My goal is to have this car last me 4 years (until end of college), and I feel like I have handled the A Pillar rust enough for me to feel confident in this goal.
