Being smack dab in the middle of the RUST belt I have found it entertaining how rusty a vehicle can get and still be on the road. If only I had pics of some of the fenders I've seen flapping on Michigan's expressways over the years.

The only vague make believe rules for the thread are that the vehicles should be still on the road and driven; no JY vehicles or field rotting vehicles.

I'll start with this truck I saw in L'Anse, MI back in like '04;

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A lot of these F150s around here.

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They all have the cancer over the rear wheel wells

 

Saw this one day on lunch break.

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I have no pictures but many memories of rust since I came from the Chicago suburbs. My dad had a 65 Mercury 4-door hardtop with terminal rust, he put plywood under the carpets to keep his feet from going through and dragging on the ground. Finally had to junk it when the frame rusted so bad that the doors wouldn't close if he parked on a grade.


A buddy of mine had a Plymouth Duster work car (unibody) with flapping fenders and quarters. It's last day was when he went over a rough train crossing and the rear spring mounts broke through the floor and up into the trunk, instant bumper drag!

 

not rusty, but Holey Crap


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Ohio in the winter, you can actually hear things rusting.

 

Just a couple years ago I took these of a farm truck in Escanaba, MI when I pulled in for gas. I could not get any closer than a couple feet to the poor owner as he, .... well.... smelled. He seemed delighted that someone was talking to him. Let's see if anyone can beat the rust on his F-150!


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I used to wonder why guys from rust belt states would come down here and buy up cars people here had written off as unrestorable due to rust.

Then I went to the Centennial in 97 and was stunned by the 2-4 year old cars running around Lansing with fenders flapping, and I realised our unrestorable cars were in pretty damn good shape by comparison.

 

We don't see that kind of rust down here. Not to say we don't have rust. We just don't have road salt.

 

Lol, must have had to get his wife out quick !!

 

Working in my Dad's garage we saw lots of these cars and trucks. The Toyata trucks were the easiest to fix because there were only 4 bolts holding the whole bed on. We just took 'em off and put another on.

The only rusty truck that we did not fix was an early '70's International Harvester. It had no floor boards, cancer in all 4 quarter panels and the bottom of the doors were just eaten away. What it did have was an engine and frame that would not die. We pulled many a stump with that truck.

Since then I have always said that there is not a Chevy, Ford or Dodge truck out there that could compete with an International Harvester. It's a shame that they do not make them any more.

 

This is an El Dorado I saw at the pumpkin festival this weekend.

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Wow,
Looking at the rear bumper & quarters I wouldn't be surprised if that Continental spare tire took a flying lesson very soon!

 

I bought this car in May and drove it home, fully insured. It was on the road, being driven up until just before I got it.

While dismantling, I was able to remove the quarter window and all window regulator fittings through the BOTTOM of the quarter panel without having to force the opening.

Both sides were about the same, fenders were cobbled together and welded to the rockers to hold them in place, trunk pan had more holes than swiss cheese. A lot of what appears to be solid is just thick bondo holding the rusted remnants of steel together.

 

There is no problem in this world that can not be cured with one gallon of bondo!

 

I don't have a picture but I have a 72 Cutlass that I put up on the lift after i got it and the frame is rusted so bad the rear end almost fell out of it onto the floor. This is the car but the bottom looks MUCH worse than the body.

 

Those cars were rust proofed, that's why they held up so well!

 

Any chrysler mini vans or 90's blazers? Those are always the worst out here.

 

It may not look bad at first glance but my 64 Dynamic vert was a rust and bondo bucket. If you look into the front wheel well and under the rocker you'll notice angle iron that wrapped the original completely rotted out frame rails. The rear end was bolted to what was left of the frame with pieces of flat stock drilled out. Floors were gone and patched with rivets and random steel plates. quarters, rockers and doors were full of bondo and bad metal patches. I sold the car in May fully disclosing how bad the frame and underside was for around 3k. This guy polished it painted the underside black and flipped it at Mecum for 3x what I sold it for. I feel terrible for whoever bought that car.

 

Caveat Emptor---If you buy a car at an auction - or anywhere - without at least crawling under it to take a look, you are taking a real big chance.

 

Here's one I spotted on CL yesterday. The first pic looks good. Just wait till you see the underside pics! ~BOB
http://jxn.craigslist.org/cto/4682670182.html

 

Wow! !

 

Not even kidding that's not far off how my frame looked on the 64 vert. really wish I took pics.

 

I love the spring hanging down - rusted through the control arm?

 

This one looks pretty sad. It's on E-Bay right now;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pontiac-Othe...US_Cars_Trucks

 

Wow that Pontiac is probably one of those the owner wouldnt sell. The one who always said "Im gonna restore it" until it rotted so bad its worth less. I have found plenty of good cars that eventually rotted to scrap coz the owner was going to restore it someday.

 

WOW.

That is most worthy of this thread!

 

As kid growing up in NJ, I worked at a Midas muffler shop. An older gentleman came in with an old Rambler Americana. I loaded it up on the lift, swung the arms under the car and saw that it was about 3 washes away from running down the drain. He begged us to try and replace the lifetime warrantied muffler. Attempted to lift the car and 50 lbs of rot fell on the floor and the car started to cave in the center. I told him sorry, he needed a new car around his muffler.

 

I very recently heard the very same stories at the local muffler shop. The guy and his son told me that they lift older cars VERY carefully because of things like these H/C body engine cradle mounts. They are in the front floor/lower cowl area;

This is where the lower pic used to plug in:

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So this guy wants $900 FIRM, without a motor?
Otherwise he's going to scrap it and MAYBE get $300!
What a jerk!

 

And the prize goes to !!!!

 

I love the condition description: Used. "Rare".
Does he mean it is " rare" to see a car rusted this bad?

Actually I believe with a little TLC the right person could save it. New front fenders, doors, quarters, rockers, frame, floorboards, tailgate, roof, exterior trim, wiring, engine, transmission, engine, interior, and a little Turtle Wax should do it

 

I saw this a couple weeks ago at the parts store:

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I saw this truck at the department store. It looks like its eyeballs are hanging out.


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I saw this beauty at a stop light today.

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I haul cars all over the country, I took a 69 Supper Bee from GA. to a small town in NY 50 miles east of Erie PA the rear window and deck lid were rusting so bad they were laying where the trunk floor should be.,, Same trip brought a 74 Challenger from Walton NY to Tampa FL that the front suspension was rusted so bad the engine was resting on my trailer and drivers seat had to be folded forward to clear the trailer while loading, Both of these cars were to be RESTORED at least that what I was told

 

I saw this Ford yesterday. There are very few of these left on MI roads, and if you see one they look like this or worse.

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Hurry , someone needs to save this car lol

 

Okay I think a few co workers are going to kill me as they never got rusty cars tell they helped with my 65

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And they are fixing this car !
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