How much rust is too much?

Rusty 1975 Duster, what would YOU do?

  • Fix all the rust, it's original

    Votes: 51 44.7%

  • Part it and build a solid car instead with the parts

    Votes: 63 55.3%
  • Total voters
    114
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It is scary at first, but practice on scrap, then you get the hang of it. Then freak out about fillers, primer, and paint, lol. Chill out, not that hard. Tools are the main thing. Air 3" disc cutters, a Bosch saber saw, variable, makes life so easy,14" air body file with 36 grit, the scotch paint removers, ( no heat). Basically it is keep heat of the sheet metal. Use the internet, james in BBD is an expert, join there, and search.
Make the patch bigger than the cut out part. then attach the new on(screw, rivet) then cut through both, at the same time. Then enlarge the opening to at least 1/16", the saber does that, and is more gentle to the metal. If not using the 1/16", then grind more space out with the 3" disc, then butt weld, with wet rag.
 
The amount IS massive but think how good you'll be at it when you get the car done:) Since you like working on cars - fix it. Just go into it knowing it is going to be a lot of work, will take a LOT of time and do not get impatient...take every little piece as a project of it's own. And, share your accomplishments right here.
 
SORRY but that is NOT a question anyone here can really answer for you.... THAT is a question ONLY YOU can answer...... some guys would part it out...that guy in Germany is rebuilding a car that was BY FAR and I mean FAR worse than what you have and he is doing it! AND doing a damn fine job of it based on the pics he shares with FABO.... he had A pillar rust like nobody's business...rotten clean thru and when he was done it looked like a brand new A pillar same with the firewall and the rear end....his car was not really a car when he started it was a collection of rust shaped like a car and HE is doing it....hence I cannot place a "worth" on weather it is "WORTH IT OR NOT" only YOU can do that....and obviously this isn't really about monetary value or resale value because if it was, NO ONE would do it..... I believe this is about what YOU want to accomplish....whatever you decide
Good luck
 
I voted part it.
Unless you have a lot of love for the car or memories, find another car to fix that isn't rotten and transfer the good stuff on to it.
Rust is one thing, rotten is another.
Be honest with yourself about your skills, money, and patience!
Let us know what you decide.
Tom.
 
green1 said:
You have a habit of getting in the way of (people not as smart as you think you are), working on their own cars.
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ummm....what? I think there's an insult there somewhere, but the statement makes no sense.
 
Well guys, thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's exactly what I wanted to see. I was leaning toward parting it out and building another car.

I'm not ending the poll, but the solution has abruptly presented itself. I won a much more solid A-body from ePay, so the 1975 Duster will be sold complete to a new loving owner.

Meanwhile I have to start looking under seats and beds for spare change to pay for the new car, arrange shipping etc etc.
 
Not that it matters anymore, but rust is always worse than what it appears. How many times has a pin hole in the spare tire well ended up in a complete tire well or trunk floor replacement??
 
inkjunkie said:
Not that it matters anymore, but rust is always worse than what it appears. How many times has a pin hole in the spare tire well ended up in a complete tire well or trunk floor replacement??
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Amen.
Rust never sleeps.
Good call on the op's part buying another car and passing his on.
It will probably get parted by him though.....
 
if it was a 340 car, even a 73 340, i wouls say fix it, but iit is a no frills parts car. look for something much more solid
 
Well this is what I got as a replacement:

1973 Dart Sport, V8, FE5 Bright Red w/ white/black interior. I know next to nothing about it but no vinyl top and its from a dry climate. Just the color combo I wanted.
 

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Wise choice on the replacement. Again as others have said, the car could be fixable. If you have a welder and alot of the tools already the fine. You would have had almost $3K into AMD patch panels alone, for car thats worth ???? The Dart looks like a much better start!
 
The problem with rust is there is only one good way to fix it. Someone mentioned rivets and bondo, yada yada - don't waste your time. New metal welded in, properly sealed and painted is the ONLY way it will not return quickly. Depending on where it's at around windows, cowl, etc, a complete strip down and rotisserie approach along with the aforementioned proper welding, sealing and painting is the only way rust repair ends up not being a waste of time. Considering the car's restored value, in most cases it is also going to be a waste of money.
 
Didn't vote. Like others said. It is dependent on your money and/or your skills and tools. I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of it as one piece, not part it out, because someone may want to save it.
 
I would save it.Despite the hard work it would be one less old mopar going to the crusher.
 
Or you could make a trip out west and start with a car that has (supposedly) little rust.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/2095902942.html

$600
i recently bought a 1975 duster for a project car
it had a 225/904 set up
there is no rust
4x4 1/2 bolt pattern
disc brakes
power stering
i just dont want it to sit there till i get around to it, and i need the money for some bills so my loss your gain
its a verry good project, everything is there
no rust
straight body

call text or email any time

need to sell asap

thanks for looking chris

its a good mopar starter project

360-219-3427

Location: chehalis
 
Phantomcobra said:
Didn't vote. Like others said. It is dependent on your money and/or your skills and tools. I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of it as one piece, not part it out, because someone may want to save it.
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X2 ...... In fact, I have fixed worse that was worth less. But, I also have the tools (MIG, brake, bead roller, plasma cutter, etc.) and some experience. But, that experience didn't come from giving up. Just remember, every Mopar that is parted and or scrapped is one less for us, our friends, and future generations.
 
stroked 340 said:
Any rust is too much...
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If you live in a dry state or have big bucks. The rest of us have to learn to deal with it. There is not an infinite supply of cars that are 30 plus years old. Here in PA, in my local area, I seldom see anything on the road older than the late 80's. Wish I would have saved some of the A-bodies I parted back in the early 90's that were about the same shape as this one.
 
Well, it's not that this car has more rust than expected or that I could deal with provided I had the tools, but some of the rust it has is in hard to deal with areas.

I forgot to mention this car came from the Gulf Coast, so i suppose that's what did the number on it, poor thing.

What I can see of the cowl is bad enough but I don't know what's lurking under that. Then, to repair the top the right way it needs a skin.

This is simply a car that *almost* is worth repairing, but it's too mundane and the wrong color to expend the effort, in my opinion. It's a classic the sum of the parts is worth more than the whole car, deal.

I think it will be sold whole..I've priced it fairly and have had some bites already...we'll see.
 
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