Lahti35 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Seems lately while cruising craigslist i'm finding alot of vehicles with phrases like "solid, no rust" even if the car has paint peeling or gone and is covered with rust on exposed metal. Seems that these days "rust" has actually replaced "rot" when describing lack of metal due to reaction with moisture over time. No rot = no rust?Anybody noticing the replacement of non seller-friendly words with nice cutesy its-not-really-that-bad-c'mon-and-buy-it type language.Maybe i'm just an old hardcore lived-in-the-rust-belt-my-whole-life-and-i'll-show-you-rust kinda guy but rust is rust no matter if the panel is covered with it or totally eaten away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Seems lately while cruising craigslist i'm finding alot of vehicles with phrases like "solid, no rust" even if the car has paint peeling or gone and is covered with rust on exposed metal. Seems that these days "rust" has actually replaced "rot" when describing lack of metal due to reaction with moisture over time. No rot = no rust?Anybody noticing the replacement of non seller-friendly words with nice cutesy its-not-really-that-bad-c'mon-and-buy-it type language.Maybe i'm just an old hardcore lived-in-the-rust-belt-my-whole-life-and-i'll-show-you-rust kinda guy but rust is rust no matter if the panel is covered with it or totally eaten away!A gimmick is still a gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Personally, when I say "rust", I mean "rot", so I'm ok with that part of it. The problem I have is that "no rust" (or "no rot" if you prefer), seems to mean "no rust visible at the moment". I don't know how many cars I've looked at that were claimed to be "no rust" that had filler, bubbles, and outright holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 The "no rust" thing is ridiculous. It's one of the first questions EVERY buyer gives me and every time I have to hedge my answer because I don't know what the right answer is. Does rust on the cast iron rear end count as rust to this buyer? Does some surface scale on floors count as rust? What about rust on fasteners? What about rusty exhaust components? What about rust on the inside of wheels? What about surface scale on the inside of the trunk under the mat where condensation is trapped? When I think of "rust" I think of holes in the floors and rotted body mounts, not crusty shock absorber housings.Most of this issue comes from litigation-happy buyers, who often have unreasonable expectations. Saying, "No rust," is poison. I never say it, I never tell anyone that a car is rust-free, I never even hint that it's perfect. ALL old cars will have some metal part with rust on it, and the minute I say "no rust" some jackhole is going to call me on it and act like I lied to him and caused the end of civilization.Professionally and as a hobbyist, surface rust is a non-issue. You know this, I know this, but a lot of morons don't understand the difference. Rot is what matters and what is hard to repair. There are so many idiot buyers out there who consider a rusty tailpipe to be a critical flaw on a car that I can't even risk mentioning a car is rust free lest they unleash their stupid all over me. Old cars are going to have rust somewhere, I guarantee it. If you look hard enough you'll find it. I can't promise it's not there, because it will be. What does "no rust" mean to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K8096 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 To me no rust means no rust through. Surface rust doesn't bother me much. Just about any original car is going to have some surface rust underneath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cben09 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I think it says more of the credibility of theseller and/or sales person,,Cheers,,Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capngrog Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 To me no rust means no rust through. Surface rust doesn't bother me much. Just about any original car is going to have some surface rust underneath.That's the way I see it also. As pointed out in previous posts ALL collector cars will have rust ... even showroom new cars have rust of some kind! I usually ask specific questions about specific parts, e.g., floors, rockers, cowls etc.Of course the English language is being "softened" in many ways. Have you noticed how the word "problem" has been replaced with the word "issue"? We don't have "problems" any more, we have "issues". I guess that the word "problem" is just too judgmental for the kinder, gentler generation. Sometimes this P.C. (Political Correctness) stuff makes me gag.Uh oh, this isn't a political thread, so I'll stop this emerging rant right now.No problem, mon,Grog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 The "no rust" thing is ridiculous. It's one of the first questions EVERY buyer gives me and every time I have to hedge my answer because I don't know what the right answer is. Does rust on the cast iron rear end count as rust to this buyer? Does some surface scale on floors count as rust? What about rust on fasteners? What about rusty exhaust components? What about rust on the inside of wheels? What about surface scale on the inside of the trunk under the mat where condensation is trapped? When I think of "rust" I think of holes in the floors and rotted body mounts, not crusty shock absorber housings.Most of this issue comes from litigation-happy buyers, who often have unreasonable expectations. Saying, "No rust," is poison. I never say it, I never tell anyone that a car is rust-free, I never even hint that it's perfect. ALL old cars will have some metal part with rust on it, and the minute I say "no rust" some jackhole is going to call me on it and act like I lied to him and caused the end of civilization.Professionally and as a hobbyist, surface rust is a non-issue. You know this, I know this, but a lot of morons don't understand the difference. Rot is what matters and what is hard to repair. There are so many idiot buyers out there who consider a rusty tailpipe to be a critical flaw on a car that I can't even risk mentioning a car is rust free lest they unleash their stupid all over me. Old cars are going to have rust somewhere, I guarantee it. If you look hard enough you'll find it. I can't promise it's not there, because it will be. What does "no rust" mean to you? I think that not only do people have their own ideas of what rust is, but also where you live. For example for a lot of us that live or lived at one time in California a no rust statement means NO rust at all. That is almost impossible as some rust starts on a cars components especially some steering/suspension components that were never painted even when the car was new and before the car was assembled. I don't think you should have a problem with your answer when a real car person is concerned, but with a novice I think a little education without offending is the only way anyone can be honest about a cars condition. What might be handy is some pictures of cars on the assembly line where surface rust has already started. I don't think there is a new production car that does not have some form of rust somewhere in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I've lived in CA. I think to most car people (as opposed to laymen), "no rust" means "no sheet metal rust through". Surface rust can be removed. Rust on suspension components and frame rails is to be expected. Anything that can be sandblasted or sanded off is not a concern. Holes that require patch panels ARE a concern. THIS is what we call "rust" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I'm with Matt on this. Rust is iron oxide and you don't have to look to hard to find it, even in California. "Rot" or "rust through" to me describes heavy, long-term oxidation, usually in the presence of salt and is perforation. To waffle when describing rot or rust through is misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cben09 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Just for a smile,,,I bought a m/cycle from a junk yard in Albuquerque,NmIt had been leaning against a chain link fence for 10 years +There was NO rust,,not a molecule,,,,BUT there was sand,,oh my,,,,there was sand in the cylender that had the valve openin the wheel bearings,in the frame tubesin the oil tankthe paint was lightly polished,[fired enamel,,by Pyrene!]And finally,,,,,sand IN and around the generator windings !!Later on it was my daily driver,,Series D Vincent ShadowAnyone on here remember the house on Louisianna bvdwith all the bikes out front ,spring of 1963 I thinkThe local kids borrowed tools to hop up their bikesHp restriction on 13yo drivers on permit,,Ever see a Bonneville with a Tiger cub gas tank,,,,mmmm !Did any one chase Al Simonsons bike collection???Warehouse full,,,,reallyCheers,,Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now