2G Is this rust repairable before I purchase this car?

[Spilner]

Going to look at a 1995 Eagle Talon TSI tomorrow to purchase for 6500$. This will be my first DSM and my long awaited project car. I am looking to restore this car back into its glory. Car looks good but concerned with some rust spots. I am incredibly competent with vehicles but have little knowledge regarding body work. I do plan on investing money over time but before I purchase, I was hoping to get some advice from you fine people. I spoke with owner who is a really nice guy and is probably on this forum and everything seems good. I do have concerns with some rust on the strut towers and was wondering if I can make this work. I plan on making the engine bay as clean as brand new. Pulling engine and subframes; sandblasting frames and painting.

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[92AWDHX40]

It's common do you want to dig into the rust depending on your skill ls and budget anything is possible.

 

[Spilner]

I have the determination to fix that; as long as you gentleman are saying it is possible to make look new again. Once engine is out and I can begin bodywork and fix it; say its so bad i have to add filler, and i hit a pothole and crack the strut tower brace; it will all be for nothing. I can see its been repaired once before and that section looks like surface rust; but on the drivers' side under that power steering hose; Im worried there will be a hole. Just wanted your guys opinion before i spend 6.5k on it.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

Strut towers are rotted all the way out from underneath, with strut tower rust to that extent I’m sure there’s more hidden in the rockers and underneath you can’t see yet, this would be a hard pass for me as with the extent of rot it likely has it would be no more than a donor car, and no 2g with any strut tower rot is worth $6500 at that. Once a body shop would tear into this they’d likely find it would cost more than the car would be worth to fix it correctly IF they were even willing to mess with it. Body work isn’t cheap, and even if it was only strut towers you’d be in quite a bit to have them cut out and fixed. If it has more demons than you can see like I suspect you’d be looking at thousands to fix it right if they’d even touch it. Being you’re not experienced in body work pass on this, you can buy a running driving 2g with no rot from down south or out west for what they’re asking for something that’s nothing more than a parts car.

 

[92Turbski]

Strut towers are rotted all the way out from underneath, with strut tower rust to that extent I’m sure there’s more hidden in the rockers and underneath you can’t see yet, this would be a hard pass for me as with the extent of rot it likely has it would be no more than a donor car, and no 2g with any strut tower rot is worth $6500 at that. Once a body shop would tear into this they’d likely find it would cost more than the car would be worth to fix it correctly IF they were even willing to mess with it. Body work isn’t cheap, and even if it was only strut towers you’d be in quite a bit to have them cut out and fixed. If it has more demons than you can see like I suspect you’d be looking at thousands to fix it right if they’d even touch it. Being you’re not experienced in body work pass on this, you can buy a running driving 2g with no rot from down south or out west for what they’re asking for something that’s nothing more than a parts car.

Plus 1 on, this. Hard pass.

 

[Spilner]

I had my doubts with it and now I know its probably best to walk away. The problem is they are so hard to find in canada, but if anyone has one in canada they are interested in selling; id love if you guys send me a message. Ontario preferably.

 

[Justin DuBois]

I had my doubts with it and now I know its probably best to walk away. The problem is they are so hard to find in canada, but if anyone has one in canada they are interested in selling; id love if you guys send me a message. Ontario preferably.

Given the age of these cars and how difficult it is to find parts, consider a multi-car approach. Buy two to build one.

How far down are you planning to strip the chassis?

 

[Spilner]

i was going to order new carpets, new seats, remove front and rear subframes ; pull drivetrain and clean and derust the frame. then clean and paint everything as I install. Engine is already swapped to a 1g (ill attach mod list) and modestly built and it already has evo 8 brembo brakes. Then i was gunna try and attempt to track down an eclipse rear end, which ironically is only available if i purchase a freshly painted chassis thats only 2 hours away by car. But I dont have room for 2 cars in my garage, not to work comfortably at least. Purple car comes with complete eclipse rear end.

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[evil_eagletalon]

Hard pass!!!! Save the money and find a out of state car. Or one that isnt so cancerous. Anything is possible but how deep are your pockets and how much can you do yourself?

 

[TerminalTalon]

I wouldn’t buy anything from the north. All the corrosion and rust makes everything an issue and expensive in the end if you want it done right.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

I wouldn’t buy anything from the north. All the corrosion and rust makes everything an issue and expensive in the end if you want it done right.

This is as true as it gets. If you looked carefully 10 years ago you could find dsm’s here in the great salty North that had seen winters but were kept clean enough that rust wasn’t a major issue but even at that still required attention. Now any 2g here you come across isn’t worth salvaging if it has seen every winter, and the ones that spent their whole life here that aren’t rot buckets were either put up every winter or haven’t seen winter driving in a long time. I bought my 1g in September 2013 and it had seen every winter prior except for 2012 into 2013 as it was parked by the previous owner and no longer used as daily transportation. It was considered “clean” for the area and it’s never been out from November to April since I’ve had it, but still had rot in the lower corners of the quarters behind the side skirts and in the wheel wells that had to be cut out and addressed when I had it painted a few years ago, had it been much worse it would’ve been not worth fixing in my eyes.

 

[SixBolt_16G]

I am incredibly competent with vehicles but have little knowledge regarding body work.

Strut tower rust on these cars isnt really where you want to start learning about bodywork.