skywagonboy

Hey Guys,

Looking at a 89 3.2. I would appreciate your guidance and expertise.

No PPI yet so there could be more but the 2 key things that are glaring are:

1) Rust inside passenger door post. The car has no other visible rust and the paint looks really good everywhere else. It is claimed to be original but has not been metered. Anyone ever seen rust in this spot on a 3.2? Any ideas why that would come up in that one spot only?




Any ideas on what something like this would cost to fix? Would you be able to fix without repainting anything but the inside of the door post or does it mean I have to repaint a whole panel?

2) The AC is not working. Not sure exactly what the issue is but let's assume I need to either rebuild or upgrade to an aftermarket. What is the cost to do this?

Thanks

Mark

parkerfe

I would keep looking. There are plenty of rust free 3.2s out there for sale. Rust is like crack to an old 911, once it has it, it's addicted and gets more and more.

500

That rust usually is coming from behind, as that area is exposed to the rear wheel well. This will probably mean more rust in the kidney bowl area. Typically this is down to mud, salt etc. collecting in that area and not being cleaned out. As such, I would fear there are many other areas in the car where rust is progressing. I would think the other side, as well as the areas above the front bumper shock mounts will be likely spots, amongst others. Trouble is, many of these areas are not very easy to see (until the rust comes through).

Bottom line is I would be very surprised if this would prove to be the only area of corrosion. Fixing it will not be cheap. For that spot the strike post must be removed and a new one welded in. If it was just that, maybe $1.5K for a decent job. However, as I said, it will probably require a more extensive repair.

Non-working A/C is not that unusual for these cars. There are lots of threads about A/C upgrades (Griffiths, Rennaire etc.) that are well-regarded.

JCP911S

It's like termites... if you see one, others are sure to be there.

The 3.2 has a fully galvanized body, and rarely rusts unless there is an "issue", but some "issues" are worse than others.

Leakage around window gaskets occur, and are easily diagnosed, and not fatal, but this kind of bubbling rust around a door-hinge would raise some red flags.

Not saying this is a bad car, but i'd want to do some due diligence.

HorstP

In my opinion, that is certainly a car not to buy.

Wachuko

I would not go that far to shy away from it. It just needs closer inspection and negotiation for the repairs required.

jcslocum

When it's coming thru there it's bad, really bad. This is a spot that just fills up with junk and lays there and rots the area. Take off that rear wheel, get a strong flash light and inspect it very closely. It;s prolly filled with grit and sand that hols the wet and salt back there. It's probably rusted all the way down into the rocker.

Derek911

This should all be based on price of the car, not the rust. Even a rusty 911 has value. The question is does the price reflect what needs to be fixed... and do you have the skill or money to do the repairs. Like others have said, that rust is in a bad spot, but at the right price someone will buy it. The AC I would not worry about, because even when they work they don't work... but that also is considered in price. Every 911 has a price.