First time poster, long time reader of various forums on vintage cars.

I have very little practical automotive knowledge. I like the 912 because of looks, analog driving experience, build quality. And I'm interested in buying a driver. I can tolerate a lot of patina - both inside and out.

My question is a general one. How much rust is too much rust? This is coming from someone with very little knowledge of how long it takes for rust to result in a must-be-addressed structural problem. I don't want to sound as though I don't want to be a good steward of a vintage car. I do. But I really just want a driver. I just don't want to be scared off of a car because of a little rust.

I understand the "buy the best you can afford" advice. But is there a pragmatic counter-punch to that?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

Well, the problem with rust is it’s kind of the iceberg effect. What you can see is likely not the whole picture so you really have to be careful. You could easily take on a larger project than you realize.

I’m getting ready to place my 912 on BaT. My build thread is on this 912 site titled. New 912 owner. It’s a blue 67 hot rod. I also agree that you should buy the best car you can afford unless you have the skill sets for a complete restoration project. Good luck on your hunt.