Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty
Look closely at the pics. You don't want this thing! It's probably rusting to pieces underneath and it's been trashed.
I saw it a week ago and decided not to post since it's in such bad shape.
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Haha! Hey, I almost listed this as a "Potential Handyman's Special"
But in all seriousness -- without some pictures from the seller of the undercarriage, then the conclusion that it's all rusted to the point of "not being worth dealing with" are all pure hypothesizing at this point. The seller does indicate it was a Texas vehicle for the first 13 years of its life, THEN Michigan for 7 years, and they are indeed open that there is "some rust"....but here's the problem: perception.
To wit: one seller might earnestly describe something that's truly as minor as surface rust on the frame rails to be "some rust,"....while another seller will use the same "some rust" phrase when in reality the frame rails have rotted away to nothing. As with our individual opinions of its significance, there's a huge variance in people's perception of the cancerous metallic brown stuff.
So my take on this was/is:
If someone lives in that area (I actually used to....) then the chances of it turning out to be just fine underneath (or at least totally acceptable!) would make this worth the drive out there to check it out, to say the least. Or at least ask the seller for some more pics of the underside.
And as nice as it is for a lot of us SMB connoisseurs to enjoy the luxury of a 100% rust-free 20-year-old van if you live outside the rust belt, there's plenty of folks inside "salted roads territory" who can easily stomach a little bit of patina on their rides without declaring them to be junk. Lots of my buddies in Detroit (and myself!) wouldn't think twice before happily putting in the hours/labors of love to resurrect a machine that's a little rough around the edges. (Just to be clear, I'm talking about surface rust, and at the most perhaps a pinhole or two here or there. But bona-fide structural rust? Or rusted-out rockers? Hell no, won't go there....)
All I''m saying:
86Scotty, your intuitive warning radar very likely has good reason to go off loudly on this one, based on your own personal experiences. And that's nothing for anyone to quibble with, for your own vehicle-acquisition standards/goals. And you could indeed be spot-on with your theorized assessment.
But having grown up, myself, back in Upstate NY, and then having lived in Detroit for a good decade as well....and as such REALLY knowing and living with cars that had rust.....I'd have immediately driven out to look at this van in person the second I saw it listed if I still lived nearby.
Ya never know! This van could very well check out to still have good bones, and the right someone might luck out for taking the chance and investigating. That's where the good deals usually are found.
No risk, no reward!
EDIT:
Just noticed lugee's comment --- good luck to the buyer, whomever they are.
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