Quick! Rust Experts Weigh In!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Globalksp

Globalksp

Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Messages
157
Location
Los Angeles, CA
I'm considering flying across the country to pickup what seems to be a great deal on an '06 Mazda3 S Touring Hatchback. The seller (original owner) has been really communicative and helpful and sent along a couple of photos of the underbody and body. I've heard that Mazda 3's rust like crazy and I'm getting rid of my Jeep Cherokee for that very reason so I'm balking at every sign of it. The car lived the first few years of life garaged in Wisconsin and then the remainder garaged in southern California. The thing only has 55K on the ticker!!!

How's this look for rust buildup and potential problems?




 
Doesn't look bad for an 11 year old car.

I certainly wouldn't not buy it because of that level of rust.

If the price is good, including the cost to get out and back with it, then I think it's a solid buy. 55k on an '06 is fantastic.
 
Last edited:
Nothing that cant be addressed in a few hours of getting dirty and a few bucks for rustproofing and related chemicals. At this point it is easy to bring and keep this under control, definitely not a deal breaker from what I can see.
 
That door skin crimp rust kind of sucks, but this is an 11yr old car. Your not going to stop that corrosion, only slow it down at best.
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
That door skin crimp rust kind of sucks, but this is an 11yr old car. Your not going to stop that corrosion, only slow it down at best.


You can slow it down a lot though.
 
Last edited:
It depends on how cheap the price is, and how long you want it to look rust-free. Sorry to pee on the parade, but that door shows that the cancer is in the body cavities and pinch welds. You'll get a couple of years before it bubbles through the exterior skin. It won't structurally compromise the car for quite a while, but it's not some rust-free miracle car. There are undoubtedly better examples in the non-beach areas of the South---try AutoTrader before buying a plane ticket for that one. I live close enough to Canada that all of my cars get Krown rust-proofing oil resprays every year. That process does seem to keep internal rust (that's happening in that door you have a photo of, and is likely to be in the rear quarter panels, too) from getting a toehold, but few U.S. car owners bother with it, even here in the Salt/Rust Belt.
 
I'd pass just because the rust you see is always less than the rust you get.

And as a seller they're framing the rust to be like, ooh, rust, while hiding the worst behind a camera flash shadow or whatever.

If you're dead set, find a mazda specific forum and figure out the most tender spots.

With a plane ticket involved, you'd have more into this than a local buyer.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Nothing that cant be addressed in a few hours of getting dirty and a few bucks for rustproofing and related chemicals. At this point it is easy to bring and keep this under control, definitely not a deal breaker from what I can see.


Do you have any brand recommendations?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'd pass just because the rust you see is always less than the rust you get.

And as a seller they're framing the rust to be like, ooh, rust, while hiding the worst behind a camera flash shadow or whatever.

If you're dead set, find a mazda specific forum and figure out the most tender spots.

With a plane ticket involved, you'd have more into this than a local buyer.


+1.

Those Mazda's are known for being rust buckets around the rear wheels. I'd pass for this reason alone. Unless your only going to keep the car a few years.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: JTK
That door skin crimp rust kind of sucks, but this is an 11yr old car. Your not going to stop that corrosion, only slow it down at best.

I'd just scrape the rust off, touch up paint over it and call it a day.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'd pass just because the rust you see is always less than the rust you get.

And as a seller they're framing the rust to be like, ooh, rust, while hiding the worst behind a camera flash shadow or whatever.

If you're dead set, find a mazda specific forum and figure out the most tender spots.

With a plane ticket involved, you'd have more into this than a local buyer.


I'm with you. For me to travel cross country to buy it it would have to be in better shape than that. I'm not saying its terrible, but I'm sure with a little more time you can do better and closer to home. Traveling cross country to buy a car based on pictures is a real gamble. I have a feeling when you see it in person it is going to be a different story, and probably not as good as the pictures indicate. Unless it was pristine, and I mean pristine, and a slamming good deal, or some kind of rare classic I wouldn't be flying cross country to buy it. But that's me.
 
Flying across the country just for an 11 year old Mazda?

Rust or no rust, that sounds like a waste of time, effort and money.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Flying across the country just for an 11 year old Mazda?

Rust or no rust, that sounds like a waste of time, effort and money.


Yeah, I was thinking the same unless he got a crazy deal on the car.
 
It's got some life left in it, no doubt. It'd have to be a screaming deal for me to fly to buy it though.

Are you going to be the one turning wrenches on it, or will you pay someone else to bust those rusty nuts loose? I know mechanics scoff at this level, but for me, I'd rather pass.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Flying across the country just for an 11 year old Mazda?

Rust or no rust, that sounds like a waste of time, effort and money.


Yeah, I was thinking the same unless he got a crazy deal on the car.

Is there no issues with reselling a non PZEV car in California to someone in California? My sister brought her car from Canada and had no problems getting it registered in California but I don't think she can resell it there. Maybe the seller can only sell to out of state people?
 
I would like to see a picture of the inside of the rear wheel wells, also the B pillars tend to rust for some reason. I would also watch for rust in the lift gate. The rust on the suspension components is not all that critical, but can be dealt with fairly easy.
As for the rust in the pinch welds, from my experience oil rustproofing, when sprayed inside the door panel, so that the oil seeps through the weld and comes out on the outside, will effectively stop that rust from growing. You can also fix the rust on the outside, paint and then treat the door cavity with oil if you want a rust free look.

Personally, however, I would pass. A garage kept and then California driven vehicle should not have this much rust. My Mazda 3, despite being rigorously rustproofed by me, still had some rust on the trunk lid where the third brake light is and the passenger B pillar started to bubble a little bit. I fixed the trunk lid rust, but I only treated the B pillar. So far it's holding up.
All of this is giving me some valuable experience when it comes to treating rust, but it is far more than an average person would tolerate.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom