Dear Tom and Ray:

How does excessive rust affect the suspension, braking, fuel lines and general safety of a vehicle? How does rust affect the resale value of a car? Should the owner of a car with excessive rust in the above systems be concerned? -- Bob

Ray: Yes, one should, Bob.

Tom: The things you mention -- suspension, braking, and fuel lines -- are affected by rust. But the biggest threat rust poses is to the structural integrity of the car. By the way, it also wreaks havoc on the resale value. Exhibit A is the '79 Fiat Spider I just bought for 25 bucks.

Ray: And he overpaid for it. Most people think of rust as a cosmetic problem. But when rust gets into the structure (i.e. the frame) of a car, it becomes a serious safety problem.

Tom: You may never know your frame is rusted until you have an accident. Then you're in real deep doo-doo. You thought you had a few thousand pounds of steel around you for protection, and in reality, all you had was about 10 pounds of ferric oxide dust, which disintegrates on impact.

Ray: And even before things get that bad, brake lines can rust out and leak, gas lines can rust, shock towers and frame rails can rust out. All of these make a car unsafe to drive for a variety of reasons. So you want to keep a close eye on your older car and make sure you replace any parts that show dangerous levels of rust. And when the frame is rusted -- that's when it's time to give the car its last rites and send it to the crusher.

Tom: Or sell it to me. I like to sit in old parked cars in my driveway and go "vroom, vroom!"

To buy or not to buy -- options, that is. Are options worth what you pay for them, or are you better off just going with the basics? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" to find out. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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