Should I be worried about rust?

[Yipcanjo]

My '92 900T is new-to-me and as such I didn't have the full "lowdown" on where its been or how its been treated. I did know that it originated in Illinois where they DO salt their roads, but it seemed less than many other states. It's also been "out west" for the past 5 years or so.

Anyhow, one of our local shops, ScanWest Autosport, did the "buyer's inspection" for me, but never mentioned rust being an issue with this vehicle. I purchased the car and now find out that there is some rust underneath!

So... during a routine oil change today (it was *free* to me) I peered underneath to see how bad the rust might be. It wasn't frightening, but there was certainly a bit on the axles. The exhaust has been replaced, so it's fine. There are also some spots here and there, but nothing that looked like it might fall through at any moment.

My question is this: how much do I really need to worry about it? Should I be taking preventative measures? Should I be looking to sell this car as fast as I can??? Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

Yip

[900t]

Rust on the axles? Like the axle shafts look rusty? Oh man don't worry about such trivial matters The axle will always get rusty, but it is solid steel.

The place to worry is where the lower suspension A-arms mount to the body. They tend to rust there and it's dangerous as the A-arm eventually tears out of it on a curve and the wheel gets an interesting alignment... Also of course having solid floors is good, and nice brake lines. But axles don't even worry about that.

[Yipcanjo]

I'd have to look around closely to know all the places that the rust has gotten to, but a quick 3 minute look-see wasn't especially alarming to me. The wheel wells, for instance, that usually get pretty rusted only had one small spot that was more surface than anything.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid?

[Matthew]

If you want to know where 900s rust, then look here:
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284

[900t]

Originally Posted by Yipcanjo

I'd have to look around closely to know all the places that the rust has gotten to, but a quick 3 minute look-see wasn't especially alarming to me. The wheel wells, for instance, that usually get pretty rusted only had one small spot that was more surface than anything.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid?

Yeah most likely. But check those lower control arm areas. I had some rot there on a car that didn't have a speck anywhere else. It's fixable for sure, but if it's severely weakened that can be bad for your health.

The 900 isn't a very rust-prone car. For the most part it is well protected, well painted and is built with very high quality steel.

[Yipcanjo]

Thanks, folks. I'll check the A-Arms and a few other spots.

[woywitka]

i think the master on rust is "jeffSPG" he has done just about everything. All our cars have some rust. nobody is "100% rust free". You can acid and sand off surafce stuff on your floors and front suspension area yourself. don't worry about it too much. these cars hold well. Just stay on top of it best you can. don't let fender arches go too long, they can be fixed. ever car will rust a bit, it can always be fixed. There IS a future in cars with some rust, don't worry. I'm getting my one rusted arch done this spring, i will also be taking the interior out and cleaning up surface stuff on the floors. my car has a little, but its solid. don't worry again.

[Yipcanjo]

So I shouldn't go spraying "Rust-o-leum" on anything that resembles rust?

[Rhich]

Defiantly have a look at the axle tubes and in and around that area. Another area to investigate is above the CAT but most likely the heat shield will prevent you from getting a good look.

The there is the areas around the rear suspension upper arms or as Saab calls it a “stay” especially around the passenger’s side of the car.

I have used a product called EXTEND which is a rust inhibitor and then either undercoated over that or painted.

Other people swear by POR15 which is another option.

I would have to agree with everyone who posted, the classic 900 is a pretty solid car and 90% of the rust can be fixed.

Look at the bottom edges of your doors too….. the inside edge.

[Matthew]

Any rust which you aren't going to fix straightaway shou;d be treated with a heavy-duty wax-based rust inhibitor such as Waxoyl. Remember that these rust spots may be small now, but they will spread and then they'll be expensive to repair.

Stay on top of the rust on your car. Regular inspections and repairs. Even if you're not handy with bodywork, you can take care of the small rust spots which are normally hidden.

I'm about to do that on one of my cars. I'll buy a Dremel with a few tools, some primer and a can of paint. Get rid of the rust using the Dremel's wire-brush wheels, clean, prime and paint. This will be pretty much the first bodywork repairs I have attempted.

Rust on the front axles is very common, but as mentioned before they ain't going to fall apart because they're solid steel. Interestingly the fornt driveshafts on my 9000 are rust free, even though the car's 12 years old. Looks like they're powder coated.

It is probably the rust in hidden places which will continue to develop, with you finding out only when it's bad enough to show up on a vehicle inspection.

[woywitka]

Originally Posted by Matthew

It is probably the rist in hidden places which will continue to develop, with you finding out only when it's bad enough to show up on a vehicle inspection.

in North america vehicle inspection is rare. the only way a vehicle is inspected in British Columbia is if you bring in an out of province or out of country vehicle and/or a wonderful policeman thinks you car needs one because of poor running condition or he thinks it is unsafe (ie: non working horn, broken glass, no doors)

[900t]

And inspection in states that require it are usually pretty lax. Unless the brake line explodes when the inspector is driving the car into the service bay you should pass.

In Quebec, jeez if there is a "sharp edge" on the bumper no pass!