Then there is me. I have a wonderful car that I have enjoyed for over 30 years. It is a truly a driver -- and runs like a champ. And it is a looker to many a viewer... It has been through a lot with me -- two colleges, a wedding, three kids, etc...The engine is a factory MBZ replacement that my dad put in -- and has about 75K miles on it. The transmission, and the car generally speaking, has about 235,000 Kilometers (or maybe 335,000 -- its first 15 years are a mystery.) Delivered to Holland, it came to Southern California on the grey market in mid-70s. It had some rust issues when we bought -- as I believe it was subject to lots of weather as a child. There was some serious rot in the floors, some in the rocker areas, and spots here and there... But guess what? It still does!!
Oh its had plenty of work done -- some DIY patching and treatment to the visible areas -- and when I had it painted, they did some minor stuff. But fact is, its still got plenty of rust if you start looking below the surface. So what? I understand that its going to keep me from getting top dollar if I sell it -- and I won't win any fancy trophies... But I have enjoyed the heck out of my car and will again (drove it to work today!)...
Point is: if you are thinking monetary investment and have the funds, get that fairly elusive rust-free specimen. If on the other hand, you want to have a great, really cool car to tinker with, drive around the back roads, and turn heads, find one that is affordable, runs decent, and clean it up as you go. ** If you tackle the rust professionally, great. If not, its still a groovy automobile to have.
**Obviously not one that is structurally unsound...
JH