1959 Bel Air - where do they rust?

I'm going to look at a '59 Bel Air 4-door after work today with the 235/3speed and was wondering if there's any notorious hidden rust areas. The guy says it's pretty rust-free, but we all know how that goes. Also, anything else to look at? I'm praying it's a hardtop, but I bet it's gonna be a post car...

 

they like to rust in typical places lower quarters ,rockers ,ect. be sure to get under neath and look at the body mounts and frame cars that have sat in fields tend to rust these areas real bad . oh yeah floor boards trunk floor all that good stuff.

 

Check inner rockers and braces.Trunk pan and floor pans. Also since it's a 4door, check the dog legs. I've seen the leading edge of the hood go too.

 

Check the front of the fenders. There's no real protection for the backs of the headlight buckets, so they rust out BAD and so the the top/front of the front fenders. Replacement buckets are rare and pricey. Front and rear valances rot out pretty bad, too. Check under the rear seat. The rear windows had drainage problems as did the trunk.

 

Just about any car driven in the salt states will probably have a rotted out body mount in the rear wheel well. One side is typically worse than the other (passenger side?). My DD '62 more-door is shot on one side, but an otherwise pretty "rust-free" 80k mile North Dakota car. A '59 would be similar underneath.

 

Lower Cowl area where the "kick panel" fresh air intakes are supposed to get fresh air from the base of the windshield, not from the cogged with dead leaves and rusted out area just behind the inner front fender well

 

so, basically everywhere 3' and below...

 

Actually, Anywhere there is metal. Check there.

 

Sounds like it. The dude wants $3500 for a running, driving 4-door with the 235/3speed. I guess that price sounds okay to me if it's as rust-free as he claims, I just hope it's a hardtop...

 

here is what to look for

 

Thanks dude, I've never seen rust before. Here in ohio, cars don't rust.

 

WTF? Don't rust in Ohio? I thought Florida was the sunshine state!

 

They rust in all states except Arizona and New Mexico.

 

I sold a '59 Impala convertible last month that went on the truck to leave, no frame rails beyond the axle, quarters sawed off behind the wheel arch, and the deck lid is still laying in the field up here.

Check the frame from the middle of the X on back; I've seen these frames rot between the front crossmember and the middle also. Every place everyone mentioned; fender tops, down the sides at the back and the bottom; doors on a 4dr can rot where they're pinched together - the rear doors bottom rear corner - '59's seem prone to rot along the egde of the fins; and on a 4-door hardtop check out the rockers and floor braces real good.

Road salt is what really killed these cars, it could get in and collect and work on them in all kinds of hidden spots the geniuses at GM never thought about (or maybe did and didn't care, it would make us buy a new one that much sooner).

One thing to consider though is if it runs and goes it can't be too rusty, at least in NY if the frame is crappy it won't pass inspection.

 

Up north, these suckers rust out everyplace from the door handles down . In Florida they rust door handles up and down.

 

there is a pretty much rust free 4 door post car (59) in my back yard you could prolly have for $1200. get it outa here. it belongs to a friend of mine but he's on to another project and is gonna sell it or part it out.

 

TOO MUCH!

 

P.S. it's got ALL NEW brakes. just needs a motor and trans. i blew the old 235 up for him ...