I am looking for a sc300 and was wondering what areas of this car rust out more than others? If I am looking at one what areas should I check for rust? Any help is appreciated thanks.

 

Sc’s are galvanized. It won’t rust unless there is damage or repair.

 

even wheel wells? Mine didn’t have any repairs there that I know of, but one of my rear wheel wells started rusting there. Couple other rust spots too but due to bigger rock chips (damage). I also drove it in the winter out here in Chicago

 

kaban- Looks like you answered the question- drive anything in the salted-road harsh winters long enough, and it will rust.

 

Rusting on the dog legs of any car can also happen from driving over roads with loose surfaces, like gravel roads or roads being paved. When rain is added to the metal that was exposed from rock chips, the rust will start.

I've seen cars from non salt belt states with rust in these areas.

OP, check the dog legs of any car, because they get a lot of abuse. That's the area of the body right in front of the rear wheels. Since the SC is metal all around the wheels on the front and the rear, make sure to thoroughly look around in there for rust. I've also seen issues with the lower sub frame in salted states.

 

My SC does have some rust forming in the back part of my rear quarter panels in the wheel well. I also had to replace my rear subframe completely due to rust. I'm not sure where my poor car spent the first 20 odd years of its life, however, it's getting more love now than ever. They do rust, however, a good check underneath is always warranted before pulling the trigger on a car.

 

Everything mentioned so far is debris damage induced rust, hence damaged or repaired.

 

Other than underside stuff from driving in salted areas, the one spot I've seen that's somewhat prone to rust is the roof where it meets the windshield header. It's pretty common to see non-rust belt SC's with a bit of bubbling and/or touch-up paint in that area.

 

Rear sunroof drain areas. That's the bottom of the rear quarter panels aft of the rear wheels. In order to check this area you need to basically lie on the ground and look up on 97+ cars.
I think that's the only body area I know of thats prone to rusting.
Everything else that rusts is due to exposed metal, like the suspension bolts or the diff casing. In heavily salted areas, front and rear subframes will rust and you will have noticeable rust on all the control arms if the body is kept in great shape

 

They rust in the northeast united states. They don't rust here in California.

 

Dirt accumulates and wears down surfaces with vibration from driving over the years. I've noticed it likes to accumulate in the wheel wells and behind the side skirts. If you take a philips head screwdriver and remove the fender arch trim pieces, you'll find a good bit of dirt built up. I think it would help to get in there and clean it every few years to prevent giving moisture a place to stay. Pull up the trunk seal and clean under there as well because it loves to build up there too.

 

No ****, this was on the one with the gte swapped in?

 

^^ Ya Ryan, you believe that? It had a hole in the rear subframe that I could damn near put my fist through. There's something or other "sport cars" salvage yard in the springs that had a few laying around. Had to swap the entire rear subframe and did the bushings etc all at the same time. It was a nightmare lol.

 

Yup. Bubbling on the roof by the windshield. I heard this may be due to windshield replacement and some sort of improper moulding fitting. Maybe the windshield needed to be taken out at some point... either way, big spot there and common.

there’s some sort of a drain line going from the gas cap area. When my radio got replaced, they ran wires there to the amp (in the trunk on the same side). They must’ve not put this drain hose back Bc when I saw the rust in that wheel well, I took my trunk apart and found a bunch of moisture there... something else to keep in mind. Very weird, but could happen I guess and boom you have rust.