I drove the car straight to a reputable body shop not far from my house. He's going to put it on the lift and see what it needs and get back to me in a few hours with an estimate.

Funny, my mechanic was apocalyptic about the rust while this guy -- the body shop guy is saying, "well, it's not that bad -- I know someone who'll pass it."

The thing is, I'd like to get it dealt with structurally. And although I've only had the car for a few days, I'm infatuated. It's great to drive, I love how it handles, and would willingly put in some money to fix it up. It'd still be cheaper than buying a new car, which I can't afford anyway.

I didn't pay that much for the car. I'm wondering where to draw the line as far as $$ for bodywork. Or if I should just cut my losses and sell it to someone who'll use it for parts. I don't have the facilities to part it out myself.

Advice? (Beside I never should've bought the thing to begin with. . . )

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1983 Euro 300D, 191k
1997 VW Jetta, 121k