Chances are the damage was already begun long before the winter started. Rust doesn't happen overnight. You could grind/wire wheel all the rust spots and treat them with POR15. In the inconspicous areas like the bottoms of doors, door jambs, inner wheelwells and lower fenders can be topcoated with decent auto primer and even spray cans if thats all you can afford. I would treat all the rust I could find like this and then have a cheap paint job done. The key is spending the extra time finding and treating the rust and also prepping the car for paint. If you are lucky your total cost will be under $500. The results can be very good if you spend the time with the prep and try to get ALL the rust to keep it from coming right back. RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
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