Anyone have any opinions on where this rust is coming from? The Car is a southern car, per Carfax so should not be a salt issue. Any advice on where (in addition to the normal spots) I should look given the pictures below. Car is an 84 300D (Euro)

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This car has been repainted and has serious rust issues i believe. Sure it's a euro and I would guess spent a lot of it's life in germany where they have not only major rust problems but it even comes in different places than here sometimes. Anyways you are looking at a pretty major repair around that back window. I would check the floors very carefully. Especially the rear wheel wells. unless this car is very, very cheap think you should tend to keep looking. A real southern car it's not. I will even go as far to suggest there may or may not be real issues under that repaint. Take a magnet with you. I used to stay twice a year in tuscaloosa a little south of you and this car is far rougher than any I saw down there as far as rust damage goes unless the car came there from the north. You live just a little north in birmingham and should find much better than this. Remember you can fix mechanical things but rust not only weakens the structure but is very hard and time intensive to do much with. I would not buy a car with problems like that and i live in a rustbelt to put it mildly. Just a few thoughts. It could be an isolated area of the body but I tend to think not. Have been wrong before though.

My 300D has a spot on the front very similar to yours. Seeing as how that panel is exposed to all kinds of assaults from the road, it doesn't surprise me.

The rust on the rear window, I would blame on old window seals. Water got in there and what didn't dribble into the trunk or the hatshelf, sat there and rusted the metal.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Forget that car. Find another. There's more rust, probably in some pretty irreconcilable locations. I'd move on from it if I were you.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

unless you can buy it for the value of the parts. there are prob big rust holes int he floor too. and rockers and trunk floor and jack points and front fenders unless replaced.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Apprecaite the feedback, sounded like a neat car (5sp Manual Euro), but I am kind of rust phobic so ya'll just confirmed what I thought. Wants 2500 for the car, 215K on the odo.

That car is not worth fixing. If you can get it cheap enough and it has some good parts on it then it would make a nice beater/rolling parts car.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

2500 for that? With the mileage and rust? It would be cool to have the manny tranny from it and put it into a turbo car that doesn't have so much rust and so many miles provided it would fit. 5 speeds.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

That is a good price for that car.. do ya'll have any idea how rare a 123 300D 5-speed is????