WTB: Rust Free Celica Options

[AlphaSigma]

So... I live in Minnesota which is hell on my Celica. My body is not too bad in terms of rust, but the underside is getting pretty nasty. I am struggling to find motivation to do anymore to my car knowing how rusty it is. I am looking for either a rolling shell or a car that does not run. The body does not need to be in great shape, just rust free. I am not looking to pay more than 800-900. I just need a solid body that I can swap everything over to.

[Box]

If it's just surface rust for the most part you can knock it off with a wire brush or wire wheel, use rust stripper and converter, and then hit it with epoxy paint. Would be easier than swapping everything over to another car, which you'll want a '96-99 GT so everything off yours is a direct swap. Plus it'll be a lot cheaper and you'll get the warm and fuzzy feeling from saving yours, just make sure to wear goggles and an air filter while doing it.

[Jmk91]

I wouldn't fix rust either honestly. I wouldn't buy a car with rust Repair done to it... Time you fix the rust it'll come back elsewhere.. It's.like cancer once infected it spreads... Plus sanding and body prep isn't fun at all... Than you'll need whatever area painted om the body...Around my area your looking at 5k+ for a good paint job. Sure there is 1k places but orange peal ect. Call junk yards down south and see if you can get a rust free shell. After so long they crush them anyway so you'd probably get it for under 500 after they stripped what they can sell
I mean crushing it would gain them 150-200$ tops so I'd assume they'd sell. I drove 1k miles and over paid for my celica because it was so clean inside and outside and under it.

This post has been edited by Jmk91: Aug 13, 2015 - 9:31 PM

[Box]

For one if it's surface rust it's manageable and would be stupid to toss the car over. If it's not he shouldn't even be driving the car. Also junkyards down here don't sell whole cars since they get more parting them out and then crushing the shell, that and supposedly there's a legal aspect.

Plus he said it was the underside that was the issue.

[Jmk91]

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion. He said it's getting nasty. Nasty doesn't sound like surface rust. I can buy cars from junk yards in my area didn't know you can't do it in others. You could find a blown celica for 300-500 in the southern states rust free than swap everything and go... Vs messing with rust... Rust is never fun to mess with... Plus he said body isn't.to bad. Meaning rust on the body as well. My 5th gen celica was a local Ohio car. Body was clean the under was rusttttttt. I took it in for an alignment and they couldn't even do the rear because the thing bent in the machine from rust... He showed me on the lift how rusty it really was.
. so I sold it next week...

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion. He said it's getting nasty. Nasty doesn't sound like surface rust. I can buy cars from junk yards in my area didn't know you can't do it in others. You could find a blown celica for 300-500 in the southern states rust free than swap everything and go... Vs messing with rust... Rust is never fun to mess with... Plus he said body isn't.to bad. Meaning rust on the body as well. My 5th gen celica was a local Ohio car. Body was clean the under was rusttttttt. I took it in for an alignment and they couldn't even do the rear because the thing bent in the machine from rust... He showed me on the lift how rusty it really was.
. so I sold it next week...

[Box]

Try about $800-1,000 if the body is nice and the title is clean, as I've considered finding a GT with a blown/sick motor to drop in a 1MZ. Also why I said IF it was surface rust, we'll have to wait for the OP to clarify. If it's eaten through then he needs to stop driving it and start over since no one makes floor pans etc... for it. No kidding rust isn't fun, it's why I'll never move north. Down here if the car has the slightest bit of rust no one wants it. Of course classic cars excluded. When I joined car forums and saw what Northern members would consider normal I couldn't believe it, and I still really don't. That's ok I've seen a few cars on eBay up north with rust and they'll be wanting just as much if not more than what one rust free locally would go for, I can't help but shake my head.

[1994Celica]

Southern states for the win.

[AlphaSigma]

Ya, the body is fairly clean. If you just glanced over the car, you would think it was rust free. Its when you crawl underneath. Like JMK was saying, the underside is a mess. What states would you guys suggest? I know the obvious ones like Arizona, but how is the south? I have heard the southeastern coast can be bad because of the salt in the air. I just want a clean rolling shell or a car with a blown motor that I can work with. I'm tired of having to get covered in rust every time I crawl underneath my car. I want whatever car I be to be as complete as it can be, but I don't care if the motor is bad or even a little body damage because I have my car now where everything is fine(except the rust underneath).

[block]

Colorado, California, AZ, Texas, OK, Alabama, Neveda, LA, etc. You have plenty of choices.

I bought mines from Texas. When I installed coilovers, it was soooo nice not to break any bolts/nuts. GL fellow Minnesotan!

[Box]

Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, really anywhere they never salt the roads. Not sure about the other southern states definitively during bad winters, but Alabama nevers salts the roads they use sand. Every car I've owned has been free of terminal rust, and the only ones that had any rust at all were my 60's and 70's cars without rustproofing that had small localized spots that were easy to nip in the bud so to speak. My cars from the late 80's to mid 90's didn't have the first speck, the Celica was up on a lift a few times and I was able to walk under it and it didn't look like it wasn't 20 years old under there as everything was still black. As a car person I genuinely feel sorry for those in the regions that use road salt. All that being said if you plan on driving any during the winter I'd undercoat it really well, or look into getting a second vehicle that's still relatively solid but cheap just for winter and then just wash the underside once a week.

[Jmk91]

Georgia never gets snow besides once I think that was last year or year before they had a huge huge wreck because no one knew how to drive in snow. I'm currently shopping around for a miata I've been looking at Tennessee and Georgia mostly. Also I'm in Ohio southern Ohio like 2 seconds away from wv.. So to Atlanta Georgia is only 8.5 hours away its just super ghetto in Georgia lol. So before you travel make sure you end up in a good area.

[Box]

Actually it's because in the south when it snows it melts and then refreezes into ice, up north it just stays snow. That's why everything shuts down.

[njccmd2002]

i would say go to craigslist, and search.

autotempest.com

[Jmk91]

WWW.statewidelist.com
My favorite Craigslist search engine. You search entire states vs XXX miles away that take you into states you don't wish to buy from.

[njccmd2002]

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/5126192871.html

[sircalebwhite]

I'm in the same boat here. MN winters are brutal to our vehicles.. Sad to say I won't be keeping my celi due to the rust that has inhabited it. Holes in both rear wheel wells and qp's. I wish I could save it. But I'd keep my eyes open for local ones that need work if they are rust free or manageable. There's always a gem that pops up every now and then!