Must the front end come apart?

[Nicad]

AT this point is every car (except the ones that lived in Arizona) in need of the front end coming apart? I take it that even Cali cars have corrosion issues that require major surgery.

 

[craterface]

Nah. There are cars around from the west that are fine, and have never been apart. Do they have rust? Sure, they all do. Are they all going to split in half going down the highway. Probably not.
You just have to accept the hidden rust as a given, and inspect the car as closely as you can.
If you want an older car without rust, go look at galvanized bmws and porsches from the 80s.
Scott

 

[Nicad]

Oops, meant to post this in the general section. Thanks, Scott.

 

[x_atlas0]

It all depends on the condition of the car. The big "danger zones" that could cause significant damage due to their failure are the rear shock towers and the front rain channels in the engine bay. Everything else, for the most part, won't cause the car to split like a coconut.

But, like craterface said, you just have to accept that any coupe you buy will have some rust, possibly hidden very well.