Roof Rust on a 100

[Banzai Run]

Checked out an LX470 today that looked decent and drove well - seemed mechanically sound based on everything I tested. No rust underneath at all, a few scratches on the paint but no dents. Interior was a little worn but nothing too terrible. And then I stepped on the running boards and looked at the roof.

EEK! - the "ribs" (not sure what to call them but they are the convex sections on the roof that run from front to back behind the sunroof) were completely rusted! Literally their were four stripes of missing paint and thick rust a couple feet long by about an inch thick running across the roof.

I politely told the seller I had some concerns about the rust on the roof and would need to think about it.

Had there been no roof rust I think it was priced fairly - but I think this is a definite showstopper. Rust is definitely a four letter word around here and I know it usually relates to undercarriage but I have to believe this rust has been there for a while and there is even more that cannot be seen.

Am I right in thinking this is beyond considering and I should just walk?

 

[AlpineAccess]

Checked out an LX470 today that looked decent and drove well - seemed mechanically sound based on everything I tested. No rust underneath at all, a few scratches on the paint but no dents. Interior was a little worn but nothing too terrible. And then I stepped on the running boards and looked at the roof.

EEK! - the "ribs" (not sure what to call them but they are the convex sections on the roof that run from front to back behind the sunroof) were completely rusted! Literally their were four stripes of missing paint and thick rust a couple feet long by about an inch thick running across the roof.

I politely told the seller I had some concerns about the rust on the roof and would need to think about it.

Had there been no roof rust I think it was priced fairly - but I think this is a definite showstopper. Rust is definitely a four letter word around here and I know it usually relates to undercarriage but I have to believe this rust has been there for a while and there is even more that cannot be seen.

Am I right in thinking this is beyond considering and I should just walk?

Did you take pics? Hard to understand what this would be from.

 

[Banzai Run]

Did you take pics? Hard to understand what this would be from.

I wish I did but no pics. I did notice that a large area of paint was faded in front of the sunroof as well (although the hood looked ok) This is in Arizona and I believe the LX spent the majority of its life parked in their uncovered driveway. My thinking is the hot sun beating down on the roof caused the contoured paint areas to fade, weaken, and peel probably a while ago. That left the metal exposed and it fell victim to rain over time. But its just a guess so who knows.

 

[FxFormat]

If rust was the windshield area from a bad install i'd say run, but if it's just rust on the roof itself from scratches and weather then just sand it down and shoot it with some spray paint, it's up there, who will see it anyways? Or sand it down, and wrap it with vinyl.

 

[97 AZ LC]

You may remember the Tri-Star Pete salvage yard in Tempe. It's gone because he got eminant domained into Tempe Town Lake. But he had a thousand Mercedes carcasses sitting outdoors, some of them for a decade, and they didn't get rusty. I'm guessing someone put a foam pad on the roof, or something else that trapped moisture for a few days or weeks. It would be nice to see some pictures but if the rust is not in the windshield or sunroof tracks I wouldn't worry about it too much, assuming it's worth it otherwise. It should be a pretty easy repair, and roof repairs generally don't need to be show car quality.

 

[hoser]

It would be completely reasonable to ask the seller for pictures so that you can better assess the cost to repair the rust.

 

[Banzai Run]

Yeah you are probably right - it's not like we have rusted roof cars all over the valley even though many live outside for years. Must have been some added moisture source.

I had wondered if sanding or grinding of the rust and then repainting or wrapping might be an option - part of the reason I posted here.

I did operate the sunroof it did open and close properly and I did not see noticeable rust in the channels above.

I really wish I took a pic through - it was pretty serious looking rust, not just a few spots or discoloration, it was chunky for lack of a better term.

Looked like four strips of this pic across the roof

 

[Banzai Run]

It would be completely reasonable to ask the seller for pictures so that you can better assess the cost to repair the rust.

I imagine I could have taken the pic - I just didn't. In honesty my heart kind of dropped when I saw the roof - and I figured it was a no go. Then on the drive home I started second guessing myself - hence my post. This tight market has me considering many vehicles I would otherwise not even bother to look at - this one included.