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I’m looking at a 2004 with 40k mi and garage kept the last 14 yrs. These are some views of the undercarriage and I’d like to know if the rust showing is common or uncommon for the age and miles. Also, is it cause for concern?
I’ve not see the car in person yet so trying to decide if it’s worth a 6 hr drive. 😁
The rust is not structural but more aesthetic. It is a little more than usual but nothing that will degrade the car. I noticed that there looks like oil "over spray" in one of the picture taken from front to back? It looks like it could e located behind the engine in the transmission area. I also noticed exhaust marks on the frame in the rear to front photos. I see the aftermarket exhaust and the clamps and wonder if there is a tight seal.
Definitely did not get rinsed down after some road salt exposure from the looks of it. Also, garage might have been a little humid with some moisture flow up out of concrete. I had a C5 that was not this bad. It came from a northern state and had seen some salt exposure. It did not cause an issue but was going to. The brake lines were very corroded and when I had the tunnel plate removed, I could see the salt spray had made it into this area.
Car was definitely driven on the beach or in the winter salt brine. That rust is not normal for a pampered c5 but like mentioned above is also not a structural problem either.
As others have said, you should be fine structurally. However, I would get a good pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic who knows these cars. Honestly, I'd probably want to look the whole car over really well for flood damage.
Advice Needed - Undercarriage Eval
