Rust - a major problem?

[dan1981]

How bad a problem is rust? is it somethign major or is it ignorable / fixable?

For example this looks like a very cheap S bar the what looks like quite bad rusting in the last pic?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/753848.htm

[franv8]

It will need fixing, if you want the car to last/pass its next MOT (unless that isn't a sill I'm looking at - odd because it looks like its resting on the floor)

People get the rust fixed for a range of prices (and depends how much there is and where it is of course) - so you'd need to see what the extent is on this car to start appreciating the cost (or amount of work if you're a diy-er)

[MX-5 Lazza]

If it's the forward end of the sills it shouldn't be an mot failure but if it's the rearward end it will be. If there is any rust within so many inches (I can't remember how many) of a seat-belt mounting then it will fail the mot and MX-5 seat belts are mounted very near the rear corner of the sill. Not a massive problem though as it's not that expensive to fix. Whether it's worth it on this car I'm not so sure - it's a pretty good price for a 1.8 and looks otherwise pretty good.

[dan1981]

Well i'm not a DIY-er so it would be an added cost but I do like the look of the rest of the car and its fairly local again.

Hmmm guess I just have to take a look and see how bad it is.

[nakedninja]

I saw your other post on this '5 and let it go, hoping you'd give up!
I too saw that advert and have emailed the guy and sent him a text message, so far no reply. I think I'm going to look at another for now, so if you can get hold of him good luck to you. What I would have done was haggled as much as I could and then get the rust sorted professionally; bingo cheap 1800 MX-5 fun. It looks pretty good overall, in my entirely non-professional opinion.
Good luck to you mate!