Rust!!

I am looking at a 1986 911 coupe which a friend of mine bought new. I know that the car has always been garaged and never used in bad weather. It has only 43,000 miles and is in absolutely perfect condition inside and out, EXCEPT that there is rust on the top of the left door all along the window sill where the paint meets the black trim for the window opening. I would love to buy this car, but I can't understand why rust. Is this normal? I don't have that problem with my 1984.
Thanks!!


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1984 Targa

That's really peculiar... I wonder if a prior owner constantly drove with his arm resting on the window will, and perspiration/salt caused the corrosion. I've seen it happen on other cars, but usually the paint was worn down... is the rust bubbling up under the paint? If so, you'd have to suspect something else.
regards,
jlex.

I would be curious to know if the car started its life in Florida. I knew a few Porsches that always parked yards away from the docks and when the offshore breezes blew hard the salt spray nailed them. If Florida or a coastal state is where the car is located then their can be more hidden damage.

BR

I've wondered why it is that Florida cars are considered prone to rust, and California cars are not. Wouldn't there be California cars that spent their life on the coast as well?

Just curious

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Greg
72 911S

Totally different idea: maybe the door was out of alignment (crash?) and rubbed against the roof part above???
I've seen many accident repairs that ended in those sort of problems.

Jens

Greg - two big diffs between CA and FL -- 1) it only rains a couple times a year here in CA, versus every day practically in FL and 2) The humidity is only 20-70% most days in CA vs. 80-100% in FL! Remember that So Cal is a DESERT and still would look like Nevada or Baja if we hadn't stolen all that water from up north.

[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 11-16-2000).]

See if you can tell if it is the same original color... perhaps it took a hit in that door and the body shop (or owner) got a poor second-hand (junk-yard?) replacement.

Also possible is that the black trim is a replacement msde out of iron/steel instead of (I think) aluminum. Just guessing on this one.

Does your friend's dryer vent open into the garage? If a humid garage cools, condensation might....

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'83 SC

Actually if you own a Porsche, you can't afford to live near the beach in California. Unless,of course, you're Jerry Sienfield and then you collect Porsches;leave them parked in an airport in Van Nuys with a car maid to service them while you commute to Malibu in a rusty Limo.
Goysha

FWIW they're in Santa Monica, 2 miles from the beach, in 2 large hangers...

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