Get a wire brush, some por15, and some penetrating oil if your actually cncerned with the underbody rust. The only thing id worry about, side from bolts being hard to undo, is the fuel and brake lines are very suceptable to rotting through

+1 agreed to the bolded text. Thats what im replacing on one of my SVX's currently.

As everyone at Reading can attest to, my car is no stranger to rust.

I no longer have dust plates behind the front rotors, or the thinner plates behind the rears.

Hasn't caused me a problem yet.

As for pulling, rotate your tires. If they're not directional, swap the two fronts side to side. It's common for tires to cause a pull to one side or the other, even with a perfect alignment. I watched our alignment tech set my car up, every number is perfect to factory specs, the car measures true (wheelbase and such), but still pulls to the right a bit.

She pulled right before I got the new wheels and tires. She pulled right when I put on brand new wheels and tires. And I just had them rotated back-to-front (they're directional) and yep, still pulls right. It's something in the suspension.

Well now I've got a plan for this thing, just gotta start getting funds together. :rolleyes:

21 years ago, I cut up a 1970 Chrysler, a 1980 Aspen and a 47 Dodge pick up. I fitted, welded, tweeked and 'broom stick' aligned my 'creation'. It goes down the road STRAIGHT, has never seen an alignment shop and does not eat tires. Since I have NO formal training in auto repair, I had to rely on my Geometry classes and a 'bacic' understanding of how a car works to pull it off. YOU can fix it!! The alignment guys can only read books and do things that the book says will work.

Our ASI mechanics have NO clue why our new busses are eating front tires. (everything is set 'by the book'), a dumb ol' redneck can look at the tires and tell that there is 5 degrees too much 'toe in' for the 'setup', once the wheelchair lifts and other mods are in place!!!! (added weight, added pre-load required) Automotive BASICS!!! They are setting them up like stock vans!

Put the steering wheel where you want it, lock it there, put the left front wheel directly in line, front to rear, with the rear tire.(by turning the outer tie rod end) Next, turn the outer tie rod end on the right side out till the RIGHT front tire is in direct line with the rear tire. when all tires are pointed in the same direction, turn both front tie rods 1/2 turn so the back of the tire is about 1/8th inch furthur out than the front of the tires. DRIVE it and see if your problem has gone way.. 'tweek' as necessary to get the desired result.

Works for ME!!

Tools needed, Measuring tape, wrenches to fit lock nuts on tie rods, vise grips to grab the tie rod end, duct tape to hold a string from the back wheel to the front wheel and a string long enough to reach from the tread on the back of the back tire to the front of the front tire.

(The FIRST thing that you need to do is to make sure that the center of the wheels measure the same from left side to right side) She might have been crashed before you got her.

From my experiances and vehicals i've owened your rust problem isnt really a "problem" but more of an eyesore or a nusinse. One of my formers, a 1986 Nissan 300 ZX non-turbo, had a real rot problem. I really shouldn't have been driving it but i had nothing else. It was rotted out around the uni-body where the rear sub-frame connected basically to the whole car. Needless to say it did pretty well in the compact class in my county fairs demolision derby, till my front shock tower was relacoated into my block. Also I had a Ford Escort GT that was rotted through in many places but the most anoying spot was right under the clutch petal. Try power shiftin through the floor! I'm really amaised I dont have lock jaw from tetnus. I think you're car is alot more solid that you give it credit for.
Good luck.

Good to hear. Thanks for all the confidence, guys. Wish I could keep the car around and deal with it. :o