O.K., I'm about to get serious here...

[Beav]

...and start actually looking for a car. I know the trannys suck. Rotors/brakes, drive axles, wheel bearings, etc. are small problems for me. I remember what a pain the alarm system was. What I get concerned about is 'dealer only' parts and rust.

Questions:

Are there any typical rust areas in these cars to watch out for?

Body leaks?

Door/window seals?

ECU/TCU problems? Sensors? Wiring? Climate controls?

Any parts that seem to be way out of line in price? BTW - at most places I've worked at around the country drive axles typically cost the shop $55 - $60. Normally takes a decent tech 15 - 20 minutes to change one.

Maybe we should make a check-off list of items for each year and cost to repair and put in a database. Anybody got a few extra minutes on their hands?

If anyone has an idea of something to watch for that I didn't think of please make a note of it. Currently I'm thinking of limiting my search to southern and western states (no rust.) If it turns out that rust isn't a problem with these cars I may consider stretching search area to the east also.

Tanx in advance,

Beav