I live in Denver and I'm considering to purchase a 2002 C32 AMG from Michigan. It has about 30K mi and it's in excellent condition. My concern is the chance of rust and corrosion because they use salt on the road for the harsh winter in the area. Should I be worried about this ? And what parts should I ask the seller to check in regards of this situation ? I'm assuming the upper body parts would be fine, tho.. it's just the parts underneath that concern me. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Cars don't melt away in a couple of years from road salt. It takes many years. And newer cars have rust-resistant compounds applied at the factory. Nearly all under-sealing businesses went out of business years and years ago. There's just no market for them anymore.

Ask the guy if he rinsed the undercarriage after salty encounters. That's all you have to do. In fact, just give it a good rinse when you get it and that should do it.

 

I agree with Lugnut. They do apply the anti-corrosive to pertinent parts for cars in areas where road salt is widely use. However, being as you're concerned; you may want to check behind the tail-light assemblies, and under the trunk lip seal. Rust likes to hang-out in these areas, and behind the rear differentials. Also, you may want to have the engine bay detailed. This is just a personal suggestion.