I bought an 09 G37x sedan with 104k miles on it. Unfortunately I got a little excited when signing the paper work and missed the page that said it was a salvage vehicle. I know big mistake, oh well, it is what it is. The reason why its salvage is because it has severe rust throughout the underside of the vehicle. The SES light came on a couple of days ago and the code is p0524. All indications point to the gallery gaskets. I took it to 4 different shops and none of them want to touch it due to the amount of rust underneath. What would be my next best course of action, fixing the rust or fixing the gallery gaskets? The car is currently in limp mode due to the code, however I do have a scanner and can delete the code, if I did that and continued to use the car whats the worse that can happen to the engine? I go from my house to my job, about a 20 mile drive, 75% highway/25% city streets. If I start switching out pieces of the sub frame that are rusted and welding in new pieces of steel to fix the chassis do you think that would be enough for a shop to start working on the engine? Or should I just start working on this car on my own and forget about taking it to a shop? Taking a different route should I look into hiring a lawyer and suing the car lot. I really do like the car, I still owe the guy another 1k for the car and for the plates and the inspection sticker. I'm in Texas and I know they're iffy when it comes to salvage vehicles. I'm aware that no matter which route I take the finish line of either is probably a few years down the road and I'm a pretty patient guy, I like to think that I am okay with that. Unfortunately I do not currently have any pictures of the underside, when I get a chance I will take some and upload them.

 

If the frame is rusted out to the extent it has a salvage title and no mechanic wants to touch it, then for the sake of you and everyone on the road don’t drive that vehicle… that being said don’t clear the codes. Let it stay in limp mode. If the gallery gasket is toast the damage to the engine has already been done and it won’t be long until the motor pops if you continue to drive it as is. As for the rust, if it’s the rear crossmember, replace the entire thing. GL

 

how much did you pay for this thing?

 

And i'm not trying to be mean dude, but you bought this car from an actual car lot and didn't check the title status or even the underside for what is game ending rust? Sorry but you're SOL, you can't sue the dealership. That's on you.

 

Yeah I know. I’ve made my peace with it. Talking to a buddy of mine he suggested I buy a roller g37 and swap all the decent parts I can salvage out of my g37.

 

Were you going to use this as a daily driver, or is this a project car? If it’s a daily you are going to be wayyyyy better off cutting your losses and just getting another car. The headache to swap everything from a car that’s seen that much wear and abuse, to a rolling chassis is not worth it.

 

that's honestly just as bad of an idea.

 

Why do you say that?

 

Sunk Cost … a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered … In other words, a sunk cost is a sum paid in the past that is no longer relevant to decisions about the future.
: )

I would question how it passed inspection at the dealer if it is so rotted underneath that a shop refuses to work on it?

With that said, if all the damage is in the cross members and other removable pieces, then you might have a chance, but if the actual chassis is rotted through, then i would question the viability of repairing - but that decision would be based on how bad and how much rust through is present and where is located. Floor panels could be patched in, frame rails, not so much.

Also, any unibody repair will severely compromise the integrity of the crash/crumple zone design and make the car unsafe. @PhatherPhish is 100% correct in that if the rust-through is that far advanced, it is a hazard to you and those around you.

And even if the rust-through can be repaired, there is still the issue of the engine.

At the end of the day, you could end up spending the equivalent (or more) of the price of a mid-2000's Camry repairing a car that will have a good chance of letting you down again - whereas the Camry would get you to and from work everyday. Just a thought

 

First you’d need to identify what needs to be replaced, swapped over, repaired, etc. Are the jacking points rotted out? Then you’ll have to make sure you have all the tools and time to do it. Then there’s the matter of actually taking everything off the car. Rust, wear, improper maintenance almost guarantees you are going to break something. And then assuming everything went well and you got everything swapped over to the new chassis you’ll need all new fluids, have to recharge the A/C, an alignment.

I once had an old 07 Nissan maxima that needed the works. All new suspension joints, a pleathora of assorted engine sensors, a new transmission. The dealer quoted me $16k to get it back to running like ‘new’ and instead tried to sell me a car. They would have made more money off of the repairs! But they knew and I knew it wasn’t worth it. The time I would be without the car, the logistics to obtain the parts, the hassle and the time the techs would have to spend taking the car apart, and the likelihood the vehicle will still have problems isn’t worth it.

The interior of your sedan looks nice and well maintained. If the frame rails are rotted out though, then parting it out is something to consider. It will take a while but at least you will be able to recoup some of your money if not make a profit depending how you play your cards.