VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1955-1957 '57 Del Rey coupe

Last weekend, I looked at a '57 chevrolet Del Rey coupe. The car is a 235 six with a powerglide with undocumented 49000 miles. The car appears to be total original paint, some minor dings and scratches. Floors and trunk are solid. The underside of the car looks very clean and solid. On the drivers side just forward of the rear wheel there are signs of rust through. The seller showed me a drain tube feeding from under the trunk lid to the side of the body in side the trunk. Does not appear to be any access to the rust area. Where are the areas on these cars prone to rust. I am considering making the seller an offer and want to restore the car.

Areas to check for rust holes- The rear of the trunk floor next to the opening, The tail pan below the lid, The rear quarter panels in the lower front area and the rocker panels, body supports that hold body to frame, and the first thing that rusted through was the lower part of the front fender just behind the wheel. Also check front floor areas.