Seeking Advice - Help me decide

[Meanie]

I currently own a '93 four cylinder teal MX3 and about 3000 miles before I hit the big 200,000 miles. The car still runs great and still reaches great fuel mileage.

At one time, I had a truck and thus, never drove the MX3 in the winter leaving it rust free. Then, about 6 years ago, I sold the truck resulting in driving the MX3 in the winter and now, there is rust. I had every intention of having it repaired, but financial issues always stopped me. Now, the finances are in good shape and the rust is fairly bad (both rear quarter panels, passenger side door needs replacing, slight area on driver's side door and small area on hood). Overall, the estimate to repair is $1500, which is about what I expected. With that being the largest of needed repairs, there are a few misc repairs needed which are as followed:

Oil leak, though, it's been this way for years but I finally should do something about it.
Driver's side seat torn
Front bumper mount needs to be straighten
Front struts
Valve cover gasket
and maybe a few misc minor repairs.

The oil leak will be the next most expensive to find and repair with the others minor expenses and which I can do on my own. Everything else I have done a decent job of keeping on top of with replacements or repairs such as tie-rod ends, CV joints, stabilizers ends and other normal body/control parts.

Upon searching for misc parts (mostly a used door), I came across some other MX3's for sale and then some from members of this forum. Viewing the description and/or pictures of many of these MX3s, they appear to be in better shape than mine and some prices being asked are anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1500 over the body repair needed for mine. Therefore, it got me thinking about simply purchasing another MX3 instead of putting the money to repair the body. The drawbacks are not knowing the history of the vehicle while knowing mine from just about day one (I bought it in '95). Otherwise, I don't see any other concern.

I love this car or the MX3 in general for it's handling and great fuel mileage where it still beats most newer cars coming out in the fuel race.

What would you do?

Thank you

[muttpower]

If you found a decent one, you could buy it, and keep your current one for parts...

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Either on the Images forum, or on "off topic", there's a thread about a movie called "love the beast".
I'd recommend you to watch it.

If you really love your car, you should do what Eric Bana does in that movie, after the accident.

Anyway, whatever you decide, PLEASE, DON'T SCRAP IT! There will always be somebody willing to take it off your hands, even if you think it's junk.

[muttpower]

Post some pics of the rust damage so we can see how bad it is...because a price estimate doesnt really mean much....well, not to us anyway.
If it's really bad, I'd buy a new MX3, and keep the current one for either parts, or experimenting with...preferably experimenting

[mxmikey]

That is also with a body shop doing it, rust is not too hard to get rid of. If it is a front quarter panel of a hood the hoods are roughly $50 and the fenders are $35 at a pick and pull. The areas that do not unbolt if is is rotted clean though the right way to fix it is cut another section out of a car without the rust and reweld it in your car, I would just cut it out and just put something behind it and bondo over it. If it is not all the way though you can just sand it out and reshape it. Depending how small the spots are you can either buy touch up paint, and go over the small spots or just pay to have the car repainted.

[Meanie]

That is also with a body shop doing it, rust is not too hard to get rid of. If it is a front quarter panel of a hood the hoods are roughly $50 and the fenders are $35 at a pick and pull. The areas that do not unbolt if is is rotted clean though the right way to fix it is cut another section out of a car without the rust and reweld it in your car, I would just cut it out and just put something behind it and bondo over it. If it is not all the way though you can just sand it out and reshape it. Depending how small the spots are you can either buy touch up paint, and go over the small spots or just pay to have the car repainted.

The rear quarter panels are "bad" and most likely all the way through. They are seriously bubbled and the estimator even indicated there may be more than what can be seen. My brother was in the business most of his life, therefore, I know a thing or two about body repair and if someone is trying to pull my leg.

The passenger door's skin can be pulled away due to the rust on the bottom. The driver's door is looking similar, though the skin is still intact, but he thinks it can be saved.

I've been to a salvage yard which has 3 MX3s on the lot and all have better bodies than my car with exception to some dents. The passenger door on one is in great shape but it has a manual window. Before I wanted to pull it, I posted a question about the ease of converting the manual window to power, which my car has. Being confirmed it isn't difficult, I know I can use that door.

As for cutting the panels from those cars, I have nothing to cut them with, though, I like the idea.

I'll try to snap some pics this evening.

[MrMazda92]

Post some pics of the rust damage so we can see how bad it is...because a price estimate doesnt really mean much....well, not to us anyway.
If it's really bad, I'd buy a new MX3, and keep the current one for either parts, or experimenting with...preferably experimenting

Ditto to this.