At this point are these cars all rusting?
 

Apologies for the inflammatory title.

​​​​​Still looking for the right s2000 and the more I look and study the market the more I'm seeing rust issues here and there.

​Is it fair to think that any 20-10 year old Honda is gonna have rust issues at some level, either at the usual arches or underneath or specific weak spots like the boot floor?

​​​​​I've owned many Hondas all the way back to a 93' Prelude and the more I think on it they've all had problems with rust. I was underneath my 98k, 08' Fn2 yesterday and it's not too bad - kinda what you would expect for a 10 year old daily driver but I can't help wondering just what condition a 15 year old s2000 is gonna be in underneath.

If there's one thing that kills my enthusiasm for cars it's rust!

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They are very poorly protected from the factory.

My 2001 has the odd spot but is good overall for a 17yo Japanese car. It had a really Rusty crashbar and behind the rear bumper I would wager 99% are messy. It has surface rust underneath but there's nothing more than that.

The boot floor is not properly painted so rusts if the car develops a leak, which is very common.

the arches are a weak point, so too the subframes etc. If you find a weekend car that hasn't seen salt you will be fine, or a car which has been undersealed.

I believe my '01 was owned for 8-10+ years by a member on here, and was mainly used as a summer and weekend car.

It was also under sealed at some point, I bought it off someone that had only owned it 6 months ish and hardly used it through the winter due to a company car. I'm going to feel guilty using it soon if I don't find another car to daily drive!

I also own a Mk1 mx5.. don't talk to me about rust on those! :wine:

100% FL car and no rust and i'm about to be at 160k

Be patient and have faith.
Rust free cars are out there. As has been said above you need to find a weekend/toy car.
if you view a car that has been daily driven it will be rusty almost definitely.
I have recently sold my 99 S2 and that was rust free. But that car was a weekend car all its life, so there is your answer.
Good luck....

Seems to be mostly prefacelift <03 that are rusting, have not seen many facelift cars with rust. So buy a facelift one, and then get it all sealed up :)

Your car was very pampered :D so a bit of a unicorn imo

My SC 99 has been a toy and is mint underneath, much better than my daily'd 01 but had poor paint. Little rust though, it depends on the car seeing winter action I guess

Mine is garaged and gets regular Kaercher wheelarch enemas.

So far so good, thank the Lord - as LJKS was wont to say.

Mine was from Brighton originally, it has also done many snowy winters of doughnuts and general horsing around. Not remotely surprised it has gone eventually.

No.