Sometimes body work is tough to detect. I've been a bodyman/painter for 13 years and if it's done right, you shouldn't be able to tell. As far as the paint being a tad lighter???? Never heard of that one before. It may look a bit less shiny if the bodywork wasn't done right and the paint sinks into the bondo...that may be what you're seeing. This may sound old school and very basic, but bring a magnet and put it in the problem areas like the lower quarters door bottoms and lower front fenders, it won't stick as well or not at all to bondo depending on how thick it is. Look down the sides of the car, I'd rather see some dents then gradual waves. Dents are usually just dents, waves are usually poorly repaired dents.

Hope this helps!

 

Take a cup of water and pour it in the vents in front of the windsheild. If it leaks into the cab that will tell you about the rust issues. Also use a fridge magnet to test for bondo.

 

the period is just to the right of the comma

 

As pouring water into the vents would in fact tell you if there was rust in the cowl, I'm be hard pressed to find the owner would let you do that. But I guess it never hurts to ask. I would also, as dohcramair has said, use a thin magnet. Run it alllllllll over the car. (Watch the looks on the owners' face, that will really tell ya what's underneath that shiny paint!) Mikenkiki was obviously a victim of a "Bondo" body job, as were lots of us on the forum. I know my thread is kinda long but you can see where I picked up another fastback that is only in (red) primer with all interior pulled out. Before I bought it I ran a paint guage magnet on every square inch of that sucker. Now this is from my own experience obviously, but I would never buy another "project" car without it being totally stripped down like that one was. As said before, pics would help us help you, but they still don't tell the whole story.

 

Another place to look is the frame rails, front and rear, trunk area, mainly underneath the car, floor pans, underneath the doors. If I knew what the heck I was looking at when I bought mine, it would be a huge advantage. I think I nearly replaced all metal on mine. (not really but it has felt like it) These cars had zero rustproofing from the factory so rust is inevitable, even on the best of looking, zero-rust cars.

Even if you find rust, it isn't a deal breaker, just be aware of what you're looking at.

 

Said by a man of experience.

And I definitely agree, rust isn't a deal breaker. Just about all rust can be fixed on these cars, it just depends on how far you are willing to go.

 

yes i was lol but car looks shiney lol nah we are happy its a good task that any true classic mustang lover will overlook as what has been said before its all on how far your willing to do and money, we know ours is a daily driver but we have chose to go with collector car insurance from state farm insurance, which we can only drive the car less then 5,000 miles a year, but all in all we have other cars to drive also to brand new cars . rust wasnt a deal breaker for us either as we thought we did a real good job on the price for what we got , we got receipts that total 9,800 just in the last 6 months of the previous owner had work done on it, so for the price we paid we bade out 1,800 ahead of what the reciepts total and yes i have been to all the places to verify work was done and they have a recipt of work done also, 5,000 isnt a bad price but see what all your getting for that price, i bought mine off craigslist, there is a ton of old mustangs on craigslist in the az area, especially near the phx area, wheel wells trunk pans quarters bottom of doors also see if the owner will spray water on the car around the windshield area and see if it leaks in on the seals, im sure im missing some stuff but thats what we have noticed in ours since we bought it

 

You know it!