MKIII Rust issues by fuel filler and on trunk, normal issues?

[mtnbob]

There is a cheap MKIII near me. 2.0 gasser 4 door jetta, but there is an ugly rust through below the trunk and on the fuel filler door. Is this a bad sign?? Hard to fix? We don't see much rust here and I'm wondering about a car that has far more rust than my 86 Golf.
Any input appreciated

[maxfax]

It is odd to find rust down your way..   Have you taken a look at the underside of the car??  Maybe it came from a coastal area, or from up her..   Could be a botched repair to the body too... 

[mystery3]

MkIII's are a dime a dozen out here. I wouldn't pay anything for one with a speck of rust on it.

[8v-of-fury]

OP, how cheap is cheap Couple Hundo? a trunk, and fuel filler door should be pretty easy to come by if you need to swap it out.

[dieselweasel]

Definitely check the car closer...I suspect you'll find rust in other areas too.  Check the underside especially...

[bajacalal]

From my experience, coastal area salty air+humidity doesn't cause structural rust but it does cause surface rust... unless you're literally parking it on the beach. The beach lifeguards where I grew up would wear out their ATVs real fast from rust (and they drove them in the water) but a few blocks from the beach where I lived, this wasn't an issue at all. This is what I've noticed on many cars including my sisters mk3 Jetta which has spent many years outside in coastal northern California and my mk2 Golf which lived for decades in Seattle. My sister's has some light surface oxidation and my Golf had some rust where water was trapped by the windshield but both are very clean cars regardless (and very clean underneath). My guess is that this came from the salt belt which for you is only a few states away. 

2.0 gasser 4 door Jettas are cheap and common (and pieces of ***e IMO, seriously, get a Honda) enough to pass this one up.

[silentdub]

There is a cheap MKIII near me. 2.0 gasser 4 door jetta, but there is an ugly rust through below the trunk and on the fuel filler door. Is this a bad sign?? Hard to fix? We don't see much rust here and I'm wondering about a car that has far more rust than my 86 Golf.
Any input appreciated

After working on several MK3 golf/gti one of which I just finished last week, here are the trouble spots


Fuel filler, dirt and crap sit on top of the gas tank filler which is plastic and rusts this ares. You will see where when you remove the rubber gasket from around the fuel cap.

Hatch, the plastic piece has a gasket, the gasket gets beat and the hatch will fill up with water and rot out.

Lower fender rots out, water and dirt gets trapped behind the plastic fender well liner.

Rocker Panels are the worst.

The floor pans rot out where all of the rubber seals are

I have seen the strut towers rot too, not that often on the MKIII