Yes, I have also witnessed a few 92-99 Bonneviiles/LeSabres for sale here in Wisconsin where the cradle has come corroded loose. It's too bad really, that salt is just nasty. That's why I've got the 97 SLE Parked for the winter, stays nice and clean that way. Helps to get the car oil sprayed as well.

While I stroll through the local salvage yard, I see numerous 92-99 H body cars that have good engines and transmissions, as written on the car. So looking at these I wonder, why did someone junk that nice Bonneville? Well it's because either the cradle rusted loose or even the brake lines rusted out etc.

The drivetrain outlasts the car itself in many cases.

I just got my 2000 bonne and had to change the tranny in it, but dropping the H-frame was necessary to do this, and that part is still pretty clean. All the bolts came out pretty easily but the spacers for them were a lil rusty. Im guessing it was a southern car, especially seen as the people that bought the car before me only drove it a week before the car took a dump on them. But i wonder how long the car will last up here in NY with all the salt we use.

I know we use salt a LOT here in Ohio... but how much salt do you guys use up in MN/WI to make subframes rot? I've never seen a subframe rotted here in the junkyards... mount points yes, rear suspension mounts yes, japanese truck frames yes, but not the subframes. The subframe in contrast to the mounts on the body is thick.

EDIT - Just took these.... this is a '87 Ciera that's been in salty NE Ohio all it's life. It has 88k on it. I know salt rots cars out... but like I said, I've never seen a rotted subframe.

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss20 ... 0aac88.jpg
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss20 ... f8eb35.jpg

A few people have referred to Krown rust control, but haven't mentioned much about it. If you don't already know, it is one of the most effective anticorrosion treatments. I had it done on my 92 Grand Marquis for the first 5 years I owned it. I got it a 5 years old, so it was treated from 6-10 years of age. I stopped because where I was living it was not convenient to let it drip oil for a month.

The process involves spraying an oil that contains corrosion inhibitors underneath the car, inside door panels, etc. The only problem with the treatment is it will drip for a couple of weeks, even up to a month. If you live in a condo where they don't like oil drips, you may have to park it on the street for that time. I would say that the frame on my 92 with 350000km looks like an 8 year old car at this time. There is some rusting now, because I didn't keep up the treatments for the last 8 years.

I am considering trying to find a guy who will do this in Vancouver. It's not a popular treatment out here, but down east there are more places that do this. If you start spraying your car now, your car will probably not die of rust, and will probably last until it's 20 years or more old as long as you do basic maintenance (and do your UIM/LIM).

I actually do work for a guy with a body shop and he just had a brand new ford 3/4 ton in. Did a whole paint job on it and even spray coated the frame with a rust inhibitor, it looked pretty nice afterward. I wonder if the same concept could be applied to the underside of these cars.

...
For the rusting brake lines about how much is it to get them replaced at a shop and would it be better to replace with rubber?