2003 Seat Toledo starting to rust - fight or surrender?

[That-one-last-scratch]

Hi,
First post here. Been a reader on and off over the years, always found lots of good info, but am not really a car person. Now though I could do with some advice.

I have an elderly, but much loved Mk2 Seat Toledo 1.8 20V SE from 2003, over 160,000 miles on the clock and still going well. In the last couple of years, ominous blistering has appeared along the roof line, around the rear window and on the edges of the wheel arches. The rust is coming, and mostly not from stone chips.


Images removed...had to save space on photo server, and these had served their purpose.


I have been putting off attacking these areas with sand paper, HG Rust Remover, filler and a trio of rattle cans. I would love to deal with them, or at least the worst of them, but I worry about what I might find if I start digging, that what appears a simple job might get out of hand.

My garage, who have serviced the car since 2005, reckoned it better to leave the rust to progress until it becomes an MOT failure. I would value some second opinions.


To add to matters, this summer the clear coat on the roof has just started to fail in two strips, about 15cm wide each. Lots of little pin head white spot blisters, and just looking a bit cloudy.


The car doesn't owe me anything, but I don't want to get rid of it yet, would like to keep it running, and looking as good as reasonably possible for as long as I can. Is that best achieved by doing nothing, or by trying to fix the rust and paint work?

Cheers

Chris

Edited by That-one-last-scratch on Saturday 11th January 21:22

Edited by That-one-last-scratch on Saturday 11th January 21:22

[227bhp]

Leave it and run it into the ground, like you say it owes you nothing and it's also worth sweet FA. Treating rust like that properly is expensive and far outweighs the value of the car.
If you want to run a car forever you need to plan in advance, but it's too late for that.