As I got the 1991 Saab 900 SE convertible ready for sale, it coincided with entering the beginning stages of getting the rust repaired on the Mercedes Cosworth. In speaking with my body guy, he reminded me how in order to rust repair the right way, he has to basically gut the interior so he doesn't start a fire. It's not a huge deal as the interior is partially disassembled as it is, but still - there are hours and hours of labor before you even get into the thick of fixing the rust.
So, getting the Saab on the lift and seeing its beautiful rust-free chassis was a reminder that even a needy project is so much easier to live with when there's no rust to address. Now, the Saab wasn't needy compared to the '90 Audi Quattro that just showed up and has a shit-ton of mechanical and cosmetic issues to sort out. But there's no rust, and fixing the issues with the paint is straightforward compared to rebuilding the rockers on the Mercedes.
Over the years, rust really didn't phase me. But going forward, it's going to be hard for me to make exceptions for rusty projects unless they are seriously rare and desirable specimens. I am sure the next owner of the Saab will be thrilled knowing they don't have any bodywork needs to worry about for the foreseeable future.
