[justincampbell]

Take a good look inside the car where the floor and the tailpan come together. Also look close at the floor braces, especially the one furthest to the rear. There is pretty much guaranteed to be some rot in these areas. Also look the fenders over very carefully. Although it is nearly impossible to come across ones that are not rusted, careful examination will give you less suprises later. The obvious rot areas are the eyebrows and the very bottom rear of the fenders. In addition, these cars often rust along the top inside edge where the fender and apron being tight together has held dirt and moisture for 50 years. Also there is a brace that runs vertically near the rear of the fender. The bottom of this brace has sometimes gotten thin because it pretty much always holds dirt/moisture. Although rust is pretty much a given on a 50+ year old car, I believe the severity of the rust is the big issue. If you can repair the original panels, you are better off. I spent way too much money on new panels for the floor/trunk of my '56 because they were "the good ones" made in the USA. So far, not one has fit correctly or been shaped quite the same as the original. So, as I said, you are far better off if you can repair the originals. I hope some part of this rant has been helpful.
Good luck
Justin