Once a race car’s useful days are over anything can and will happen to it. Most often they rust in peace behind the shop or next to the garage. Then the process of slowly returning to earth begins. By the time it would be worth restoring it is long past being restorable so it sits collecting still more rust. The race car rust starts taking over and then it is only a matter of time before it is too far gone. We present Rusty Monday race cars for Rustober.

That is where these old race cars find themselves. Some are well enough along to be unrestorable. Still, others could still be saved. Let’s take a look at some Rusty Monday race car rust as we continue to celebrate Rustober.

Rusty Porsche 356 “Speedster”

We know what this is. Sort of. It’s an old Porsche 356 race car that doesn’t look to have a single good part left on it. Though it looks like a Speedster the crudely hacked top would suggest a coupe instead. We wonder how this could have survived in this condition without being sent to the crusher? Probably an SCCA weekend track flyer, it is too bad it had to end like this. The combo of being hacked and in some kind of track mishap makes it unusable for anything other than yard art. 

1971-72 Plymouth Road Runner

These 1971-72 Plymouth Road Runners were the most extreme-styled muscle cars of the era. They saw plenty of oval action as has this yellow example. It looks to have survived quite well as a race car, but not for a restoration-unless you restore it as a race car. Somebody thinks enough of it to keep it laying around so maybe a Richard Petty NASCAR clone is in the offing?

Rusty Porsche 356 Coupe

Yet, another 356 Porsche coupe. The shape of the rockers, sagging doors, and rusted through hood indicate this has been here a while. This thing either has had a lot of paint jobs over its life or it has been skimmed with lots of Bondo. Either way, it has not protected it from the rust worm. Sadly, this is probably too far gone to ever hit the track or highway. And notice what’s on top? This was a rare sunroof model. That should make you cringe just a bit more. 

1971-74 Dodge Charger NASCAR Hero?

Waiting in the back forty for some love is this 1972-74 Dodge Charger oval warrior. Though rusty, it could be brought back to its original race car form. Especially if it saw circuit duty it could hold some historical value. A lot of these track warriors got passed down the food chain as the years flew by ending up as mangled Hobby Stockers.

This old Charger seems to have escaped that fate. However, we would suggest it get some cover before it returns to Mother Earth as is happening with some other Rusty Monday examples from weeks past. It can only survive sitting here for so long before we bid it so long.