Pesky rust and is it structural?

[ck_taft325is]

I purchased a '91 318iS that was re-sprayed 80% (100% being jams, engine bay and all seams being actually finished) less than a week ago. I purchased it at night, which I should have known better than to do. After dropping the money on it, gimping it home (due to the profile gasket crapping out on me 300 miles from home), I finally started the "going through" process of taking a very close look at everything. I found on the drivers door jam a home near the back side of the plastic strip that goes along there. Now I've yet to take it apart completely and see exactly how extensive the rust is, but seeing as how there's already a damn hole in the jam area, I'm curious if this is a structural problem with the car or just a cosmetic/fixable thing? The rust which is scattered along the whole drivers side (from my minimal poking around due to it being night again when I made this discovery) has been poorly treated/painted over with what looks like rustoleum and even so far as a wadded up napkin shoved in the hole.

In short, does this totally fucker me? Keep in mind I would rather not put my wife and newborn into a potentially unsound vehicle.

[ethree]

Have any pics? Difficult to judge without photos.

[ck_taft325is]

I'll grab some tomorrow. Been around 16 degrees here where I live. Luckily, no moisture in the air, so no snow. I will get on it though. Sort of paranoid after Nick01011's rear subframe dropped out of the bottom of his car...

Until then, I found a spot behind the drivers door (Rocker panel below a coupes rear pop out window) at the very bottom of the fender, tragically close to the subframe bushing that's pretty eaten up by rust. It seems too all be on the sheet metal of the car (exterior, next to nothing on the bottom). I'll snap some pictures of that fucking fiasco also.

I'd say I was totally stoked about this car, but the rust is super disappointing to find in so rampant a state. It all looks treated, but the level the rust has reached is in some places, flaky metal.

[88driftIS]

As long as your frame rails are good, especially where your subframe is, and along any points where stuff is bolted to it you should be safe. Body rust isn't a safety issue.

But pics will show us a lot more.