I am looking at a 74 CSA to purchase and would appreciate any assistance on the obvious (and not so obvious) places to look for rust on the vehicle.

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Steve,

These cars are erasy to find rust on. The trick is to find all of it! By the way, the post '73 cars are the least desireable due to the ugly bumpers.

1)Above front tires in legdes formed by sheet metal in fenders. Sometimes the fenders rust through on the top and have been patched with Bondo-bring a magnet.
2)Behind front tires. The screwed on splash shields allow crud and moisture to get behind and above and rust out the fender and rocker panel behind the shields. The "A" pillar is the structurally vulnerable element here, and that can make the car unsafe. This srea includes the rocker area forward of the fowrard jack points up to and including 3), below.
3)The upper inside fenders. This includes the fender drip channels under the edges of the hood from front to rear. The sandwiched seams that attach the fenders to the wheel houses are ripe for corrosion, especially anywhere hidden by the sound deadening asphalt pads on the top of the wheel houses, including those in the heater/windshield wiper bay just forward of the windshield.
4)The firewall in front of the glove box and fuse box. The right side is because the asphalt pads retain moisture and rust through to the inside.
5)The doors. Mostly the bottom seams at both ends, especially. Also, I've seen the inner structure where the electric window motors mount rusted away even where the outter door skin is OK.
6)The mid and aft rocker panels, especially at the rear where the drip tubes terminate INSIDE the rockers (dumb idea). The rust erodes the "C" pillar, and other structural area. It often continues around the corner into the rear wheel wells just above the subframe mounts. Very structurally significant area. Includes rear jack points aft to subframe bushings.
7)behind rear fenders where inner fender attach to outter sheet metal. Non-structural.
8)Floors. Especially directly behind front tires (where you'd mount mud flaps) back to the 4" plugs in the front floors on both sides. This included the curved floor where it attaches to the "A" pillar areas above. More asphapt pads were installed here by Karmann to promote rust.
9)Obviously the strut towers. I personally conside any car that have strut tower involvement a parts car at absolute best, especially if the lower "A" and "C" pillar areas have any rust.

Others will disagree, but why buy trouble when there are good ones out there for around the same price.

Folks have spent $60K rebuilding a car that would sell for $25K maximum. I don't do those things, and neither should you unless you are Bill Gates and this is the CS that your dad owned.

Best luck finding the one of your dreams, and may it not turn out to be a nightmare.

Bob