Shock-ing revelation

[3050rpm]

I attempted to include pictures, but they just won't upload for some reason, so I'll try to describe in writing what I was hoping I could do with pictures. I finally got around to changing the rear shocks on my car, after way too many years. Once removed, the old ones showed considerable corrosion of the piston, up by the shock mount. Curious to see just how extensive the corrosion was, I took a hammer to it and knocked it off, showing that perhaps one-third of the piston rod diameter had corroded away. I don't know how much of a safety issue this may have presented, I imagine that under high enough stress it could have snapped but under normal circumstances the shocks would remain functional for quite some time; nonetheless, it's a lesson in not taking certain components for granted. Replacing the rear shocks is rather simple, getting the trunk lining out of the way to gain access to the retaining nuts is more of a problem than anything else.