So, where exactly does the "rust belt" start?

Living in Michigan my whole life, I've come to loathe rust with a passion that borders on psychosis. Fighting it is a losing battle, all you can hope to do is slow it down for a while once it's started. I've lost count of how many fasteners I've ended up breaking or cutting off because they were so rusted they either wouldn't move or didn't have enough metal left for a wrench to bite on. When people "drive cars into the ground" around here, it doesn't mean they drive them until a major mechanical failure that would be more expensive than the car to fix, it usually means that the rust has weakened the structure of the vehicle to the point where it's no longer safe to drive. The Detroit area has to be about the worst in the country because of the sheer volume of road salt used around here in the winter (there are many salt mines under Detroit).

I hate rust.

So, my question is, how far south and/or west do you have to go to get away from this, or at least the worst of it? Obviously, I know the desert southwest is the best place to go to avoid rust, but that's a pretty long tow for a guy like me who just wants a cheap, rust-free car (say, a Miata, for instance). I know winters are considerably milder south of the Mason-Dixon line, but how far south must one go? I've also heard that it's good to avoid coastal areas because the sea air has enough salt in it to cause corrosion, as well. Any truth to this?

Thanks.

South: Past Kansas/Missouri. When you get down to Arkansas or Oklahoma, you're probably OK. Drier is better, too, so I'd pick an Oklahoma car over an Arkansas car, all other things being equal.

Arizona car > Georgia car > Florida car > Ohio car > Michigan car.

No rust out here in Cali :) Plenty of nice scenery to drive through also. Who needs a tow.

Yeah, things still rust pretty well here. Definitely avoid beach cars.

idunno, but it's a permanent resident in northeast Ohio.

I've never bought a car from TN with rust.

KY cars rust. A lot.

Anywhere that they put salt on the roads consistently.

I think that we have gotten so conditioned here that a project car that only needs "floor pans and quarters...parts included" is a good starting point.

Surface rust? Clear coat fading?pfffftt .....Thank you.

MiatarPowar wrote: I've never bought a car from TN with rust. KY cars rust. A lot.

I grew up in western KY and cars didn't seem to rust there as much as I would consider "Rust Belt" Maybe north of Lexington up towards Cincy, then I would imagine you could hear those rusting.

m4ff3w wrote:

MiatarPowar wrote: I've never bought a car from TN with rust. KY cars rust. A lot.

I grew up in western KY and cars didn't seem to rust there as much as I would consider "Rust Belt" Maybe north of Lexington up towards Cincy, then I would imagine you could hear those rusting.

Hey, there's a pretty noticeable difference between even Cleveland and Columbus cars! Not to say Columbus cars don't rust..

MiatarPowar wrote: I've never bought a car from TN with rust. KY cars rust. A lot.

I just moved to Llouisville KY from Knoxville TN and I noticed this too. You wouldn't think such a short distance makes a difference but it does.

No reason you should have to tow if you want a rust free car. I've pushed "importing" cars to the rust belt for a long time to those guys who want a car they don't plan on showing to salt. Just last month a friend of mine flew out from Detroit and drove a first gen S10 pickup home. I bought it locally and held onto it until he got here, he spent a day giving it some attention (tune up, fluid changes, belts and hoses, etc.), a few days being a tourist, and then drove it home over a few days. In the end he took a week of vacation and got a first gen S10 for about a grand that has absolutely zero rust and a perfectly straight body...which is like a unicorn in Michigan. He and his friends joked that they didn't know you could get a first gen S10 without the rocker panel delete option.

I'd say the further south/west you go, the more likely you are to get a great car. The exception to that rule is coastal areas and Florida, which is like one huge coastal area. The wind+humidity+heat+salt in the air eats at cars surprisingly fast, but still not as fast as road salt. As mentioned, desert cars tend to be the most rust free, however the sun tends to ruin the rubber/cloth stuff a bit faster. I have yet to be disappointed with a west coast car, states that see a lot of snow are hit and miss, states that have a lot of humidity are hit and miss.

Something to consider when travelling for a car...yes, you might spend an extra $X00 dollars travelling to pick it up, but in the end you'll save that several times over in time, money, and effort. IMO, it's totally worth the hassle if it's for a car you plan on keeping for a while.

Bryce

I just bought a Texas E30 (which reminds me: I should update my thread....). NOTHING beats working on a southern car once you've become accustomed to the hell that is working on a rust-belt daily driver.

Living in wisconsin, I've had two relatives fall through rusted floor boards. Neither of them were hurt, so you can continue to laugh.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: I just moved to Llouisville KY from Knoxville TN and I noticed this too. You wouldn't think such a short distance makes a difference but it does.

I thought that was your Miata that I saw on Hurstbourne a couple of weeks ago... Neat.

njansenv wrote: I just bought a Texas E30 (which reminds me: I should update my thread....). NOTHING beats working on a southern car once you've become accustomed to the hell that is working on a rust-belt daily driver.

Good to hear you bought that one. Are you going to swap in a 5 speed?

I have to agree. When you live in the rust belt, working on something rust free is such a joy.

RossD wrote: Living in wisconsin, I've had two relatives fall through rusted floor boards. Neither of them were hurt, so you can continue to laugh.

I was always afraid my gf was going to fall out the bottom of her ranger. The gas tank fell out at one point.

Joey

mw wrote:

njansenv wrote: I just bought a Texas E30 (which reminds me: I should update my thread....). NOTHING beats working on a southern car once you've become accustomed to the hell that is working on a rust-belt daily driver.

Good to hear you bought that one. Are you going to swap in a 5 speed? I have to agree. When you live in the rust belt, working on something rust free is such a joy.

I never knew what you guys were talking about until I bought the black Corrado. Although I bought it in SC, I discovered the car was originally from Michigan. Not as bad as some, since the OO garaged it, but holy BMW E36! My first brake pad change took a quarter can of Freeze-Off. And the whole suspension needs to be removed, blasted & repainted (including a $$ Bilstein coliover kit!). How on Earth do you guys work on these things!

Thanks, guys. So, as I suspected, it's kind of a sliding scale as you move toward the Southwest. I have a friend in Austin, TX that would probably be willing to scout some cars for me once I'm in the market. About 1400 miles from me, so a couple of days' drive, but having someone there to look around first makes it nice. Still, Tennessee is an easy day's drive, so if I find something there, it's not as big a time investment.

And, for the record, dealing with faded paint, dried up interiors and rubber parts, and the other negatives that come from a high-sun area car are NOTHING compared to dealing with rust.

Every so often I torture myself by taking a look at the SFbay Craigslist postings for Miatas. I swear it would be worth it to get my hands on a car carrier (semi), load it up with SF Miatas, and haul them back to Michigan to sell. Miata arbitrage!

Tom_Spangler wrote: Every so often I torture myself by taking a look at the SFbay Craigslist postings for Miatas. I swear it would be worth it to get my hands on a car carrier (semi), load it up with SF Miatas, and haul them back to Michigan to sell. Miata arbitrage!

I believe that there is money to be made by "importing" Datsuns here as well.....

I am sick of Rust Beltyness. I am moving to Fayetteville, GA in a matter of weeks, and I am never looking back!

I can't wait to live in a place that SHUTS DOWN with a quarter inch of snow.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Still, Tennessee is an easy day's drive, so if I find something there, it's not as big a time investment.

The problem with TN is the lack of safety inspections. That and no emissions inspections in most counties means you can register any old piece of E36 M3 you get your hands on. Therefore cars depreciate less there. I prefer to buy from an inspection state, where the cars that need work are lots cheaper since they can't be registered until its fixed.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: The problem with TN is the lack of safety inspections. That and no emissions inspections in most counties means you can register any old piece of E36 M3 you get your hands on. Therefore cars depreciate less there. I prefer to buy from an inspection state, where the cars that need work are lots cheaper since they can't be registered until its fixed.

Interesting point, and one I hadn't thought about. We don't have inspections here in MI, either. I take it that's the exception and not the rule?

Cincinnati cars rust. I've driven to Tennessee to buy somewhat rust-free cars, so somewhere in Kentucky is where the teeth and rust go away.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Junkyard_Dog wrote: The problem with TN is the lack of safety inspections. That and no emissions inspections in most counties means you can register any old piece of E36 M3 you get your hands on. Therefore cars depreciate less there. I prefer to buy from an inspection state, where the cars that need work are lots cheaper since they can't be registered until its fixed.

Interesting point, and one I hadn't thought about. We don't have inspections here in MI, either. I take it that's the exception and not the rule?

I'd guess its about 50/50. One reason i bought my Volvo sight unseen off eBay is that it had passed the VA state safety inspection, which is pretty stringent. I knew I would probably make it back in one piece. Nothing like driving 7 hours to pick up a car that won't make it 50 feet.