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Old 06-30-2021, 12:10 PM
cwassink88 cwassink88 is offline
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Default Risk of rust in Florida

My apologies if this has been addressed in another thread but I couldn’t really find much info searching the forum. Never posted before because I’ve always found the answer to my question doing a search. I have a 1968 GTO with all the original body panels. It’s currently in Michigan and obviously only gets driven in summer. We recently bought a place in Florida about 3 miles from the gulf which will be primarily a seasonal home until I retire. I’m strongly considering bringing my car to Florida and leaving it there instead of Michigan. My concern is whether the salt air is a significant risk for causing rust. I would like to drive to the beach and to car shows but it would spend the vast majority of its time in a garage (not climate controlled - it’s mostly hot and humid in my garage). I’d like advice from anyone in the area on what they do to protect from salt or if it’s even a concern. The car was bought in California and spent most of its life there. It’s essentially rust free and the thought of exposing it to salt scares me!
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  #2  
Old 06-30-2021, 12:22 PM
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When I was stationed in Florida 4 decades ago I did not notice many vehicles rusted unless they were lifeguard trucks on the beach. Granted, this is quite a bit of time ago but the vehicles were roughly the same age as your GTO and the same level of corrosion protection vs. modern vehicles.

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Old 06-30-2021, 12:27 PM
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You could always store it at my place in AZ...absolutely zero percent chance of rust here

I lived in Florida for 15 years and kept a small truck in a garage at our second home on the beach. Just washed it occasionally, especially after driving on the beach...no rust.

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Old 06-30-2021, 12:30 PM
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Although I have heard plenty of tales of rust due to salty sea air, and seen the photographic proof, I've always been told that it's generally not a problem if you are a few miles or more inland from the coast.

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Old 06-30-2021, 12:39 PM
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My wife's parents lived in Daytona Beach for 60 years about 3 miles from the ocean. He always garaged his cars and kept them clean. When he died in 2013 we inherited his '03 Taurus that he bought new there. It has absoltely no rust. Of course my father-in-law kept his cars as far from the beach as he could and kept them garaged as much as possible. I think if you're careful and keep the GTO the same as father-in-law did you'll be OK as far as rust.

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Old 06-30-2021, 01:14 PM
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I live In Florida and keep my GTO in the garage that is not climate controlled. I have not noticed an escalation of rust formation.

Old Cars can and will rust if left outside, but that is true in most parts of the USA other than arid climates.

IF, you were directly on the FL coast AND stored your old car outside you would likely see some escalation of rust formation. That is purely a common sense observation with no personal experience to back it up.

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Last edited by mchell; 06-30-2021 at 01:20 PM.
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Old 06-30-2021, 01:25 PM
cwassink88 cwassink88 is offline
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I appreciate all the quick responses. It sounds like I don’t really need to worry about it. I’m really looking forward to driving it year round. Summers in Michigan are short! Now my only problem is it has no A/C. Should probably look into that next.

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Old 06-30-2021, 01:40 PM
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My 80 Trans Am was in Clearwater Florida for over 10 years in a garage..and has zero rust

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Old 06-30-2021, 02:45 PM
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I grew up in the Tampa area (Riverview). It was a good place for old cars. As mentioned, the only people I knew who had rust problems were people who lived on the beach. We were not so lucky lol.

It was a different kinda rust than rustbelt rust IIRC. Instead of rockers and quarter panels it would be in like trunk crevices.

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Old 06-30-2021, 03:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mchell View Post
I live In Florida and keep my GTO in the garage that is not climate controlled. I have not noticed an escalation of rust formation.

Old Cars can and will rust if left outside, but that is true in most parts of the USA other than arid climates.

IF, you were directly on the FL coast AND stored your old car outside you would likely see some escalation of rust formation. That is purely a common sense observation with no personal experience to back it up.
You're not far from me.

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Old 06-30-2021, 03:48 PM
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Quote:
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You're not far from me.
I see that….ever get out to BMP?

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Old 06-30-2021, 04:06 PM
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Part of the reason I live in Orlando, (grew up on the coast. Once sent TDY dawnrange from Patrick (Cape Canaveral) and came back a week later to find my red Camaro was white0 is that things do not rust here. I do not remember the last time I snapped an exhaust manifod bolt.

Coast rust from salt/dew is usually high body around windows and trunks. OTOH have opened the trunk of a car driven on the beach and saw the axle.

Shudder every time I see a car being driven in the surf (usually on TV).

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  #13  
Old 06-30-2021, 04:09 PM
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Quote:
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I see that….ever get out to BMP?
I've only ever driven by. It's not far from me, I'm just off 70 on the Sarasota/Bradenton line. We have friends who live in Myakka and we drive by the track each time going to their home. Let me know if you're going to the track. I'd love to see your car.

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Old 06-30-2021, 04:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme View Post
It was a different kinda rust than rustbelt rust IIRC. Instead of rockers and quarter panels it would be in like trunk crevices.
It seems as a general rule that cars in the north rust from the bottom up, and cars in the south rust from the top down.

I had a boss back in the early 1980s who had a hobby of restoring Camaros. He frequently had to fly to Arizona to meet with a client, so once a year he'd buy a ratty but rust free car down there and bring it back to Minnesota. The interiors and all the plastic trim on them would be burned up from the sun, but at that time Camaros were still plentiful in the junkyards here, and being northern cars they were all rusted out but the interiors and plastic parts would still be in great condition. So, he'd do a little junkyard shopping, give the car a paint job, and presto he'd have a mint condition car. He'd drive it around some, then sell it and go back to Arizona to get another one.

  #15  
Old 06-30-2021, 04:52 PM
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I spent several years in Naples Florida in the Winter time (November thru Mid April working for my employer doing testing at a Test Track they had about 15 miles from the coast. I made friends with many people at the local car shows.

One gentleman had TWO 1966 Olds 442 cars with the W-30 Tri-Power engines, both Ram Air and Manual Trans. I later worked on the carbs for him on both vehicles. Just Basic tune up stuff and new carb kits.

THE POINT IS He was less than 100 yards from the Gulf and stored both cars in a non climate controlled garage attached to the house. I never saw a spec of rust on either of those vehicles. Now the Gulf Coast is not the Atlantic Coast but the rusting potential should be the same. If it were an issue at all. Garage obviously had a concrete floor.

Tom V.

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  #16  
Old 06-30-2021, 05:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_GTO View Post
I've only ever driven by. It's not far from me, I'm just off 70 on the Sarasota/Bradenton line. We have friends who live in Myakka and we drive by the track each time going to their home. Let me know if you're going to the track. I'd love to see your car.
Will do….. they do a “Street Heat” night which I enjoy. Lot of street cars, but sadly mostly new generation. Still like to test the old goat up against some new stuff. Good fun and enjoy watching as well.

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71 GTO, 463, KRE 295 cfm heads ported by SD Performance, RPM intake, Qjet, Dougs Headers, Comp cams HR 246/252 ...11 to 1 , 3.55 cogs, 3985lbs.....day three- 11.04 at 120mph ....1.53 60', 6.98 1/8 mile
  #17  
Old 06-30-2021, 05:51 PM
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I've seen a lot less rust on the gulf coast than the gold coast, may have something to do with the surf.

In generalis at least 5 miles from the coast it is much less and being in a garage and regularly washed including the underside helps A Lot.

Am about 80 miles to the left coast and 60 to the right and my cars are all garaged.

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  #18  
Old 06-30-2021, 05:58 PM
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I lived in the Pensacola area for four years while in the Navy. I had a 75 Camaro I drove daily , went to the beach several times a week and it lived outside. I just sold it last year (garaged in MN once I moved back), and it had no rust issues. I had to sell it because I bought a 72 Lemans vert! Too many cars, not enough room.

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Old 06-30-2021, 07:10 PM
cwassink88 cwassink88 is offline
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Thanks again for all the responses. I didn’t expect to get so many this fast. Based on the replies I’m definitely going to bring it to sunny Florida. I’m in Bonita Springs and looking forward to year round car shows. Thanks again to everybody!

  #20  
Old 06-30-2021, 08:02 PM
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Bonita Springs, isn't that in the north panhandle area? It seems to me I remember that as I cruised near Panama City Beach or Ft. Walton Beach area?

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