[padgett]

Palm Beach has five drawbridges leading to the United States.

Actually Florida has a gold coast and a gulf coast and the middle south of Orlando is mostly owned by the Mormon Church (Deseret Ranch). North of Orlando a ways is the Villages about which theless said the better, it is like creeping Los Angeles.

[prostreet64]

Well since we have drifted off topic.........I am a 5th generation Floridian; been in Gainesville my whole life, 69 years, and Gary is right about Jacksonville. And I am sad to say even though Gainesville is in north central Florida it has become San Francisco East. As to the panhandle where my wife is from they always refer to it as LA, Lower Alabama. That is certainly true!

[padgett]

Gainesville home of the Gatornationals. Is always good to live in a University town.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by padgett

Snakes are good. They eat things you don't want around a car or in a structure.. Was one snaking in my front garage this morning. Probably 1/4" diameter.

The pythons aren’t. They outcompete a ton of native species. But in general i agree with you.

Florida probably has more invasive species problems than anywhere else in the world. All the tropical animals people like to keep as pets can thrive there.

Sorta back to the topic. Florida was a great place to find classics when I was younger. I wish I had the money to buy stuff before prices exploded. Born in 84 I caught the very tail end of reasonable prices. When I was 17 I got talked out of buying a running 78black and gold 403 car for $1400. I really regret not buying that now.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

The pythons aren’t. They outcompete a ton of native species. But in general i agree with you.



Florida probably has more invasive species problems than anywhere else in the world. All the tropical animals people like to keep as pets can thrive there.

That bears repeating. I don't kill snakes on my own property so I'm not a snake hater but the invasive constrictors are becoming THE apex predators down there. They may nearly wipe out the gators over time. They outproduce them and feed on their young.
As for rust... Drive around Tampa for a few days and drive around Detroit for a few. Look at the cars around you. You'll quickly see the difference!


Sent from my moto g stylus (2021) using Tapatalk

[Lee]

Not Florida, but I live along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Our prevailing winds are off of the Gulf.

In 1980, my dad bought a '79 Trans Am with 10,000 miles on it. Within 2 years, a chip in the paint by the T-tops had rusted completely through. I got my '72 Cutlass in 1982, it had about 45,000 original miles on it. It already had rust repair and a repaint. Within 3 years of me driving it daily, it had SERIOUS rust along the bottom of the trunk lid, and along the rear wheel wells. Neither cars were ever garaged.

I remember when I was a little kid, my grandparents had a Rambler. This was around 1970, so that car was less than 10 years old. I was not allowed to sit in the backseat, the floorboards had such huge rust holes they were sincerely worried I would fall through. I remember looking at my neighbor's Ford Truck around '79-80, it was maybe 5 years old and had serious rust issues.

60's, 70's, & early 80's cars that I grew up around ALL had rust issues around here. Seems like mid/late 80's, that factory rust-proofing improved dramatically, as I no long see rust issues on non-garaged vehicles, even 10-15 years old.

I always roll my eyes, when I see somebody from another part of the country PROUDLY stating "Rust free Texas car!" in their sales ad - West or North Texas is good, Gulf Coast is bad.


Keep it in a garage, maybe with some sort of dehumidification device, and you'll probably be good.

[padgett]

Growing up I remember seeing a new K-car wagon on the dealer lot that the tailgate hinges had rusted off mustabin left open in the sea breeze for a long time.

An east coast always seems rustier than a west coat. Wonder why. Coriolis effect ?

['ol Pinion head]

Have processed & shipped tons of nice original sheetmetal. One of the first VERY large orders I had back in the early 90's was for the owner of a one family owner '67 GTO hardtop in Floriduh. For its restoration, the car needed a complete roof with A pillars & catwalk. The A pillars on the fellows GTO had rot inside out through on the painted surface of the A pillar, not from the windshield channels! Also shipped a top of the dash & cowl (common rust spot). Both fenders, AC coresupport, doors, inner fenders, replated '67 rear bumper. Am sure it received repro floorpans, hip quarters, & a 3 piece trunkfloor, the car was a mess. Mentioned to the customer @ the time "you ought to make a trip west, I have two complete '67 GTO bodys on nice original frames, if you want to restore one of them..." Either of them, along with one of my other '67 GTO hardtop partscars would have been a car to restore, all were common base engine '67 GTO hardtops, so was the FL GTO.

Few years later ('96 or 97) had a local customer with a relatively clean numbers matching '78 4sod TransAm. Car was original Hawaii based car & had been Ziebarted. Big issue was had rust holes in the A pillars & between the outer sheetmetal & inner structure one side of the Fisher top divider bar. Car had only been in the continental US for less than a year. No rust in the 1/4's, trunk, lower rear tail panel. Only a few pinholes in the passenger side front floor pan. My old friend was lucky, he caught it quick enough.

Rusting from the roof down is so true on coastal owned older cars, have seen it many times since. I would be very leery of how I stored a 40+ year old car in such a humid coastal environment. I worry about it here in the Southern Plains. Have two dehumidifiers going in my insulated building right now & will be installing another.

[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by Lee

I remember when I was a little kid, my grandparents had a Rambler. This was around 1970, so that car was less than 10 years old. I was not allowed to sit in the backseat, the floorboards had such huge rust holes they were sincerely worried I would fall through.

Damn. Could swear you were riding in our `62 Rambler Classic. I remember looking through the floor, watching the road go by as we went to church.


Louisiana coast here.

[cwassink88]

I appreciate the detailed info. I suppose could have a dehumidifier or AC installed in the garage. There are plenty of climate controlled storage places around me but they’re pretty pricey.

[mchell]

Originally Posted by cwassink88

I appreciate the detailed info. I suppose could have a dehumidifier or AC installed in the garage. There are plenty of climate controlled storage places around me but they’re pretty pricey.

No need for either if garage kept……. Not sure how old you are but if you’re car is garage kept I’m pretty sure you won’t live long enough to see rust forming… lol

If you own a rare museum piece you might want it stored in a bubble…..

[padgett]

I don't bother just keep in an enclosed area. Humidity does not hurt (and may keep plastic from cracking), it is salt that is the killer.

[n20ta2]

I too lived in Florida, Bradenton to be exact about 1 mile from the gulf and had zero rust on my f250 until I moved to Massachusetts. Heck my tires would rub my frame at full lock and wear the frame paint off and that didn't even rust!

[cwassink88]

I’m 55 and planning on keeping it until I die! No museum piece but it is matching numbers with HO engine. Nothing super rare or valuable. You’re right. If it’s made it 50+ years I suppose it will easily survive another couple decades without rotting away, especially as it gets better care than when it was new.

[ged2227]

Just to add.. I just bought a 1970 GS that spent its life in Florida.. Not a spec of rust/ rot on it (that's why I bought it). I had to dig very fine sand (almost beach sand) out of nooks and cranies... Happily, no rust or rot!!

[HALFWAY]

Originally Posted by cwassink88

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.

Unless you don't plan on driving in the summer you should look into AC. Took me 12 years of sweating to figure that out!

[cwassink88]

Yes even in Michigan my shirt is usually drenched with sweat in the back every time I drive it!