California Car ~ what ever!

[Gregski]

so this is a bit out of left field, but I chuckle when I hear oh it's a California car so it must be rust free

have you been to California?

the entire left side of the state is by the ocean, I have looked at a car by Monterey and I was afraid to get in it cause I thought my feet were going to drop through the floor

the right side of the state has mountains with snow yes snow, ie salt from the roads, ie rust

it also goes both ways, the seller says oh you are going to love this rust free car, it's a california car

on the other hand the buyer says where's that car from, california you say, oh no, wow man, that's by the ocean, that means rust

my point is, every car is different, I am sure I can find rusted cars in Arizona or Nevada and pristine cars in Miinnessottaa

[special-K]

Somehow, with all that, it's still a great indicator of clean sheet metal when you see a vehicle for sale from California. The fact is, even though California has more ocean side real estate than the rest, the bodies hold up better on the coast than in areas of the country that salt roads all winter when temperatures are freezing and the salt can't be flushed out for months at a time. On the East coast,other than New England, it is rare to see snow on our coast. Vehicles from The Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware survive the rust far better than west of the Chesapeake. California has the coastal range which blocks most of the air-born salt carried off the ocean, so it's only the vehicles that stay on the coast that get the exposure. The exposure is mostly to the surface, although vehicles that sit out and never get washed can get rust out. The dryness of air, lack of road salt, and when it does rain it rinses the salt away, then dries well, all add up to longer lasting bodies. "California Car" should not be the single indicator of a rust free car. Gotta hear "rust free" with it. But a car from California is a good thing to claim to others in parts of the country where rust is a larger issue

[Kim57]

My 57 truck was a Department of Navy vehicle and was relatively rust free.
The dryness in this state does help quite a bit.
Kim

[old Rusty C10]

rust free is kinda an arbitrary phrase... when youre selling a car it could look like swiss cheese and some call it rust free while you can get a buyer who sees a slight chip in the paint that is to the metal the size of a fly snot and complain the car is a wreck and rust bucket. the thing is take all descriptive words written by a seller as heresay and you as the buyer beware and do your own dillifence

[67ChevyRedneck]

When you think of Texas, you also think of nice rust free trucks (which most are) but people forget that Texas has a huge coastline. I'm sure the oddball rust bucket shows up and Texans instantly see it as a "coastal" truck and pass on it.

Same deal here in SC. We get a lot of rain from the mountains and our trucks in the upstate aren't nearly as rust free as *most* of the country thinks they are. If you go a few hours south into GA/AL they're overall much nicer than here as they typically get much less rain. Columbia, SC a couple hours east away from the mountains overall has nicer trucks than we have here. Compared to northeast trucks, they're great, but they're so old now it's hard to find an original paint SC truck that doesn't at least need inner/outer rockers, a little floor repair, and some rotten door bottoms. Overall though, we do have "decent" trucks here. Most are very repairable. However, I've been to the Charleston/Myrtle beach coastal areas and saw trucks that were rusted from the top down from the ocean salt. Same in coastal FL.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by special-K

...it's still a great indicator of clean sheet metal when you see a vehicle for sale from California...

and you just made my point, even after I explained the diverse geography and climate of our golden state, folks still think rust free cars come from California, LOL, yeah and we all own surf boards and grow palm trees in our front yards

hugs,
G

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Gregski

yeah and we all own surf boards and grow palm trees in our front yards

Duuuuuuuuuuuuude... you don't? Bummer, man.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Duuuuuuuuuuuuude... you don't? Bummer, man.

LOL, left it strapped to the top of my 19 window VW bus when I took it in to have new shag carpet put in

[special-K]

I've been familiar with the various climate characteristics of California since long before I ever saw you post a thread here on this website. I've lived on the north coast where in the 70s there were cars and trucks from the 40s and 50s everywhere when they had long been off the roads back east. I have bought quite a few vehicles from various parts of the state and the '72 I now drive came from Modesto. It has been my (most everyone's) observation that California vehicles in general stand up to the elements for decades longer than those in the east. I said "indicator" not "proof". Maybe you missed it or you just didn't quote it, but I also said, "California Car should not be the single indicator of a rust free car". I have owned a '72 truck that came from San Diego, or more like Mission Beach. In '92 it was an exceptionally rustfree truck back east here. In a few years it was like that rust that had been sleeping on the back side came alive from the east coast moisture. First, surface rust popped paint off along the trim and other edges, as well as top of hood and roof. Then, the rockers, header panel, and tailgate rotted out worse than any east coast trucks I've had. The rust that develops in CA is so mild and non-aggressive. expose it to our ambient climate and it comes alive. California has a milder on steel climate, in general, compared to many other parts of the country and that's why "California Cars" became sought after. Desert cars are the best for lack of rust. It doesn't matter what state it's from.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by Gregski

we all own surf boards and grow palm trees in our front yards

I do

[Andy4639]

Humidity plays a bigger role in a survival rate of a vehicle I think more than anything. With the one exception of up north with all the salt on the roads.

For the most part the states that have very low Humidty are the best states to buy a vehicle for rusting.
CA, AZ, and such places will rank the highest for that.

[PanelDeland]

I usually consider "rust free" to mean if you buy this vehicle I'll throw in the "rust free" until I see different.
No matter where the vehicle is from storage and upkeep are way more important to the condition that where it's located.

[67ChevyRedneck]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=655625

Just posted today! Check out the title!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

I usually consider "rust free" to mean if you buy this vehicle I'll throw in the "rust free"...

I love it, I will have to borrow that

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=655625

Just posted today! Check out the title!

man are they trying to piss me off on purpose, JK, LOL nice truck though probably rust free since it's from California, hee hee

[special-K]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I do

Malibu, Modesto, Mariposa, Merced, Mojave, it's all Surf City, right?
Surf Snake River!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...83339334,d.aWw

Back East here in the Mid-Atlantic we hear, "Southern vehicle" or "Carolina Car". I sold my '71 wrecker to a guy in Buffalo,NY. The next week I see it on Craigslist up there with the guy claiming "Maryland Truck". I guess when you live in California and see the real world rags for sale it means nothing special that it's from California. But, it does let you know the car didn't end up in Ca after spending it's first 10 years in Upstate NY. One that I see a lot is, "Local Trade", and I never got much out of knowing that one. I guess it's trying to say it's an honest trade-in, someone in town just wanted a newer car? Maybe it means the car was clean enough to keep and sell on their lot? It could have been a local trade, picked up by a local wholesaler, taken to the local car auction, a local lot bought it, and had a local detailer work it over. It's been through sets of hands with history lost, so where's the benefit?

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by special-K

Malibu, Modesto, Mariposa, Merced, Mojave, it's all Surf City, right?

You haven't lived until you've surfed Merced

I've seen California vehicles that looked like they were drug up from the bottom of the Pacific. Regions here do vary quite a bit. Both of my trucks spent their first 40 years or so in Palm Springs and are as "rust free" as any truck you will ever find. Many years ago I went to look at a first gen Bronco in Malibu. I figured Malibu was all rich folks so the truck would be stellar. Wrong...it looked like a piece of painted Swiss cheese

[JHT67]

Originally Posted by special-K

I sold my '71 wrecker to a guy in Buffalo,NY. The next week I see it on Craigslist up there with the guy claiming "Maryland Truck".

I would have loved to come out to Maryland and bought that wrecker, I stared at it often in the for sale section.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by special-K

Malibu, Modesto, Mariposa, Merced, Mojave, it's all Surf City, right?

Bro you were on a roll, how could you forget about beautiful Manteca? LOL

[HeavyD]

Thanks for killing the dream! Lol. Like so many others I suspected vehicles from Cali were much better than the average, but of course salt air near the coast would be pretty bad on tin. Still, some of the parts trucks i have seen on here looked a ton better than the junk we have to play with. I bought a couple 5 litres from Vega$ and the bodies were beautiful, way better than stuff inowned 10 years ago. I know it is a different state, but some areas of Cali must be fairly dry??

[jjzepplin]

I spent 35 years living in Alameda CA. A small island just off Oakland. All my friends and I had nice hotrod cars and none had rust. I took my trucks out to Florida and immediately they started rusting. Rust free should really be free rust. I guess that's the trade off for living on a huge sandbar.

[68C15]

"Nah, everything here is actually rusted to crap. You don't want any"
translation=
"our stuff is so pristine. It sucks guys from the whole country are snatching them up. There's nothing left for us any more"

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by HeavyD

I know it is a different state, but some areas of Cali must be fairly dry??

The low desert (Palm Springs, Yucca Valley, etc) is bone dry.

[HeavyD]

Good to know! I will keep those areas in mind.

[franken]

Wtatever
One word.