buying a truck?does regions matter?

[anrv05]

I live in the northeast,looking at buying a truck from fla.  A mechanic told me I should not do this they build cars for what region they are to be sold in.so a car from florida has different metal in it it will rust out quicker?

 

[Ned]

I would find another mechanic   However, any vehicle that has spent time in FL may have more corrosion due to the humidity and salt air, if on the coast, than one from a drier climate.

 

[Carl L]

That mechanic has a future in selling used cars or patent medicine.

To the corrosion of Florida humidity, I would add the corrosion from the winter salting of roads in the northern states.? ?Coming out of such climates, folks can get astonished at the truly ancient hulks still rolling down the road here in Southern Calfornia -- no salt spray, no salt roads.

 

[Shayne]

I'd be more worried about it having been in a flooded area via hurricane.  I personally would never by a truck there.

 

[anrv05]

yes sir I agree the only thing I would have going for me I know exactley where truck has been in the last 2.5 yrs . since it was new and no flood s there .... I think?? 

 

[Shayne]

Even back years ago when in the Auto Business, we made it a policy to NEVER buy an auto if it had been titled in Fl, AL, La, or Miss.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Don't sweat it. I've lived in Florida for the last 29 years and have bought plenty of vehicles here. Plenty of old cars stil driving around in FL and they didn't all come from CA or NM either.  Those "don't buy a Florida car" are all old wives tales dating from the era when a car practically dissolved if it drove by an ocean beach - or on a winter road in NY. Modern cars are so well treated for rust prevention that the myriad of companies that used to offer rustproofing have gone out of business.

 

[Will]

The odds of you finding a truck that had flood damage are slim.  Florida is a big state and only a comparatively small amount of the state has experinced floods.  When picking up the truck, just look for the obvious signs of flood damage, rust in the undercarriage, sediment in the spare tirewell, fish in the glovebox.

Even back years ago when in the Auto Business, we made it a policy to NEVER buy an auto if it had been titled in Fl, AL, La, or Miss.

It is misconceptions like that that make it difficult for a resident of those states to sell perfectly good cars.  I had trouble selling my old car and it was 250 miles away from the coast during Katrina.

 

[lazydays]

This must be why my truck (bought in Colorado) always wants to return to Colorado in the summer from Arizona!  Hummmmmmmmm.  ???

 

[DonTom]

"I've lived in Florida for the last 29 years and have bought plenty of vehicles here."

I've heard that most of the rusted out cars came from areas that snow a lot, from the road salts used to melt the snow.  Cars parked outside very close to the  ocean near San Francisco never seem to have a serious problem with rust either.

SF has a lot more cars than it does garages, so most cars are parked outside every day & night.


                                                          -Don-

 

[anrv05]

Thanks for all the respones love this site! I thought my mechanic has been breathing to much exhaust! I live in mountains of n.y. I just looked at a dodge 4 yrs. old and brake lines where allmost rusted off. I will  take a look at 2004 chevy from fla.  thanks for responses!! ;D