I just pulled my heater box out of my Mav today. I'm sure it hasn't been touched in a looooooooooong time....if ever. Here's what I found: Oooooooooooooo, clean!
Isnt it great. I'm up here in the salt belt like you use to be. I giggle to myself working on my car that came up from Texas. The brake lines come lose with open end wrenches. Brake lines up here dont last 3 seasons before they seize solid. Everytime I have my car on the hoist at work the guys come over and shake their heads. Our cars up here are rustier after one winter than mine is after 39 years. Amazing.
I can appreciate them. I spent 27 years in NY state. I love the cars out here. I can take most of my Mav apart with nothing more than a 1/4" ratchet/socket set and a $10 set of wrenches.
Clean! We are pretty spoiled here in FL too ... my stepson and his wife moved down from Ohio with their two late model vehicles ... Her TrailBlazer needed brakes. I slid under there, took one look around, and said, "I'm outta' here" ... this rusty POS goes to a mechanic ... It's a 2007 ...
I've stood on the Strip in Las Vegas and saw old Chevy vans and Ford Broncos go by with no body rust what-so-ever. Back east we don't see any Chevy vans and Ford Broncos - period
They salt the HECK out of the roads out east Canada. In Calgary we get about 8 billions tonnes of gravel and de-icer ,they say it's not salt, but it's been in my mouth (don't ask how, I dont know) and it tastes like salt. Lots of old cars around here with not too bad rust.