this is not going to make east coast guys happy, but i have yet to see an east coast car i would buy - i have actually been quite stunned at what is considered "clean" out there - i have been to a couple of shows and concours there, and it really shocks me that discolored engine components are accepted - every one of the cars show the corrosion, albeit to varying levels - you have to know where to look, but it's there
that doesn't mean that such a car isn't a good one to drive, or anything like that - but servicing a car is largely dependent on how easy it is to get to things and change things - that makes the less visible items most important
when i am looking at a car, one of the first places i look is UNDER it - almost nobody gets under there and cleans - when you talk about east coast roads, that's where the corrosion lives - i am under mine at least twice a year with a case of brakleen a toothbrush and a pile of rags, and i am nowhere near as nuts as some of the guys here who show their cars
then i am looking at the suspension, particularly at the hardware that mounts it to the car - again, almost nobody gets in there and cleans
i also look in the engine bay - i am looking at the aluminum for pitting and discoloration - if the valve cover doesn't look new, i'm running away, because i know it is only a symptom of a larger problem
i realize that people cannot be expected to be nearly as anal as i am about cars - i also realize that the conditions there are much harder on cars than they are here, and the maintenance to deal with it would be very time consuming
but, it is a reality, and it affects how i look at an east coast car
cars do need to be driven, and driven regularly, if only to keep the seals lubed and the rings working - but, they also need to be put up on a lift from time to time and scrubbed in and out
none of this affects how much i like a car, or the owner, or what i think of them or anything - it only comes into play if i am thinking about taking on the maintenance of that car