The Rust Belt ..........

Who really knows, you always here TEXAS is a great place to buy vintage which for the most part it is. Cars closer to the gulf seem to have more rust though especially hurricane areas. Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi etc.

Id say start at Texas, Oklahoma and go west. Stay clear of states that get a ton of snow. Salted roads are the devil for old steel. My van came from Menlo Park, CA near San Francisco and the only rust my 64 has is under the windshield on either side where the seal is. Other than that it was pretty much completely rust free.

The (man made) rust belt more or less is from the eastern 2/3's of MN to the top 1/2 of IL then east to the coast. Also (and more accuratly) called the salt belt.
It's not that big of a deal when it's below 20degF but the closer to the 30-35 degree range the more saltwater spray that gets into areas that are not easy to get to or see to clean out. We can send a man to the Moon but we cant make roads safer without totaling our rides..
Saltwater spray is like the salt air of the coastal areas and is at least just as bad, probabley worse as at least we can save some of the roof panles.
There are other things too like acidic levels in the soil that cause rust.
I, for one, hate rust.

For what its worth - ray is correct-ill add being from Texas (40= years) and moving up to idaho & wa state- here in the snow country-incl-mt, wyo & colorado- we dont get the rust on our vehicles like on the east side USA. There is still a ton of used vintage stuff here =yet must look for it now.Up here we dont salt the roads-using sand & fine gravel on them.

I think that the salt & humid weather plays a big role in all rust issues along with the fact that people just don't clean their vehicles like they should. We will wash and shine the exterior and never think about the under carriage.Years ago when steel and metal was made in America it was ten times stronger and rust inhibitors were added to the steel. These days the metal and steel is cheap and flimsy and I don't think that the Chinese are putting any type of rust inhibitors in any of the steel or metal that they are producing. I used to be in the used car business and bought & sold hundreds upon hundreds of vehicles that came from up north & a big majority of them had severe rust issues. Most of them only 4 to 5 years old. If anyone has an old car like a 55 Chevy or something in that era and a 1980-2012 vehicle I am sure that the quality of the steel & metal is very noticeable. But even with all of them factors it also just boils down to nature & the elements. Wood rots. Metal rusts & aluminum corrodes.

Several great points above made.I've always said West coast vehicles rust top down,southern ones bottom up,northern...all over.Salt and the owners play a big part of this.Nature of the Beast.Humidity & wet turf do a number on them down here.I have seen pics of cars though in like Missoula Montana from '30's/'40's look the same as if parked yesterday.Snow waist deep on them,but very little humidity throughout the year.
Handi made a valid point.The metal aint worth a crap.I'm not a metallurgist,but it dont hold up as before.These shipping containers you see up & down the hi-way,are made of Corten steel.A metal used especially for those things.High corrosion and rust resistant.Their whole lives are spent on the sea &ship yards.Stay in darn good shape.Plus,'lets roll that sheet metal a lil thinner'(save money),just enough to pass standards.I worked in steel whse/business many years,saw sheet steel drop in thickness to lowest end of variable.Example:for years 11ga.was .125 of inch,now its like .118.Dont sound like much,but adds up.If your wantin true .125,better go mic 10 ga.,closer to it.Costs more.
In days of old,cars were meant to last.Your more than likely to see a ride built in the '30's ,than a car built 30 years ago.
I'm done & off my lil soap box,for now.

I know where it ends..Long Island, New York