When we're looking to buy a car here, the rust issue is a factor, but so is mileage. Look at it this way: a 25 year old car from a salt-using, winter-lashed province of Canada (which is every one except BC
), if stored every winter, should have no rust and will only have been driven for half the year. A car of the same vintage from Florida will have been driven all year every year and thus may have twice the mileage. Sun-damaged cars (cracked seats, warped and cracked dashes, faded paint, wavy and warped sunvisors) are much more common, and may still have rust if it was constantly exposed to salt spray from the ocean. Either way, a PPI will answer all questions.
When I was looking for a 3.2 cabrio a few years ago, I looked mostly in FL, GA, AZ, TX, places like that. So many of them had cracked leather seats and warped dashes.
The vast majority of folks here park vintage cars during the winter. I did once see a longhood out in the middle of a snowstorm downtown Toronto in February - I was completely shocked. Then again, during a pitstop on my drive to Florida a couple weeks ago, I was shocked to see a white Gallardo out driving in some town in PA!