Any beach dwellers here?

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
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FL, USA
My wife and I got a hotel on the beach this weekend, nice relaxing time. Anyway, it rained and the rain left salt spots/deposits on the car. I washed it when we got home and it looks good as new, but I couldn’t help but think about those who live on the beach. Surely this would have an affect on the paints finish, not to mention rust concerns. Yet I can’t say I ever see a whole lot of rusty vehicles around the beach, and we go regularly.
 
I agree I don’t see many rusted cars when visiting Florida. They get a nice coating of brine on them pretty quickly but I don’t notice the rust. That salt air can be really hard on homes-exterior light fixtures, door handles, etc if you live on the water.
 
I haven't seen too many cars rusted out here due to salt air, but we're about 20 minutes inland.
 
It seems that beach-area cars still look way better than rust belt cars, since the paint may fade, but it's less likely to be breached via trapped salt/slush/brine in rockers, at welds, by sound insulation, etc. I've still been amazed at the condition of even coastal cars every time I've seen them, though they might look a bit worse than cars a few miles inland.
 
One of my beach memories of staying at a favorite place on the Oregon coast is during the off season. The storms would kick up the spray and everything got wet with salt water. One early morning I woke up and saw a hotel employee with a bucket and squeegee washing windshields and rear windows. A nice touch and I thanked the hotel for doing that. There were around 20 cars in the parking lot.
 
RhondaHonda is spot on.

I have a second home, barrier island beach house about a stone's throw (maybe when I was younger) from the beach, Atlantic Ocean. The salt air corrosion is insidious. Had to have the complete HVAC system replaced two years ago. Carrier makes units especially designed for that environment and they are $$. The exterior lighting and fixtures corrode 24/7. I have some porch swing chairs suspended with steel cables and they break. Lighting fixtures rust quickly. Even beach chairs last just a season. I only leave my beater cars parked there for more than two days. The rest I wash almost daily. The boat and marine hardware does better.

Is it worth it? Yea mon, you betcha! ⛱️🏝️
 
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No need to worry too much.

I live on the north end of a very windy bay and my vehicles are parked 50 feet from the waves. I haven't seen any problems with rust other than the usual rust the vehicles get no matter where they are parked in a wet climate.

Now, on the other hand, try taking a ferry ride in the Puget Sound in a wind storm and get parked on the front. Your whole rig will be drenched in salt water. That's bad. But, for parking next to the beach on a windy day, it's not an issue at all as long as the waves are not hitting the cars directly.

I've lived on the salt water my whole life and have not had any major rust issues with my vehicles.
 
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My wife and I got a hotel on the beach this weekend, nice relaxing time. Anyway, it rained and the rain left salt spots/deposits on the car. I washed it when we got home and it looks good as new, but I couldn’t help but think about those who live on the beach. Surely this would have an affect on the paints finish, not to mention rust concerns. Yet I can’t say I ever see a whole lot of rusty vehicles around the beach, and we go regularly.
I don't think salt is hard on "paints and finishes". It has no effect. Now once that paint gets a scratch down to bare metal....now were talking rust.
 
I have a 2008 Honda at the beach not far from where you are. I couldn't believe the amount of surface rust that had developed under the hood and on the brakes after just a few months.
 
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