Do Florida XJ's get rusty?

[Ukraine Train]

I have a trip coming up to Orlando in about a week and I'm thinking of checking out some XJ's while there to bring one back to Ohio. Do they generally stay pretty clean or does the salt from the ocean do a number on them? BTW if anyone knows of an XJ in good shape from the area let me know.

 

[49erRider]

I had a suburban from my grandparents given to me from Orlando and the truck did not have a spec of rust on it. Not sure if I have the most experience but with that car the weather didn't get to it.

 

[thechief86]

orlando is in the middle of the state, pretty far from the ocean, so ones from there should be pretty good. my buddy bought a motorcycle last month from right near the beach, and it wasn't very rusty, but lots of bolts on it were seized in their holes, and broke. i had a pensacola beach patrol '73 cj5 for a little while, and that sucker wasn't too bad, but it did have a little rust.

 

[Boveevil]

I'm like 15 mins from Pensacola beach. My xj has very little to no rust

 

[jeepgeek2002]

all depends on how much of a neat freak the PO was before selling the jeep.
if its lifted i wouldnt look at it.. that FL mud is nasty.. black dirt and gritty sand.. will destroy all bearings and the salt water isnt good either..
my opinion...

mark

 

[bmanga]

Yeah what the Chief said. Coastal cars rust good with ocean salt water.....

GA is another good place to find non salt XJs.

BTW I'm originally from Cleveland Ohio (suburbs actually) so I know what ya mean but salt and rust. My father-in-law gave me a F350 from up there.....same he didn't spray it down with oil like he did his new one!

GL in finding what your looking for....

 

[Ukraine Train]

Thanks guys. It's pretty ridiculous up here. I have an '03 Liberty that I bought in early '09 and even then it was already pretty rusty all over. If I do get something clean I'm thinking of shelling out for one of those active cathodic protection devices they sell for cars. I haven't done the research to see if they actually work yet, though.

 

[043500]

The thing with FL is you can see 2 nearly identical rigs in a parking lot in the same town.

One will be rust free...the other a rust bucket.

Florida is (usually) a very wet state regardless of location. Just because you don't 'see' rust on a rig doesn't mean it's not there.

PLUS with so many non native Floridians you don't know if the rig is a 'native' or not which means it could have come from anywhere and anywhere can be part of the rust/salt belt. I have lived in FL for nearly 30 years...been jeeping for 10. We've owned 7 XJ's and only 4 of the 7 were actual Florida natives.

Just look them over well but the FL XJ's tend to like to rust inside more than outside...again what you CAN'T see at a glance. Floorboards, rockers, rear cargo floor, etc. THey are just as likely to rust in these places in FL as anywhere else. 2 of my MJ's had swiss cheese floors...the 3rd did not. All had been FL trucks.

 

[Ghost]

The thing with FL is you can see 2 nearly identical rigs in a parking lot in the same town.

One will be rust free...the other a rust bucket.

Florida is (usually) a very wet state regardless of location. Just because you don't 'see' rust on a rig doesn't mean it's not there.

PLUS with so many non native Floridians you don't know if the rig is a 'native' or not which means it could have come from anywhere and anywhere can be part of the rust/salt belt. I have lived in FL for nearly 30 years...been jeeping for 10. We've owned 7 XJ's and only 4 of the 7 were actual Florida natives.

Just look them over well but the FL XJ's tend to like to rust inside more than outside...again what you CAN'T see at a glance. Floorboards, rockers, rear cargo floor, etc. THey are just as likely to rust in these places in FL as anywhere else. 2 of my MJ's had swiss cheese floors...the 3rd did not. All had been FL trucks.

This is perty much spot on. My parents live in Florida and I grew up down there. I have seen both rust buckets and spotless rigs in the same town. Florida wheelers love the mud and the sand (that is basically all they have) if its lifted look it over really well.

 

[DaJudge]

The thing with FL is you can see 2 nearly identical rigs in a parking lot in the same town.

One will be rust free...the other a rust bucket.

Florida is (usually) a very wet state regardless of location. Just because you don't 'see' rust on a rig doesn't mean it's not there.

PLUS with so many non native Floridians you don't know if the rig is a 'native' or not which means it could have come from anywhere and anywhere can be part of the rust/salt belt. I have lived in FL for nearly 30 years...been jeeping for 10. We've owned 7 XJ's and only 4 of the 7 were actual Florida natives.

Just look them over well but the FL XJ's tend to like to rust inside more than outside...again what you CAN'T see at a glance. Floorboards, rockers, rear cargo floor, etc. THey are just as likely to rust in these places in FL as anywhere else. 2 of my MJ's had swiss cheese floors...the 3rd did not. All had been FL trucks.

Check the in the cowl area as well, under the cover. Use a flash light so you can see in there. Any where the salty sand can lay and not get washed out is suspect if it has spent any time on the beach.

 

[CLOISER]

all depends on how much of a neat freak the PO was before selling the jeep.
if its lifted i wouldnt look at it.. that FL mud is nasty.. black dirt and gritty sand.. will destroy all bearings and the salt water isnt good either..
my opinion...

mark

mark hit the nail on the head about the lifted jeep