Don't Panic, The Rust Belt Is Just Where We Left It

"McMike" (mcmike) 08/19/2015 at 12:00 • Filed to: McSturgis, tutu153, twowheelsbad, road trip

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These are the car photos I took on my trip. They are just cars that I found interesting.

They are not flattering car photos, nor do they include all the photos I would have taken if my hands weren’t full of handlebars.

As some of you know, I rode my motorcycle from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! during the first two weeks in August. It’s only now that I’m putting all the photos together, and trying to come up with some interesting parts of the trip to share. I wrote nothing down, and only have time-stamped images and a future credit card bill to freak out about sort it out.

I did not pay attention to what most of these were, so feel free to make an annotation “name that car” game out of it, or just be glad you don’t live in the rust belt.

Speaking of the rust belt, I’m always fascinated with how badly these things rust, it’s incredible. I’m always on the lookout for the newest year model car that has rocker or wheelarch rust. I think it’s the Nebraska Durango this time. Do you see one newer than that?

I now present you with the cars of:

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Indiana

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Iowa

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(I stopped taking photos of cars in Missouri after this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! randomly rolled into a gas station, as it won the made up game I was playing)

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Tennessee

Other observations I just remembered:

I only saw two Crosstours.

I saw at least six Azteks

I saw at least a dozen Rendezvous

At least one half of all farm houses had a Taurus sedan out front.

You rural Midwest folks really hold on your cars. I can’t remember the last time I saw so many domestic 90s cars still on the road. Here in DC, people seem to just throw them out.

For Sweden > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:03

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You don’t need to make hay over this

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:03

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I’ve seen worse. But that was a beach truck.

EL_ULY > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:04

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cars from the coast are like this as well :(

Nibby > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:04

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Cars less than 10 years old rusting at the wheel wells, doors, and fenders here in New York aren’t uncommon.

McMike > For Sweden 08/19/2015 at 12:08

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Dude was also on the phone. TN has a hands-free law.

What an asshole.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:14

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The funny thing here is that I don’t think the wheelbase has changed from original, or not much. This thing probably has about the same turning radius as a normal semi - it’s just harder to check for oncoming traffic.

Justin Hughes > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:17

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Maine, too, except for southern Maine which has basically been annexed back by Massachusetts. The economy is quite depressed thanks in part to Maine’s wonderful governor. (That economy is why I left.)

They have state inspections, but they’re a lot more laid back, and don’t even have emissions testing except for southern Maine (which, again, is basically Massachusetts), so the older cars can stay on the road a lot longer, despite the same rust issues. That’s why one of the first things I did when I moved up there was to register my Civic wagon ASAP. It was a solid car but wouldn’t pass MA emissions, which made it 100% legal in Maine.

And finally, there isn’t nearly as much traffic or idiotic Massachusetts drivers like me smashing up all the old cars like we do here.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:18

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F the police!

i got farmin to do

TrickJos > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:25

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I want an S-10 Blazer of this body style so bad. Sadly, they’ve nearly disappeared in Ohio and neighboring states. The ones you do see have heavy rust. :(

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > TrickJos 08/19/2015 at 12:34

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My 1 regret in life was selling my 88 when I got my 04. I should have kept it as a second vehicle, if I had room for it and the cash I would have kept it.

I hand built the motor for my first truck (4.3L, bored 60 over, ported heads, roller rockered valves, exhaust, it was awesome).

I want it back and I think it’s in a junkyard.

Textured Soy Protein > McMike 08/19/2015 at 12:40

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Rendezvous are surprisingly common here in Wisconsin.

You are also very correct about domestic 90s cars. There are tons of 90s and 00s Buicks running around here. They’re either driven aggressively slowly by grandparents, or driven aggressively by their grandchildren to whom the cars have been passed down.

pjhusa > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:02

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Seems safe.

Long Island is chock full of European and Japanese cars.

Haven’t seen so many American cars in a long time.

LongbowMkII > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:08

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aeroback. nice.

LongbowMkII > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:08

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thatll work

McMike > LongbowMkII 08/19/2015 at 13:14

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They had a handful of neat stuff stitting there

It’s for sale, BTW.

http://www.parts123es.com/autoroundup/de…

McMike > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/19/2015 at 13:20

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The front louvered part of the thing was completely hollow.

MonkeePuzzle > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:30

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love the look on his face “he takin’ a picture of this pickup? he sees that cool porsche behind it right?”

MonkeePuzzle > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:31

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lol “I’ll just spray some black paint on here, that’ll stop the rust”

McMike > MonkeePuzzle 08/19/2015 at 13:32

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It was a Mazda. The guy probably sprayed the wheel arches as soon as he got it hom.

MonkeePuzzle > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:34

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Other observations I just remembered: I only saw two Crosstours.

but at least one of them got what for!

MonkeePuzzle > McMike 08/19/2015 at 13:41

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“hon, they have silver paint right here”
“no, it’s fine, I’m already holding this can of black, we’ll just buy black”

TrickJos > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/19/2015 at 13:53

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I bet that Blazer was awesome with that worked over 4.3L. Makes it extra hard to let something go when you’ve put a lot of work into it.

My Dad ordered a 1989 2.8L V6 5 speed 4x4 and drove it until 2007, same color Blue as yours. I was in college when he sold it, so having two cars was out of the question. I’m not ashamed to say I shed a few tears when it drove away. We both loved that Blazer, but it needed a lot of work and I would say he got his money out of it over 18 years of ownership. We repaired all the rust somewhere around ‘00 or ‘01 but it was starting to pop up again by the time he sold it. Saw it driving around once in a while for several years after he sold it, which was comforting because it gave me confirmation that it survived the whole Cash for Clunkers thing.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > TrickJos 08/19/2015 at 14:12

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I sold mine in 2008 and I know it made it until about 2010-2011 as it was seen around town. The guy left all my stickers on so it was easy to identify (including giant rear window chevy sign that every 17 year old who had a chevy truck NEEDED to have on his truck lol)

The rust was getting bad, it needed entire new rear quarter panels and we had only done some patches.

The engine was all kinds of awesome, and so was the trans which was recently rebuilt.

MM54 > McMike 08/19/2015 at 19:42

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Having lived in the rust belt my entire life, I’m amazed to see cars more than 5 years old with no rust. By the time a car turns 15 I’m amazed if there are no holes. The exception to this is, of course, collectors cars, restored classics, etc.

Tohru > McMike 08/20/2015 at 01:36

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Chevy Impala. My parents have one this color and it’s an ‘03.

Tohru > McMike 08/20/2015 at 01:38

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If you left here without asking to purchase at least ONE of these cars you need to turn in your badge and gun and cancel your Jalopnik Gold subscription.

Tohru > MonkeePuzzle 08/20/2015 at 01:39

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VHT rust converter turns black over rust.

McMike > Tohru 08/20/2015 at 07:47

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I was about to make an offer on this one, but then I noticed that it was no longer capable of spreading manure.

MonkeePuzzle > Tohru 08/20/2015 at 09:04

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looks like they shoulda bought 2 cans

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > McMike 08/21/2015 at 15:19

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What’s the plural of Rendezvous?

McMike > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2015 at 15:24

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Rendezvouseses?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > McMike 08/21/2015 at 15:30

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Pretty sure that's it.

mazda616 > McMike 09/15/2015 at 09:01

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Looks like a Kia Spectra to me.

McMike > mazda616 09/15/2015 at 09:10

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You know what, you might be right.

mazda616 > McMike 09/15/2015 at 11:44

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Either way, they both had rust issues. Older Mazdas were notorious for it and I’ve seen older Korean cars with the issue as well. Although nothing is safe in the rust belt. Here in Kentucky, we are kind of an “in-between" state. We have snow and they do salt the roads heavily when it does snow, but we only get 1-2 measurable snowfalls per year. If you wash your car at all then rust usually isn't bad. Hell, I have a 2008 Mazda3 that's still rust free. But, I have seen some neglected cars with some cancer spreading. And then there are a few out-of-state northern cars that are downright scary.