Looking ath CraigsList; I see virtually no older cars for sale in Charleston (Man: tax, vs.)

[ArizonaBear]

Question:

Any idea why there are so few older cars/trucks for sale in at least the Charleston area? Going by craigslist.com the cutoff seems to be 1994.

Or is it because rust devours 'em quickly due to road salt in the winter?

I remember back in the Wash DC area that older vehicles died in 4-5 years due to corrosion back in the 1970's.

Why I wonder is at present we have almost three hundred (300) vehicles from 1965 alone for sale here in the Phx area.

Admittedly; our metro area is almost 4 million people vs. greater Charleston's of ca. 300K but still.............

[Katie1]

Most people adv older Cheeper cars by free local papers. & For Sale signs on the cars themselves. Yes they are harder to find as now you get more by the pound at junk yards.

[snorpus]

1. Outside of the really big cities (DC, NYC, Boston), Craigslist doesn't have much of an awareness factor in the east, not nearly as much as it does out West.

2. Old cars in good condition are valuable. The annual registration tax is minimal, since they've probably fallen off the Blue Book.

3. Salt/rust isn't nearly the problem it was 20-30 years ago. The road crews are using more de-icing chemicals, mixing in cinders, etc., and not using salt like they used to. Plus the sheet metal is more resistant.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by snorpus

1. Outside of the really big cities (DC, NYC, Boston), Craigslist doesn't have much of an awareness factor in the east, not nearly as much as it does out West.

2. Old cars in good condition are valuable. The annual registration tax is minimal, since they've probably fallen off the Blue Book.

3. Salt/rust isn't nearly the problem it was 20-30 years ago. The road crews are using more de-icing chemicals, mixing in cinders, etc., and not using salt like they used to. Plus the sheet metal is more resistant.

In other words: if I were to relocate to Charleson; I would be wise to keep my rustfree Arizona car/truck tucked away for the winter and drive a 10-15 YO FWD 'beater' instead.

I have a 1967 Rambler American SW with some rust as well as a 1990 GMC Suburban with no rust at all.

[David Kennedy]

There is 'NO money in old cars...dealers crush and junk them...too many headaches and liabilities...

go to a local trade paper...the biggest one in northern Wv is the bulletin board...Is regional and into several states...Your bulletin board...someone on this blog will have a copy handy and give the site...

[r601020]

Bought a 4x4 when I moved to West Virginia, which has proved a necessity a few times, especially because it's 5 minutes from anywhere in West Virginia to be off the grid. If you pull off the side of the road here, you will be introduced to West Virginia mud. Nothing like feeling your vehicle begin slipping in wet mud when there's a 300ft drop to your right . . 4x4.

Prior to moving here I thought it was strange to not see a lot of 4x4's, but talking to people, it seemed the norm to drive the economy, and have the 4x4 ready in the driveway. On a daily basis, you wouldn't see as many as you'd think you'd see, but on a rainy day, they come out as the preferred vehicle.

I've only had 1 winter here, roads were kept clear of ice and snow, especially in the city, they're on top of it. Actually needed my truck less in winter than summer. I'll end up with a second economical transportation for scooting around.

You might find this interesting . . my 93' Dodge Caravan that I had from Florida got significantly better gas mileage in Arizona, almost 100 more miles per tank. I don't why, because it ran hotter, 0% humidity, better fuel, all of the above?

[snorpus]

Could it be traffic? Every place I've been in Florida, the roads have been crowded, you're always on-the-gas/off-the-gas.

If anything, the altitude in AZ should make the mixture richer, which ought to hurt the mileage.

Maybe there's some sort of space-time distortion that takes place west of El Paso.

Oh... here it's a Trailblazer 4WD for winter, Cobalt for summer/mileage.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by snorpus

Could it be traffic? Every place I've been in Florida, the roads have been crowded, you're always on-the-gas/off-the-gas.

If anything, the altitude in AZ should make the mixture richer, which ought to hurt the mileage.

Maybe there's some sort of space-time distortion that takes place west of El Paso.

Oh... here it's a Trailblazer 4WD for winter, Cobalt for summer/mileage.

Most of Arizona is under 2,500' above sea level, here in the Phx area I am maybe 1,200'

[harborlady]

Few other things I'd like to point out- emission standards for cars. Many models prior to 1990 are way out of whack for emission standards of most states and makes them nearly unsalable to correct. Worth more as scrap when you consider the additional problems with experimental low VOC paint jobs that peeled like a sunburn, poor catalytic converter systems collecting oil and blowing valves on 80's model fords. Oh and lets not forget the cascading sensor failure & poorly designed wiring harness problems just to name a few. It's as if the whole 80's era of vehicles was a complete waste of time and $$. 70's and earlier registered as classic cars ride on grandfather clauses (with possible exception of california? I think even they let it slide since there were so few on the road and modifications would so badly harm book value).

Current emission standards also reformulate gasolene for a given region (not just a state). This means, ironically, these same poor saps have to pay more at the pump & in taxation for less gas mileage. Talk about a pig in a poke! I fail to see what they're saving for air quality when they have to burn more to go the exact same distances. Someday the reality math will come in and tell the truth about public transportation displacing cars for densely populated areas once and for all, but until then fed regs are what they are.

WV seems to have a few popular classic car shows going on with no shortage of entrants- seems to me late model 70's and older are more valuable for antique parts on ebay even if it doesn't work than to send it to a scrap dealer. I know upstate NY those older models are prime candidates for conversion to biofuel systems unless the frame is shot or it's been totalled. I think I'd ask threerun about this subject.

Arizonabear I think new hummers are pretty cheap right now, practically giving them away.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by harborlady

Few other things I'd like to point out- emission standards for cars. Many models prior to 1990 are way out of whack for emission standards of most states and makes them nearly unsalable to correct. Worth more as scrap when you consider the additional problems with experimental low VOC paint jobs that peeled like a sunburn, poor catalytic converter systems collecting oil and blowing valves on 80's model fords. Oh and lets not forget the cascading sensor failure & poorly designed wiring harness problems just to name a few. It's as if the whole 80's era of vehicles was a complete waste of time and $$. 70's and earlier registered as classic cars ride on grandfather clauses (with possible exception of california? I think even they let it slide since there were so few on the road and modifications would so badly harm book value).

Current emission standards also reformulate gasolene for a given region (not just a state). This means, ironically, these same poor saps have to pay more at the pump & in taxation for less gas mileage. Talk about a pig in a poke! I fail to see what they're saving for air quality when they have to burn more to go the exact same distances. Someday the reality math will come in and tell the truth about public transportation displacing cars for densely populated areas once and for all, but until then fed regs are what they are.

WV seems to have a few popular classic car shows going on with no shortage of entrants- seems to me late model 70's and older are more valuable for antique parts on ebay even if it doesn't work than to send it to a scrap dealer. I know upstate NY those older models are prime candidates for conversion to biofuel systems unless the frame is shot or it's been totalled. I think I'd ask threerun about this subject.

Arizonabear I think new hummers are pretty cheap right now, practically giving them away.

Emissions regs here in the Phx and Tucson areas mandate smog tests as far back as 1967...........yet, so-called 'Commie' California only tests 1976 and newer cars/light trucks.

As for mid 1960's and older iron: they rarely get crushed anymore unless said vintage cars/trucks are absolutely picked clean and are truly scrap.

No Hummer for me...........I have aligned many of 'em and would not give a plugged nickel for one----------poor visibility and cheap looking interiors.