What do you do to your automobile to protect from salt/rust damage?
Is taking the car to a carwash with underbody cleaning once in a while during the winter salt seasons a good method? Are any underbody coatings worth it?
I have a rust-free 1995 Toyota Corolla DX sedan that has never been driven in a salted-road state. I will be moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota this year. It is disheartening to see pictures of used Toyotas for sale from 2003 on up in this city with visible rust around the fenders. Even with this rust damage evident, dealers still have the nerve to ask $5K to $10K for these rust buckets. Because of the salt situation, I'm gun shy about buying any used vehicle in a "rust belt" state.
It seems like winter Dakota roads might be tough on automobile bodies, underbodies and paint.