Salt-belt corrosion and pre-purchase inspection

East Coast and snow-state cars are a documented rust risk: one buyer's rescue turned up rusted-out parking-brake cables and extensive undercarriage corrosion, and salt-state provenance visibly hurts desirability. The threads carry hard-won buying advice — do not trust a seller's description or even a dealer PPI, be wary of a freshly pressure-washed underside that hides leaks, and inspect the car (or send a trusted local) in person.