Car moving to Florida

[SilverFusion2010]

Originally Posted By: NO2
Rubber tends to deteriorate more in the high temps and sun. Check your belts, hoses and tires more frequently.


And WINDSHIELD WIPERS. Rain is a daily thing in summer. I highly recommend rainx washer fluid

 

[oil_film_movies]

Moving to FL, a hotter climate. That question brings me back. In 1986, my '85 Dodge Ram 50 pickup went to Phoenix. I always put in Mobil1 5w20 back then and figured the synthetic base oil would take any extra heat. Thats certainly true today. Just use a full synthetic that exactly meets the viscosity grade, although it would not hurt to start using a full-synthetic High Mileage oil of 5w30 in sunny FL on an engine with that many miles.

Unless an engine has really great oil cooling, as in what BMW does with coolant-to-oil heat exchangers, along with a big radiator, engines do run hotter when its over 95 degrees outside.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Cars last forever down here though. I live 2 miles from the beach. I just traded our 2002 Lincoln we bought new and it was nice and shiny with the production stickers still on the body underneath. It was never in a garage and sat outside it's whole life.

I had the exact opposite experience. My mother took a 4-year-old car in great condition, and left it Florida, only to drive it seasonally (winters). In 4 years the car turned into junk with only 36K on the odometer. The car was rusting inside and out. What wasn't rusting, was bleached by the sun. Even the window started delaminating internally. She lived a half mile from the ocean. She sold the car for $400.

Near the coast there is a constant salt spray from the crashing waves, and the salt mist is carried aloft. The sun gets everything else.

 

[Triton_330]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Fill your tank to the top when you go back up north. Use a bottle of Stabil in the gas tank. And put your battery on a battery tender.

I would think it'd be better to only have half a tank that way it can be filled with fresh gas the next time he visits. I agree on using Stabil - in fact maybe try the sort of new Stabil 360 that is both a stabilizer and a cleaner.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

In all honesty, you should just get another car when you get down there. Southern cars aren't rusty like the northeast

 

[dparm]

Modern cars and fluids are quite resilient. Don't overthink this -- the only thing you may need to do is put Sta-Bil in the gas tank if it'll go undriven for several months.

Other than that, the car should be fine.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

Originally Posted By: Triton_330
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Fill your tank to the top when you go back up north. Use a bottle of Stabil in the gas tank. And put your battery on a battery tender.

I would think it'd be better to only have half a tank that way it can be filled with fresh gas the next time he visits. I agree on using Stabil - in fact maybe try the sort of new Stabil 360 that is both a stabilizer and a cleaner.


Consider finding some ethanol Free premium, it lasts longer in storage

 

[fdcg27]

Careless and incompetent driving does seem to be a Florida thing and it isn't limited to the truly old.
People in most Midwestern and Northeastern cities drive quite aggressively, but they seem to have the chops to do so.
People in Florida seem to be pretty clueless in fast traffic while still keeping that right foot down.
The accidents are inevitable.
I would personally rather drive in Socal than anywhere in Florida having driven through both.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Nope, Florida doesn't get that hot anyways.

Humid yes, hot no.


You're right. 90-100 degrees isn't that hot.

90-100 is just getting started!

 

[Panzerman]

Lots of illegals driving, Lots of drivers with no insurance here. I was working with a cop one night and he told me 8 out of 10 people he pulls over have a issue with Drivers license, registration or insurance in Florida. I've never seen so many dead beats as down here.

 

[jeepman3071]

Florida must have some of the worst drivers since many of them are so old. When I worked at the insurance company one of my coworkers had moved up from Florida. He said he was rear-ended 10 times in the 4 years he lived there. That's insane.

 

[BrocLuno]

You just need a Checker (Cab car) with real crash-bumpers. Or a 1953 Hudson with perimeter frame. Either will laugh off casual stuff and kill the other guy in serious crashes ...

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Lots of illegals driving, Lots of drivers with no insurance here. I was working with a cop one night and he told me 8 out of 10 people he pulls over have a issue with Drivers license, registration or insurance in Florida. I've never seen so many dead beats as down here.


So 80% of the drivers cops stop in FL have some sort of problem which should preclude their being a driver?
Sounds pretty awful and reinforces my view that Florida is the worst state to drive in.
IMHO, Montana is the best if only for the very smooth and well maintained interstate hosting only a small amount of traffic. I wondered at the time how it could be that poor states with serious winters like Montana could have better roads than states with milder winters and much larger budgets like Ohio.
Wyoming would also rank up in the lists for the same reasons; low traffic volume and blissfully smooth roads.

 

[Panzerman]

Living in Pennsylvania most of my life with cow path roads, winters, cliffs and worse driving conditions in general my insurance is about double in Florida. Orlando/ Kissimmee is like another country with lack of English and driver license plus the fact that every northern lawyer moves here to retire and Sue's for pocket money, I suppose cause the high rates.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

It's partly how insurance companies cover themselves. Back in 2004-2005 they took significant storm related losses because of the hurricanes that kept hitting the state. Many insurers tried to pull out of the housing insurance market. So the state legislature jumped up and down and passed a law saying "if you want to sell auto insurance, you HAVE to sell homeowners insurance." I'm paraphrasing of course.

My theory is that they jacked rates across the board to cover any potential losses on the homeowner side of the business.

I'm sure that the driving free for all also plays a part. I pay 180 a month for liability on two cars and I have a clean MVR.

I think most insurers should be lowered into a vat of molten copper inch by slow inch but I digress...

 

[Oilied]

Thanks everyone for the replies. They have been very informative. Looks like I'll just keep things the way they are . It's amazing how insurance rates are so different down there due to the nature of drivers. Now the big question conventional or synthetic? - just kidding !

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Lots of illegals driving, Lots of drivers with no insurance here. I was working with a cop one night and he told me 8 out of 10 people he pulls over have a issue with Drivers license, registration or insurance in Florida. I've never seen so many dead beats as down here.


So 80% of the drivers cops stop in FL have some sort of problem which should preclude their being a driver?
Sounds pretty awful and reinforces my view that Florida is the worst state to drive in.
IMHO, Montana is the best if only for the very smooth and well maintained interstate hosting only a small amount of traffic. I wondered at the time how it could be that poor states with serious winters like Montana could have better roads than states with milder winters and much larger budgets like Ohio.
Wyoming would also rank up in the lists for the same reasons; low traffic volume and blissfully smooth roads.


Maybe Montana has fewer politicians stealing less money ?

Or fewer dead beats sucking up the money in " social services " ?

Wyr
God bless