Moist salt air can be bad for cars, particularly the electrical connectors. I've had to store Alfas for various stretches. Several years parked in MA led only to a worn clutch seal. But a single year parked in VA Beach resulted in having to clean virtually every electrical connector. For road salt, the old story was either avoid salt, or don't park it in a garage. It's when the snow stuck to the car melts that the salt and water combination activates. So if you leave the car outdoors in freezing temperatures, the salt isn't as much of a problem.
Why do they use salt anyway. Here we have temperatures as low as 40 below.......sand has always been used.
Salt is used in warmer climates to help melt the snow. Up where you are, that really wouldn't do much, since the melted snow would just re-freeze. In places where below-freezing temps won't last most of the winter (i.e. not Montana), the idea is to get the snow melted, let the water run off and enjoy clear roads. Not much chance of that in Montana, so they use sand to improve traction and leave it go at that.
I've also seen D.O.T. use ground up lava rock / pumice in lieu of salt to promote traction out here in the Pacific NW.
Trying hard not to make a Salt Walther reference... Every year manufacturers say they've devised new and better corrosion prevention methods, but we still see cars and trucks that are only a few years old with rust bubbles. Yes, newer cars are less rust prone, but its still a major concern. Look underneath any10 year old car or truck here in the midwest. Galvanizing is great for a unibody, but any fastener attachment point has the potential to break that coating and expose raw metal. Exotics use lots of dissimilar metals also, which increases that chance for corrosion - steel bolts in aluminum or magnesium housings, etc. And coatings only last so long. Also more complex design leads to more cavities where moisture and dirt can hide, and more components that are exposed to the elements, and more drain points that can potentially clog and trap water.
Anything that I care about, even a newer exotic, will never come into contact with salt. Even if it doesn't rust out, all the suspension parts, engine/trans castings will oxidize. May not hurt the functionality of the car but it certainly won't be as nice. I'll leave you with my personal experience with older vehicles and road salt. Both the same year, both 200k+ miles. First one never touched salt, second one I drove through Chicago winters. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
