[mgill3]

I plan on buying a car when I get back out there in October.

My question is, how does everything hold up in the heat? I'm talking about transmission seals, gaskets, anything rubber basically... I'm wondering what to expect when I'm shopping for a nearly 20 year old car in the desert.

Thanks

Edit: I guess this would apply for anyone living in the S.W. US as well.

 

[TWX]

Interiors and clearcoats fare the worst. Dashes crack, plastics dry out and disintegrate. Seats dry out and split. Carpets get very dusty/dirty. The clearcoats either peel or oxidize. There was a terrible hail storm a year and a half ago, a LOT of vehicles are damaged from that. Just be careful.

Remember about seals, that the vehicles heat up a lot more than the ambient air ever will, so it doesn't really hurt the mechanical stuff too much.

 

[mgill3]

Remember about seals, that the vehicles heat up a lot more than the ambient air ever will, so it doesn't really hurt the mechanical stuff too much.

Wow, THANK YOU for that... brain fart.

 

[fjb37]

Avoid anything green which is the best color for a solar collector but the worst for a car or car interior. Worse than black which is best for getting rid of heat. I agree with TWX. Just my $0.02.

FredB