[Sirrotica]

Mine were in Erie PA, and I didn't buy the car until 1977, so it was driven in the snow before I owned it, more than likely. Actually I bought it after it was wrecked, supposedly during the winter, 4 years old, it needed 2 fenders, heels were rusted, 2 full quarters rear body member and drop off and rear valance. All those panels had holes through them in 4 years.

The floors and top were good at that time I quit driving it after all the body work was done and the new panels were installed 1979. The car sat until I sold it in 2019 by that time the floor, firewall, and rear frame rails were getting pin holes in the metal. all the panels that were new GM metal in 1977 and they were all solid, but the OEM panels that didn't get replace in 77, the metal was rusting.

I also owned a 73 Grand Am (bought in 1975), and a 73 GTO, (bought in 1979) by the time both cars were only 6 years old, the quarters, and wheel lips were completely rusted away, and had new metal welded in both cars. They didn't get driven in the winter while I owned them. I had a 73 T/A hood that I bought used in 77 for my 73 T/A, by 2019 the whole underside bracing was rotted away along with huge rust scabs on the upper surface. The whole car was painted in 1979, changed color from Buccaneer red, to black lacquer.

I leased a Pennzoil gas station, and garage from 1977 through 1982, so I saw how those cars rotted away under the worst conditions, 73 and 74 were much worse than pre 73, or post 74 and later. I also owed a 73 Jeep truck that was driven every winter in the salt, wrecker and plow truck, the body didn't start rusting through until the mid 90s, so there is a difference in the metal used.

F bodies rust badly in the rust belt, just the way they were built, but 73 and 74s rusted quicker than other years because of the crappy metal used. The metal I replaced on my 73 was made around 77-78, it lasted 40 years and looked about the same way it looked when the car was painted in 1979. The OEM metal continued to deteriorate during those 40 years not being driven.

If you own a 73 that is rust free, it had to be in a very dry, low humidity climate. Erie is just the opposite, high humidity and big temperature swings that of course produces condensation. In Erie if you owned a pole barn and the temperature swung a bunch over the day, you'd get so much condensation on the metal roof, that it looked like it was raining inside of the building. Living next to that lake keeps everything moist, all the time.