Can you make your Gen2 last "forever"?

They're not, but... again applying the wisdom of those who went before us, there are still good reasons to look in Southern California and South Florida: Lots of direct flights, lots of sunshine (not just absence of salt) large populations sporting good car culture, lots of retirees selling off clean cars.

That doesn't mean you won't find great candidates in other places- it just means that for the price of one trip you'll get to see many more potential candidates if you happened to start your search in say, Los Angeles or Miami.

 

I would move to Florida to avoid salt, but Mrs b is a party pooper

 

That's not the only option. I'd say a good job of undercoating is worth it.

 

Maybe compromise & move to Virginia.
Although that map lists Virginia as in the "salt belt" i have had no issues in south central Virginia. I even have a 2000 Tundra that was recalled due to premature rusting but have had zero issues with ours.

 

For my money, undercoating is great- if you put it on the car before any salt exposure. That alone can add 2 years. Repeat the undercoating again in a year or two, that might get you two more. After that it is diminishing returns.

Rust plays a slow game, and it hasn't lost yet.

 

see post # 15
Can you make your Gen2 last "forever"? | PriusChat
and it's attachment
https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2025/02/263990_04-1.jpg


I've had a similar hole in the spare tire well thing, that I kept working on for a couple of years since it was the daily driver. There was a leak in the trunk of a 90s Dodge that I'd taken to a body shop and after multiple returns because the trunk still leaked the body shop gave up after their 5th try - iirc -. I found the leak a couple years later, that snaked around from the trunk lid drainage channels and S turned around the rear tail light and trickled into the trunk. But by than there was a rust hole under the spare. I was in the process of fixing the hole with a salvaged piece I cut off a donor.
The car also had rusting brake lines, even though they and all of the undercarriage had been ziebart coated.
What a mess. Finally the the lines started leaking before I'd figured out if I should fix them just to save the ole girl.
I had an even older 70s Dodge that I'd fixed a leak in the rear window after two tries at reseating the window.
On the second attempt, I was lucky enough to seat the rear window on the cleaned window frame and found the reason for the leak. The lower right corner of the window frame was bent just enough toward the cabin to make the seal leak. After I found the problem it was an easy fix from there. Much the same as fixing the trunk leak behind the 90s Dodge taillight fixture.

Hey if you have 40 grand and want to save a Gen 2, go for it. It doesn't matter what all of us think about a project like you are thinking about. It only matters what you want to gain by dropping 40k on a Gen 2 with hight hopes of Prius Camping and saving at the pump.