"He lives near the beach in Connecticut, right square in the rust belt"
East Patchogue is on Long Island, New York---about 10 miles east of where I live on the South Shore of the island. Maybe he has moved since retiring but he and the car spent most of their lives on LI. Last summer he had the car at a regular Thursday night "car show" at a strip mall parking lot in Oakdale on Montauk Hwy.
You have to give him credit--not just for the way he has treated his Volvo--but also for his perseverence in making his daily commute while working--I can tell you--a completely boring ride.
With extreme care it is possible for a pre-galvanized body to survive. I've owned my '69 144S since 1989 and bought it from the original owner who kept it rust free and garaged in Manhattan. It hasn't been treated nearly as well by me--parked outdoors the driver's side floor needed work a few years ago and now the passenger side will need attention--and nothing special done to the exterior. -- Dave