Yes, another rust opinion

I know, I know. We need another rust question. Anyway, I may go look at a 2005 Tundra AC 4x4. Dealer has been great so far and sent me the below pics of the underside. This is attractively priced with 240k miles. Advertised price is $5800 at the moment.

According to the toyota site this was done at 170k miles: FRM. INSP/RMV. BED/RMV. RUST/CRC APPLY DLR, RENTAL VEHICLE THRU ENTERPRISE, REPLACED BROKEN BODY BOULT

Pics: what's everyone think? And, yes I will check it out if I deem it worth it but all these trucks (which amounts to maybe 4 or 5 at most) are 2+hours away so doing my research prior to actually checking it out. Just want to make sure it's worth it or not to drive 2 hours to see yet another tundra or taco

 

Everyone has there own line they'll draw. That truck is beyond the line of what I would consider acceptable.

 

That seems like a pretty healthy amount of rust for your neighborhood.

 

That looks pitiful. I wouldn't even consider buying that truck. Also, being in North Carolina there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to find a Tundra that isn't rusted out.

 

That's a fair amount of rust, an I'm in New England an quite used to rust being a normal thing. May be worth going down for a closer look. If its surface rust then it might be worth it but some spots look pretty bubbled up. To me it's one of those things. You can't stop it. You can only slow it down. How long do you plan on keeping the truck? If your looking for something cheap to get by a few years then the toyota will run forever. The body/frame won't in that condition.

 

I have been looking for awhile now and it's difficult to find one from 5-7k range, rusted out or not. Either it gets purchased in literally a few hours I've seen or they're 3-4 hours away. I've given up traveling 3 hours each way for a vehicle. Either way, there aren't many around

 

Actually, this truck spend a long time in Vermont. I am looking for a $5-7k 4x4 Access Cab that, at that price point, I understand won't be perfect. I would love to have it last 10+ years but would be okay if it gave me 3-4 years without too much hassle. I do like to tinker around with cars but by no means a mechanic.

 

That's a healthy amount of rust for sure, especially if only 60k miles ago they removed the bed to repair the rust. It looks like someone might have painted rust protection on, and usually that stuff just seals in rust, or if it gets chipped will let rust grow underneath and even exacerbate it.

I'd keep looking. They should have done the repair right and just replaced the whole frame. That's not all that uncommon of a repair, at least from Toyota, I've heard.

 

Alot of guys really get bent out of shape about rust understandably. If this is all you can really find an your in need of a vehicle. Go look at it just check the frame over real good, bang around on it a bit. Make sure the metal is still solid underneath. If you end up with it spend some time scrapping off the loose stuff an treat it with some sort of rust inhibitor like maybe POR 15 an then hit it a few times a year with some fluid film or equivalent an you can stretch it out with some regular maintenance. As long as it's mostly surface rust.

 

And it kind a looks like it had a hard/rubber coating thing done. And it's peeling off in chunks. Not good and I hate rubber coating.

 

Pass. There's an exhaust hanger on the drivers side cat that's down to about a human hair's thickness, eroded from rust. The body mount pictured is almost eaten through with rust. There's a portion of the frame pictured that looks like that section of floor you step through in a mobile home. Rear diff cover looks ready to disintegrate. Hard pass. There isn't a good price for a truck that will be nothing but trouble. Unless it's $800 and you want the motor and trans out of it. Imagine trying to replace a simple part of suspension on this truck. All the bolts are rusted, all the brackets are crumbling. Think of all the parts you can't see that are eaten up. See the build thread on here where the guy is rebuilding a truck with less rust than this and has already exceeded the original budget (like every project I do). Look how much work was involved as well. I wouldn't pay good money for the trouble. Head south and find a non-rust belt truck.

 

Also, upon further inspection, where the hell did the skid plate go? Dust in the wind I imagine.

 

Pass - wouldn’t even bother you don’t want the headache.

 

You see that bubbling paint on the bottom of the door? Imagine how far and fast that'll spread without being attended to. Rust likes to spread. There's a reason it's called cancer...

 

Yeah, not to mention that spreading pinch weld on the bottom of the rocker panels. OP will have butt-ugly sheet metal problems long before frame issues with that one. Not a ten year truck. Too many other opportunities out there.

 

Run away! I'm not sure what the market is in NC, but in CO, it's easy to find a rust free 200k mileage truck for $6,000.

 

Been looking for dayzzz for 1st Gens on shmeggsliss. No finds. Not even the usual dogs stay on for months that ‘has some rust but been sprayed under recall’. Soccer Moms Sequoias are rare, too. Rare.

 

here's a reasonably priced low mileage example

 

That's reasonably priced to you?

 

That would be me..... it's been a solid 5 months of working roughly 8-10 hours a week on this thing, and it's far from perfect. But, I've enjoyed almost every minute of it.

I paid 2,000 for my truck, and am approaching 5,000 total investment. Originally, I figured I could do it for less than 4,000...

The truck in question looks similar to the condition of mine when I got it, but I had big holes in the sides of the forward box section.

I'd keep looking.

 

The fact that the rust is already eating at the sheet metal at the rocker panel below the door, and the rear driver wheel fender, I'd walk away.

I definitely recommend looking for a southern truck from GA or FL.

 

more so than 5800 for OPs
vehicle market is crazy

 

yea that frames got very little time left. The CRC is likely hiding a hole already. Look elsewhere. most i'd pay for that truck is 2k... because a 2700 dollar frame will be needed soon + a bunch of other parts that would break. and my time to swap it.

 

read: sarcasm.

 

I'd agree with the skip that truck. If you don't need 4x4 hit this guy up.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tundra/comments/iuktdi/gotta_sell_it/

 

Thanks but that's a 2WD. Looking for a 4WD

 

Did you see this one?


https://hickory.craigslist.org/cto/d/morganton-2001-toyota-tundra-limited/7194653591.html

 

Thanks for that. I never check craigslist; assumed no one ever posted there anymore. How concerned should I be about an exhaust leak?

 

Minimal concern. Overall, as long as the frame looks better than the first one you shared, it looks ok.

probably needs a timing belt. Is that something you could handle?

That tear in the drivers seat Bottom is repairable, at a cost..