Is my Tundra worth fixing?

I got my truck a couple of months ago for $8800 - it's been completely reliable so far besides needing a new battery. Just reached 190,000 miles. I decided to have it checked out by a shop and am being quoted $5641 to have it fully sorted (new lower control arms, steering gear, radiator, valve cover gaskets, brakes, and more...) Obviously, there's a lot of markup there ($2400.00 just in labor...) that I could save by doing it myself. The only thing that concerns me is the rust. Located in southern Missouri, so some snow but not like the Northeast. How bad is this? The exterior and interior are otherwise great.

 

It’s got the right options it looks like. But that’s too much rust for me. I wouldn’t have bought that, myself. I’d sell and move on to another project, and be more careful about picking something with a better frame next time. It’s gonna be absolute hell turning wrenches on every bolt in that MF!

 

You have to sit with your thoughts and ask yourself how long you want to own this truck. Do u love this year and model? Do u hope to get a nicer newer looking rig in the future? For me I personally love the 1st gen tundra. I’ve had mine 6 years and just about to hit 180k I’m in the process of replacing just about everything in the front suspension. Thousands of dollars. Next I plan to completely re fresh the entire brake system, more thousands of dollars. If my transmission or engine fails. I’m willing to put thousands of dollars into that to repair or replace. I’ve come to terms that I truly enjoy my truck and have driven all the new stuff and found that I wouldn’t be happier with the newer models, I don’t like them better then what I have. Im willing to put $10-15k or more into my truck so that I can drive it for hopefully another 10+ years and beyond. I do not ever want to sell it so instead of putting 40-50k into a new vehicle I just throw everything I got at what I already own. It’s kinda sick but if my frame starts to go I’ll buy a new one of those too.

u need to get a screwdriver and start stabbing away at the frame. If ur screw driver goes through you will eventually need to replace or repair it.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

 

I would put that truck in the “heavy scale” category. You’ll need to poke around with a hammer and check for perforations. I don’t think you’ll find any. Time for a wire wheel and a frame treatment. Everything you listed on your needs to bring your truck up to date can be done at home for less than $2k. Trucks are a fortune these days. Cheaper to keeper

 

Bad, but not unfixable. Read up on using POR-15 or some other rust encapsulator.

You have a lot of work ahead of you to restore it.

 

Something else to think about, eventually gas will either be double what it is now or cheaper then it is now, not sure how that will play out 10 years from now with ev’s and plug in hybrids becoming the norm. I will eventually buy a tiny shit box ev/hybrid plug in for commuting and have my truck to enjoy the old times.

 

My response might have been a bit much. This particular topic strikes a chord for me. I think a lot of us are in the same boat as you @hatman18 .

If u wanna keep the truck, this forum is a great source and there are plenty of people with information and threads that will help u get this work done if u have the means to do it yourself. If it’s not a long term vehicle for you. Just keep changing the oil and start saving for a down payment and trade her in when she’s ready quit.

 

I sure as heck wouldnt pay 2400 in labor. Thats a really high cost/value ratio

 

Meh . . . I've seen much worse.
If you got the motivation & time . . . get after it with some rust treatment.
Pluck away at the fixes one at a time and run it.
If you're not that into it and have money to burn, sell it & move on.

 

If only they were nice enough to wanna take your money for a new one.

 

they won’t?

 

Toyota wont sell you a new frame no. Think a few have tried. Only under recall. Some have found better condition junkyard frames before. Protect that thing the best you can.

 

Taking the bed off will give you another look at the top portions of the frame that could be hiding rust.

 

start with this and add all the long travel you can.

https://roadstershop.com/product/1988-98-chevy-obs-spec-chassis/#engine-mount-options

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Really helpful. I spent some time poking around the frame and I didn't cause/see any perforations or holes. It felt pretty solid.

I am going to follow the advice here and get the truck sorted out. I think even with a couple thousand dollars worth of repairs, it's still worth it. It's impossible to find a good used truck around here for a reasonable price and I'm not able to spend $50K on a new one. If I can put in some time and money to get a couple more years of life out of the truck, I think that it is worth it to me.

 

Mos def. I could afford a new truck, but would prefer to keep old stuff going. A 7/8's scale fullsize truck is perfect for light/med duty. And you learn how to maintain/repair things (which is worth its weight in gold). The electrics are overcomplicated, but feel lucky you dont have to worry about vvti or 'advanced' emission nonsense. The only way you could have a better truck is if was american from the early 90's. And toyotas have the benefit of resale.

 

I would invest in a pneumatic die grinder and see if you can borrow an adequate compressor if you don't have one. Generally about 5 cfm or greater if possible, otherwise you'll be waiting between bursts of full use once the tank charges. I say this from experience after having gone over my entire frame and descaling all the rust. A sanding disk may be necessary as well in a few areas that have heavy scaling. I used an 80-grit wheel for a pneumatic whizzer which is only 2.5-3" in diameter to get into tight areas. 40-60 grit may be better so you don't over-grind it though.

Once done, some POR-15 degreaser, metal prep and two coats of POR-15 in semi-black. Wear protection for hands, hair and some disposable clothes since the stuff doesn't come off. Also, throw a tarp underneath so you don't spill on the driveway.

A link to my work: Fun, Fun, Fun.

 

you probably have the 'superleggera' version of the v8. Run through some scales and get a weight measurement.

 

Found today that Im able to order one through my work but I can see how toyota would do that and not sell them to the general public. Lame.

 

Nice looking Tundra but not one to make any investment in or long term plans to keep. Rust is a cancer, you can never see it all. It will keep creeping out, never a good thing. I live in Missouri too, our humidity will accelerate any rust that is hidden.

Never bought a desert southwest vehicle but believe they are worth even more then their upgraded price.

 

How worn are these items? It might just be stuff to keep an eye on. My steering rack has been leaking for a few year, but I only have to add PS about once a year. That's not worth the cost to me to fix. My valve cover gaskets leak a little bit, but just enough that they attract dirt and grime. Is the radiator leaking? If so, a denso unit is $200.

I'd do brakes because they are easy and suck on 1st gens. Drums can be a bit finicky so go OEM on those. Make sure your parking brake works.

 

Hey y’all. Just to give you an update… I went insane and basically already ordered every part I needed. Some OEM (e.g LBJs), some not.

I’ve spent the past week under the truck spraying the bolts and nuts with PB blaster to help make the jobs easier.

I’ve also spent more time banging at the frame and still have not found any serious issues. It really does just seem like a of bunch scale/surface. I’ve got the pneumatic grinder that @Jack McCarthy mentioned and will be going over the whole frame with POR-15 or the like.

Given that I have little experience (biggest thing I’ve done so far was the starter on this truck…), I’m not sure how well this is going to go. But now I’m in too deep to turn back. I’ve got no choice but to make this Tundra great again!

 

Just don’t skip the metal prep and degreaser for POR-15. The first time I did it on clean metal (grinded), it flaked off. The metal prep is what allowed it to stick. It will alway stick to rust though, metal prep or not.

 

Another tip is to only pour off what you need since it dries quickly and you don’t want a large can exposed to the air and humidity. You can get a good seal on the can by using Saran plastic wrap under the lid. I usually buy a quart and pour it into cleaned out baby food jars as needed. Whatever I have left over is stored in the beer fridge.

 

Fingers crossed!

Get a cheap torch and heat up the bolts, then spray with PB, it seems to suck the fluid in better

 

Old school trick, and one of my favorites.

 

@hatman18 One thing I forgot to mention is that I used a wire wheel attachment in the die grinder for most of the light stuff and only the sanding/grinding wheel for the heavy scale stuff.

 

@hatman18 u made the right decision. Nice work!

 

Awesome! I experienced the same when I bought my 2000. NO good Toyotas for sale up here on the Lost Coast. People here really use their trucks, lots of ranches and dairy farms, etc. No one sells their Toyota truck. 30 yr old clapped out beaters or 2 yr old Tacomas for $35k+ were all I could find. Purchase plus sorting her out (radiator, starter, new diff carrier, T-Belt, just ordered tires) puts the truck around $17k outside of general maintenance (oil/filter/fluid changes). Thankfully she's a California truck, and even though we get lots of rain here and it's wet all the time, I got lucky on the frame.. I can't buy a truck as good as this one for that amount. Keeper. Best of luck to you and show us follow ups on the progress.