Another "is this too much rust?" question

Hi all,

I was hoping to ask for your help. I'm looking to get a 1st gen Tundra, and the posts on this forum and elsewhere have alerted me to the frame rust issue. I found a 2003 on offer a couple hours drive away from me. I asked the owner for pictures of the frame, both where the cross members meet the frame rails, and up front by the front diff. This is what I got back. I've been reading other photo threads on frame rust, but I'm still trying to calibrate my "rust sense", and would be grateful for people's opinions. The pictures around the spare seem borderline OK to me, maybe just surface rust (let me know if you disagree), but this first photo, up by the front, seems like a more concerning amount of rust. What do you think? Would it be worth it to drive a couple hours each way to check out this truck (including of course, hands-on inspection of the rust situation), or would you let this one pass? Any thoughts or comments would be great.

 

It’s already been delaminated in several places and it’s got significant corrosion. It would take a lot of work to prep and stop any further degradation. Doable only from what I see, but a lot of work so unless you’re getting a steal, I’d avoid it. You’d also have to go over all of it with a fine tooth comb to make sure it hasn’t rusted through in any areas. Meaning, take a hammer with you to check it out.

 

Not the worst I've ever seen. Definitely a talking point to reduce asking price.

It's not too far gone, but it would be a decent amount of work to bring it back around. That area near the trans cross member looks concerning, unless that's just flaking paint.

Good news is rear diff is LSD.

Personally I'd pass. Unless it was cheap enough to buy as a parts vehicle. But I'm spoiled with Southern trucks.

 

Clearly it's been coated with something at some point, that's strike one.

Clearly it's delaminating in some places, that's strike two.

I suspect you're not seeing the worst of it, I'd move along unless the price is exceptionally good, and you're ready to put in significant work.

 

If you’re planning to work on it yourself and do all the stuff the cool kids here do like suspension upgrades, or even just remove a bolt or nut here and there, that truck will fight you every step of the way. If you don’t have experience working on rusty trucks I mean I guess there’s always a time to learn…..but do you want to?

 

Pass

 

I'd pass. While the pictures you posted aren't terrible, there certainly are some concerning spots present in the pictures. I would put money down that there are worse spots not pictured, and you won't really know about it until you really get into it later.

As another poster pointed out, you'll be fighting every bolt trying to get it out if you touch the suspension or anything else. I know I had a lot of maintenance to catch up on my truck when I got it, and every bolt was a fight. Be prepared for that, and mine was in much better shape than the pictures you posted.

 

If you are really wanting a FGT rust free ones are out there. My truck was from southern TN. Not a spec on it. The rest of the truck was clean but the owner wasn’t really trying to make it a show truck. He was confused when I asked for pics of the frame since I’m from New England. Don’t mind the dirt and a bit of fluid film but this is my 06

 

Jeeezus christ on a motorbike

 

Too much rust for a complete restoration, but not too much rust to spray fluid film on it, take care of it and make it last a few more years.
The pics don't show the laminated area near the gas tank, but from the rest of it I would call it beyond superficial but still quite serviceable.

 

@Jack McCarthy, @Riverdale21, @shifty` , @JasonC. , @KNABORES , @kentuckyMarksman , @KTM_AJ421 , @Dook55 , thank you for your advice. I found another 2003, also a 4 hour drive one way, and I was hoping to ask again for some continued education. In many places I think this one looks better than the last frame. But am I seeing delamination or rust bubbling up under that white coating on some of the cross members, especially in the 1st photo where the cross member meets that element running towards the front of the truck, or is that just my imagination? Also, does anyone recognize what that coating is? Is that the Toyota coating that everyone says stops surface rust but then it rusts from the inside out, or is that what Fluid Film looks like? Or is that maybe just mud? Or something else? Also FYI, in these photos, I see what look like water drips; I think the owner had just washed down the underbody.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a driveshaft that clean. But what do I know, I’m from New England.

 

I’d have to take a closer look on my computer and I didn’t bring one to the cookout but at first glance, the rust bubbling or delaminating is limited to a few spots that can be treated without a great deal of work and the rest looks only to be surface rust but then again, I can only see the limited detail on my phone.

It’s hard for me to tell if the rear pumpkin is something to worry about.

 

Most of what I see is superficial, hit with a wirebrush, Rustoleum satin black to re-rustproof for the summer, then coating in winter if you're in a salted area.

I'd smell closely around the gas tank, make sure there's not a leak, some strange splashing on either side of the tank, onto the driveshaft, and on the framerail.

Note the parking brake stuff has something weird going on, it's wiped the paint off the rear diff cover totally.

Note what looks like an aftermarket trailer harness, you'll want to tear into that if you buy it to ensure they secured it properly, not shittily by way of t-taps/scotchloks/quicktaps.

That looks like a truck that either only spent a winter or two driving in the rust belt, or had the frame replaced within the last couple of years.

 

Agree with the prior guys’ statements. The front end actually looks great, which is where most of the wrenching seems to get done.

 

I don’t think it looks bad at all much better than the last one. Maybe wire brush it and shoot some spray paint over it in spots and then fluid film!

 

it’s crazy im from New England too and seeing how damn clean it is underneath. It has service records and recalls all in the Toyota app and really nothing besides oil changes every 5k, LBJs at 37k for the recall and a trans service at 60k. I wish I could take it to a car show because I’d love to park it upside down haha. I’ve never even washed under there. The bolts all look brand new.

 

I agree, front end looks great, the rest looks like surface rust. As others have said, wire wheel it and paint, then fluid film later this year.

 

That ain't no cream puff, but as others have said, not the worst I've seen.

If it were me, I'd pass on it. I passed on one that looked similar.

 

That second one looks fine to me. I would just pressure wash underneath and when it's completely dry inside the laminations I would drown it in fluid film and do it again whenever it needs it. 2003's are good trucks and it should last you twice a long as any new truck made today.

 

An update for everyone who responded to me on this thread. After much searching, I bought an '05 that I liked. Just to complete the story, below are some frame pictures of the truck I went with. Thanks again to everyone for educating me on what a good frame should look like, and to the forum posts in general for why it's so important...