Look for advice on buying 2001 Tundra with 120k miles

Shoot some oil or PB Blast those welds and surface rust on the nuts/bolts and rub some grease on them. They’ll look new again!

You can research the Professional Hand Model Tundra Frame Grease Rub Old Skool Technique on the internets.

 

As we call it, "the usual once over."
Tundrans are gonna want pics...

 

Not sure where you’re located, but I’ll be at work tomorrow (O’Hare in Chicago) and if it’s near the airport, I’d be happy to take a look at it..

don’t pay any attention to the wad of Benjamin’s in my pocket when I get there....

 

Thanks for the offer, it's a couple hours away from there. I'm a frequent visitor of O'Hare, flew on about 140 flights either into or out of O'Hare in 2019.

 

Well the dealer posted some better pictures online, the ones I got via email were lower quality/small.

It looks like there is some bubbling in the paint from this picture, probably rusting. I will certainly ask the dealer to confirm but does this make it a no-go? That has to be pretty expensive to repair, right? Wonder if the damage on the Carfax was here and the repair is now rusting. Sad because it seems to be immaculate otherwise.

 

I agree I see them for $8-12k with those miles in that condition. $8k is on the low end. The value of these are going up not down. Blue book hasn’t caught up with actual market value yet. You can still find some gem one owner low mile ones for blue book when someone doesn’t know what they have. They sell quick tho.
More truck than a Tacoma, better longevity and reliability for $$$$ less. Who wouldn’t want one.

 

I think he’s taking about this

 

If that’s the only spot and it is rust under the paint offer them $6k. If they say no walk away. It wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me. Id use it for negotiation. I’d grid it out treat it, fill it and paint it. If I screwed it up to bad Id get some color matching fender flares that cover what I fucked up.

 

That's a very common spot for rust on these trucks -- in fact, I'd estimate it's the most common. Further supporting the theory that the frame was replaced. Look very carefully at the rocker panels and door bottoms.

Could be a very good deal.

 

New OEM Wheel Flares (Off Road Package Type) will hide over that rusted spot. I’d clean up those bubbles and neutralize with Ospho. Fill and install the sweet side flares which will hide the repair and give that nod to the Aussie Outback Look.

And yes the frame is probably new if the bubbles are like that on the body. Usually, the frame goes way before the body metal. Toyota made sure this generation Tundras were not going to rust based on their 80-90’s body problems.

 

For the minimal investment to repair that area around the wheel well, I wouldn't pass it up. The rest of the truck appears to be super clean, and you'll be hard pressed to find something even close to that for the money. Yes, I bought mine for $2K, but I've put about $4400 into it to make it the truck it is now.

 

Yup, that's WHY it's priced on the low end of the scale. The bottom side needs attention at all those seams but it looks like they're easily treatable.

That's what I personally would do, too. Doubt they would take $6K but $7K might fly. Or see what the dealer wants to fix it and negotiate the price.

If everything else on the truck is A-OK and you like it, a little bit of rust in our neck of the woods is fairly common and makes room for a little bargaining.

The dealer has the upper hand 'cuz it WILL sell fairly quickly and they can just sit on it.

 

In the road salt area of the country that frame has to have been replaced unless is was from the south and only recently made it's way up there. Call Toyota and ask them about any recall/repair/service work that has been done on the truck (the Toyota owners website might work also). Then compare when the frame was replaced with when the collisions were reported, if the frame was replaced after any collisions I wouldn't be concerned about them.
To bad you can't just drop by the dealership or you could just go around back where they keep the riff-raff who don't wear khakis and polo's and offer one of the grey beard tech some cash to check it out on his off time and give you his private opinion.

 

Totally agree, but you did a HELLA LOTTA work on yours, buddy.
(Aside, stayin' healthy?)

 

Maybe up north. I never see the body rust before the frame on these trucks. @BHTundra how did the rest of the truck look?

 

Good point. I should have written that more clearly. That spot is probably the most common place on the body for rust.

 

Heck my 2016 that came from the east coast has the same weld rust on the frame. But it's really nothing to worry about. I Just used a dremel with an abrasive 80grit buffer wheel attachment to get it off in the visible areas then coated with rustoleum enamel.

Looks like a beauty for an older truck!

 

Get the VIN and register it here and you will be able to see if the frame was replaced...if it has, it will show up in the service history.

toyota.com/owners

 

Rather than reply individually I figured I'd quote everyone... thanks again for all the help.

I looked up the service history on Toyota. Not sure how I missed it last time as I tried to download all the records and review them, but frame was replaced March of 2016. Is this a concern that more of the body will start to rust soon or not necessarily?

 

It means that you need to go over the truck with a fine tooth comb and decide what is an acceptable level of rust for you. Read my short sad story here...

https://www.tundras.com/threads/considering-my-first-tundra.39626/#post-1009050

 

Even if it's not as gross as speedtre's experience, the rust can make doing any kind of work underneath the truck a nightmare. Personally, I'd opt for a higher mileage truck with no rust. The difference between 120k mileage and 220k seems like a lot, but these trucks hold up well.

 

It would also seem that the muffler and exhaust that were replaced at the same time were also rusted out I would think?

 

Its black! BUY IT!!!!

 

Everyone here knows my answer to these threads already.
1st gen tundras suffer from rust issues, enough for Toyota to open a recall for it. With that said, why buy a truck where rust is very common problem to all cars? Go south or midwest, where there is no snow or salt on the roads.

This is a 4x4


Not sure if this is RWD or 4x4

 

Not sure where you think the Midwest is exactly but they use the shit out of salt here both when there is snow and when there is not snow!

 

I didn't want to start a list of states but I was referring to places like Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona. I guess I should say south west

 

frame is pretty near mint. Just blaster the welds and frame, coat with your proofing method of choice
it's good for another 90k before next timing belt unless your LBJs decide to go
see if you can get it cheaper but get there yesterday

 

I've never understood why that area is called the Midwest, it should be called Mideast if anything. I'm gonna google this on lunch break put of curiosity.

Edit- interesting read, funny that we still call it that. https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-ge...-its-not-located-in-the-middle-west-of-the-US

 

It was a lot of work, and I enjoyed every single day of it! I am staying healthy. Thanks for asking Mikey. I'm about 98% at this point. Still some discomfort when sitting too long, but thats getting better...

 

Well the Arch and ST.Louis is known as "Gateway to the West" so that pretty much tells me it is smack in the middle of the country really.

Add to that the Climate is about the same until you get to the Continental Divide reinforces the Midwest label.

I only brought this up because suggesting that someone buy a truck from the Midwest and implying that we dont use salt on the roads here is just not correct,even more so in Illinois where the OP is from.