*edit* Pics in post 13.

Failed inspection due to holes in the frame, right rear. I knew there was plenty of rust under there but thought it was mostly on the small stuff, which I had been working on treating and painting. Wasn't too worried about the frame itself, apparently I should have been.

So now I'm trying to decide what to do. It's my DD so I can't just tear it apart for a few months, which is what it would take for me to even attempt a frame swap. Having it patched, well then next time some other place fails and back to square one.

Kinda leaning towards parting it out or selling it as is. It's an '02 Sport, with the hood scoop, and no other major issues. Needs timing belt done, and I have all the parts for that. Have a brand new radiator sitting in my basement too. And just a few months ago did the TBU for the front brakes.

Really frustrating, hate living the rust belt. (PA)

This is definitely a thread that needs pics!

How bad is it? Seems like it's worth bring to a shop to get supports welded on.

People repair this all the time, I wouldn't fret.

Yeah, I would just weld in a patch, grind and paint the other questionable portions of the frame, then fluid film from here on out. My 3rd Gen has spent its whole life in New England and is still going strong. I welded some panels on near the LCA last year but I wouldn't worry too much about it, not a huge deal. Pretty sure frame patch panels are the only reason there are still any legal cars in Northern New England...

I’m in a similar situation with my 2001. 265k miles in the rust belt has created a 3.5 foot long hole in the frame behind the muffler. On the driver’s side, holes can be poked in the frame. Adding the cost of a frame repair to numerous repair and maintenance items needed, that I simply can’t do myself, and the cost approaches $4000. This doesn’t include possible future failures such as head gasket, etc. Unfortunately, I have to bail out. These old girls are good to us, but salt is their poison.

This is where I'm at too, although it sounds like yours is worse off.

Sure, it can be patched, and ultimately replaced. But at what total cost of ownership?

I'll get some pics tomorrow and post them.

I just don’t understand living in the rust belt.

Do all cars regardless of year simply die every few years if not treated with fluid film?

I would think by now there would’ve been some state law that requires every 2 year treatment or something like that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't go down without a fight! Check these guys out:

autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit

They're in Rhode Island, but I was "this close" to taking my first T4R there before I finally sold it. I had a lot of $$$ invested in that truck as well, but to my everlasting regret I bailed. But...it also had some large patches of bad body rust, so it wasn't just the frame for me...

Not trying to be a jerk, but if you do decide to part it out PM me. I have an 02 Sport that I'm restoring now, so I may be interested in some bits and pieces, particularly if you have some decent (charcoal color scheme) interior bits...

It seems like manufacturers are getting better with rust proofing in the manufacturing process these days but in general you are correct. If you do not treat your car in some way it will corrode. Once they get too rusty they go to the scrap yard regardless of mileage or drive train. Sad.

It's not just undercoating though. Things like mud flaps that keep the rocker panels from getting peeled of paint help a lot. That's often the first place to go.

Honestly a lot of it is the chemicals they use in the salt. I work for a delivery company and we drive chevy expresses and the drivers who are out in the country roads there trucks are a lot more rusted then mine which is driven on paved/suburb roads. They use Lime/alkaline and all kinds of different types of deicers/snow melters. I wish they used coal ash like they do in colorado and out west instead of the highly corrosive "salt". I made a delivery to the IDOT and where the salt barn was it said "Wear protective clothing and gloves while handling" And their putting that on our roads? it not just your basic salt Its manufactured granules made with chemicals..If only people knew how to drive when we have snow we wouldn't need our roads to become salt water.
Good luck with figuring everything out! I also have a section of frame thats gonna need a patch so I feel your frustration. Always combating against rust and salt.

Certain vehicles are more prone to it than others. Toyota and Chevy truck frames rust out way before the drive train goes typically. A lot of uni-body cars don't seem to rust out as bad as trucks with boxed in perimeter frames. It is very frustrating! When I work on cars from out west I get very jealous! My brother picked up a 1999 4Runner from Wyoming and let his GF drive it around in her home state of Vermont. I told him to fluid film it to preserve it's beautiful frame. Well he didn't and after only one winter it looks terrible, all the welds are rusty now.

If it's not too bad I would fix it. I can fix it myself, so it's easy for me to say that, but at least get an estimate and assess what else it needs, mileage, etc before you make a decision.

First two pics are spare tire area, tire removed obviously. I realize now crawling around underneath it why I didn't notice, it's not really in the back more the middle of the frame, in an area I hadn't gotten to yet.

Last pic is the best I could get of the spot that has holes in it. For some reason I could not get the file size down to where it needed to be without cutting out most of the image. My phone's camera kinda makes it look like the rod connecting to the frame at the right of the pic is separating from the frame, but that's just weird lighting. It's still solid at that point. So far.

Attached Images

     

There's much worse out there. Here's your plan of attack.

1. Get it patched
2. Oil the frame. Any oil. Used engine oil, Fluid Film, WD40, whatever. Coat the whole frame with it. Take it for a drive to build up a layer of dirt to turn it into grease. It will preserve that metal for a very long time.

My mechanic was saying the fully boxed frames like this rust from the inside out, so treating the outside is just part of the problem and not even the worst part.

Is that wrong?