Went to look at an 05 V8 with only 98k miles but the frame was a little too rusty for my comfort. The dealer said it was just surface rust but that seems excessive?

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That's some serious "surface rust". Look outside your normal area: south west, north west. Fly out and drive it back!

Trying to jump on that one on Classifieds in Ohio now! Already looked up flights and they are very doable.

Doesn’t look too bad to me. Should be a relatively easy clean up. None of the surfaces look they’re crumbling/ altered the structure. I wouldn’t be too scared of that one

If the price was right. It all comes down to that IMO.

They were asking $13k for this one.

The miles are nice and low, but I would be concerned about that frame. I bought one at the end of October with 171K miles for $13K, but the rust was WAY cleaner than that. The frame is the weakest link on these trucks, so getting one with a solid frame is going to be your best bet. With rust like that, the price should be much lower. Just my .02

My thoughts exactly.

I've now included GX 470's into the search since every one of those made has a V8.

I don't mind spending the money to have the frame cleaned up and protected as preventative maintenance but that seemed too far gone.

Sorry, not to harp on this, but the thing to remember is that these frames rust from the inside out, so if that is what you can see on the outside, think about what you can't see on the inside. The rust you can't see will eventually eat its way through and when holes start to appear, that will be no good.

It is hard to find one in the north/northeast areas that hasn't been impacted by rust. I was specifically looking for a 4th gen V8, so I knew the challenge I would face with the age of the vehicle to fit that bill. I had to be patient in my search and willing to travel. Travel was no issue, but the patience part was/is the trick.

If you can find one in the southwest with a good frame that will be key. Unfortunately, most dealers know this too, so if you find one with a solid frame, the price tag will most likely reflect it.

That one isn't so bad.

that's the Achilles tendon of the 4 runners...