Buying Question - Too much rust?

[Jubsz]

I'm looking to buy a V8 model. I'm a long time 3rd gen owner and I've had to fix a good amount of rust. I want to purchase better this time and try to prevent the rust instead of fix it. I'm from Maryland where a lot of salt is used and trying to find a rust-free model. I drove down south further towards Richmond, VA and looked at a pretty clean one but wanted to get others' opinions. Frame seemed clean and solid throughout but I didn't like the rear axle being covered. It seems mostly surface but still, I really don't want to deal much with rust.

Coming from the 3rd gen world, I also didn't really know to look at the front bulkhead until coming back home. I checked the trailing arm mounts and back end of the frame which looked really good. I didn't really look at the front of the frame as much as I should have. In the picture below, it does look like some rust on the crossmember under the engine (Where the LCAs mount and maybe even some rot? Is that an area of concern in these? I saw the AC drain that leaks on the passenger side but this one looks rusty in the driver side from this picture. It didn't stand out to me in person but I didn't pinpoint that area. I'd be spending $16k for 118k miles and am not necessarily in a rush to buy. I just know this one probably won't last and it is a clean 2007 v8 model. There is a forum member with one in the same area that has 160k but frame looks a bit cleaner though I haven't seen it in person.

Thank you all!

 

[Syr4RinNC]

Not too much rust

It looks really good to me. The rust on the rear axle is rarely a concern and is mostly cosmetic. It doesn’t tend to spread. The frame looks really good.

I’d give a good squirt of penetrating oil to the bolts and as much as you can.

You can sand and convert if it makes you happy, but I wouldn’t anticipate any of that being a problem anytime soon

The 16k is a little high. If you could get the price down closer to 14 I’d think it’s a good deal

 

[Jubsz]

Thanks for the input. I thought 16k seemed a little high too but it seems close to market rate for a clean v8 runner at this point. I do not want a V6 model. I'd like to be able to tow. The dealership does not seem to be willing to move to 14k. 15.5k is the best they've come to me with so far. < 120k miles is pretty hard to find and a clean one in my area is also a tough ask. It does have brand new Falken Wildpeaks and newer looking rough country suspension. I know rough country isn't considered great but it rode decently and probably beats 120k mile stuff + no XREAS.

When I looked at it, I thought the timing belt had been done. Turns out I was mixing it up with another and I don't have the record of this one being done. I'm tempted to tell them that I'll give them their 15.5k if they replace the timing belt/wp with OEM parts or 14k otherwise, may need to go to 14.5k.

I do intend to keep long-term and am wondering if I'd be better waiting to find a car from down south instead or if I'm making too big a deal of a bit of surface rust.

 

[mojaverunner9]

I think the rust looks to be not that bad, but from this picture you can't see the big problem areas very well.

If you can, check the lower radiator support, the frame crossmembers aft of the exhaust y-pipe, and the area around the upper control arms / motor mounts.

My 2004 has more rust than that and I'm not too worried about it for the next few years.

 

[moshrider3]

Living in the rust belt that looks pretty clean to me. However if you did buy it I would remove that surface rust and coat it


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[Jubsz]

Agreed that it certainly doesn't seem like an issue in the short term. I plan to be a long term owner and would like to keep things mechanically in great shape. I don't want to get to the point, in 5-10 years, where I don't want to put money into it because it's rusty.

I didn't realize 4th gens rust in the front crossmembers. I mainly looked at the rear tubes of the frame and the trailing arm mounts because that's what I'm familiar with on 3rd gens.

 

[MikeinNH67]

I wouldn't be concerned with what's in the picture but you need to look elsewhere. These seem to rust at the front tow point areas of that crossmember. I've had to repair holes in the rear corners behind the rear bumper and the lowest frame points at the bottom of where the arches drop. Salt junk collects there and then they rust from the inside out. Also where the axle bump stop attaches to the frame.

 

[UZmattman]

Yeah $16K is insane, but right now 4Runner values have been going up for quite awhile. Plus it is the MD area where car prices seem to match incomes. That rust on the rear axle is cosmetic. That's solid steel and can be sanded/wire brushed and painted.

I'd be more concerned with the frame rails and what the front looks like. Additionally it's a V8 so exhaust manifold welding and replacement is $2K to fix the manifold cracks at some point.

Is the low range actuator working and does this have rear air suspension?

 

[Jubsz]

Low range engaged fine as did the center diff. It does not have rear air suspension. It had Rough Country shocks and unknown springs (probably 2" lift) that appeared to be 1-2 years old. It rode pretty well but I do think my 3rd gen on OME stuff rides better. I also have replaced all front balljoints/tie-rods with OEM stuff recently...

TY for pointing out the manifold issues. I'm aware and seems like par for the course for these, unfortunately. I've had my 3rd gen for 7 years and would expect that I'll have a 4th gen for longer if I buy it. I'm fine with things like that and I can't really do anything about them. The rust stuff, I'm sick of and don't want to chase in circles. I'd like to buy this one right and spray the bottom every winter to avoid it. Just seems I'll either need to pay top dollar for one to have someone that either knows what they have or someone willing to take a bunch of pictures under the truck. Sally who has used it as a mall crawler and is selling it on Craigslist for $10k does not seem interested in doing that and someone else will buy it without asking a million questions. Problem is, I'd want to buy further south and I'm not driving 3+ hours to look at something that may or may not fit the bill.

Part of me is thinking that the gas prices may drive SUV prices down again but I guess that's a separate conversation.

 

[UZmattman]

If the low range and center differential lock engage, that's about $1500 that you won't have to spend, so that's good. Mine will need to have that done but I'm not in a hurry to do that.

The one you're looking at is still $16K but... OTH it is a low miler. Just a question of your comfort factor on spending that much. If you must have this particular one, then you must :lol:

Mine is a 06 Nautical Blue with V8 Limited, air suspension and xreas. I had to have it and I did... knowing what I will have to fix the exhaust manifold and low range issues. It's got 366,000 km and runs like a Toyota - even with its issues.

Mine is a little bit better underbody, but I did get to work last summer with Rustchek and Fluidfilm on the frame rails, front end and rear axle and anything I saw rusted underneath. I'm also fanatical with washing/rinsing the underbody.

16 mpg city/highway mix, and I don't see prices for these coming down. People know these Runners and expect to pay the price at the pump. With what's happening it's going to cost me an extra $20CAD to fill up, and I'm ok with that.

 

[Jubsz]

I'm not dead set on this one but they're rare enough and finding a pretty nice one sub 120k miles is nice.

When I say I want to buy this one right, I mean that I want a 06+ v8 4Runner and I want to make sure I buy the right one. I'm not necessarily pressed to buy ASAP and am contemplating if I should jump on this one or be more patient. It's got a lot of things going for it but maybe I should find one in the Carolinas or further down south. This one is Silver which I like decently enough but I'd prefer the gunmetal color. I've learned, from buying old cars, that condition is king. There are some colors I'd like not to buy but condition wins out in most cases.

 

[Flesh Eater]

I'm not dead set on this one but they're rare enough and finding a pretty nice one sub 120k miles is nice.

When I say I want to buy this one right, I mean that I want a 06+ v8 4Runner and I want to make sure I buy the right one. I'm not necessarily pressed to buy ASAP and am contemplating if I should jump on this one or be more patient. It's got a lot of things going for it but maybe I should find one in the Carolinas or further down south. This one is Silver which I like decently enough but I'd prefer the gunmetal color. I've learned, from buying old cars, that condition is king. There are some colors I'd like not to buy but condition wins out in most cases.

As close as you are to the Carolinas I would be looking down there on the west side of the states.

Lower prices are coming. Hold out.

 

[Jubsz]

Carolinas aren't exactly convenient (7-10 hours) but it's an option.

I didn't think prices would come down before but this isn't the talking heads making a big deal of a $.15 price increase. Prices are up basically 2x and not stopping. Many of these are in the hands of normal owners still who may have wanted to get rid of their aging SUV and the gas prices will push them over the edge. It does seem that 06-09 V8s are harder to come by and it makes sense that people were less likely to spring for the V8 in those years when gas was high.

 

[Flesh Eater]

Carolinas aren't exactly convenient (7-10 hours) but it's an option.

I didn't think prices would come down before but this isn't the talking heads making a big deal of a $.15 price increase. Prices are up basically 2x and not stopping. Many of these are in the hands of normal owners still who may have wanted to get rid of their aging SUV and the gas prices will push them over the edge. It does seem that 06-09 V8s are harder to come by and it makes sense that people were less likely to spring for the V8 in those years when gas was high.

Everything economically is about to crash. Prices will come down and people will be panic selling stuff soon. Buying at an inflated price doesn’t mean it’s worth that, just what people are paying.

Convenience is subjective. Not fighting rust makes up a 7 hour drive.

 

[Jubsz]

I've been saying that for about 3 years now and have only been correct in a small window of 2020. Crash can mean different things too. Prices can come down or inflation can run rampant compared to wages. Both are forms of a crash. I think that due to the last recession, every time housing prices soften at all, the powers that be freak out and do anything they can to keep them propped up. I see no reason to believe that behavior won't continue. Whether they can or not this time is somewhat of a different question.

I think gas prices may put downward pressure on v8 SUVs. I think inflation is likely to continue and will apply upwards pressure on them. The v8 Runners are somewhere between daily driver and enthusiast vehicle at this point so it's also a bit of a different animal than the greater market. There are arguments to be made all around but those are the current market forces.

My background is in Economics so I have fun with this kind of thing. I've also been looking for a house for quite a while now and keep thinking the market can't get any more nutty. So far, I've been wrong and am worse off for it. Something's gotta give all around but will it be price crashes or inflation? If you're into economics at all, most of the current advisors seem to buy into Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) which I vehemently disagree with. The reason I disagree with it is because I think it inevitably results in inflation. Proponents of MMT have done some mental gymnastics to redefine the causes of inflation. Doesn't seem to be working well for the big brains but I think they'll double down.

 

[Jubsz]

The one that I initially posted is now sold. I'm in talks with a dealer in PA with a one owner sport edition that looks surprisingly clean. Not perfect but very clean. It is 140k miles though and they don't seem to even want to budge down to 16k.

It also does not have a sunroof. I would prefer to have a sunroof but also see that they seem to break pretty frequently on 4ths. I am not tall and don't need the extra headroom from no sunroof. In my 3rd gen, I frequently rock sunroof and back window open.

 

[triethylborane]

Regarding thread title, that is definitely not a rusty rig when it comes to the 4th gen. Of course, due diligence in my mind is to knock the frame with a hammer, particularly near joints and openings to look for soft spots. Im also not opposed to spending some time cutting out bad steel and welding in new, its not difficult and it goes pretty quick if you do it a few times. I also have a two post lift, so that is a factor with how I view the job as not a big deal.

Keynesian/MMT has worked out well for the overlords, protectors and enlightened few, so I doubt they will revert anything like Austrian Economics/free markets.

 

[Jubsz]

Thanks and I know it's not rusty compared to most. I do not currently have a garage and paid someone else a ton to do rust remediation on my 3rd gen. I'd like to buy right and prevent that from happening this time. The runner is also going to be a daily for me and I have another hobby car. I tend to spend my wrenching days on the car instead of the runner. That should change when I have my own garage and don't have to borrow someone else's but I'm not there yet. I'd also like to be able to tow said hobby car with the runner and will not really be comfortable connecting a car trailer to a rust repaired frame. I'd like to buy a welder in the future but don't want to put my life (and others) in the hands of my first project.

It may be a year + before I'm able to really treat the frame of whatever I buy. I can get it coated (Krown or Fluid Film) for now but will be some time before I wire wheel and paint the whole thing.

I guess you're right that MMT has worked for some. I try not to be cynical and say it's working as intended while the plebs are gaslit but that's a possibility. In MMT, they posit that raising taxes is how to control inflation... ugh. op2: