Just when you thought you found a good one...
- Thread starter T4RunnerSteve
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
LittleCaesar
New member
Looks like the time for a full frame replacement. How I envy no one who drives in the Northeast during the winter....
msh03046
New member
AND.....That's exactly why I found my second 3rd Gen from a rust free zone. It's worth the cost of a one-way ticket or rental car to go bring it home. I had to finally throw in the towel on my first 3rd Gen because I wanted to be able to sell it to someone with a clear conscious before it was too far gone.
Having said that, I still demanded pics of the undercarriage and frame on my "new" truck before I laid down a deposit
. I also realized that the rear axle housings are probably going to have rust no matter what, so be prepared to triage that if you plan to relocate the truck somewhere in the rust belt. Mine is out for sandblast and powder coat even as I type this...
Having said that, I still demanded pics of the undercarriage and frame on my "new" truck before I laid down a deposit
. I also realized that the rear axle housings are probably going to have rust no matter what, so be prepared to triage that if you plan to relocate the truck somewhere in the rust belt. Mine is out for sandblast and powder coat even as I type this...
T4RunnerSteve
Member
AND.....That's exactly why I found my second 3rd Gen from a rust free zone. It's worth the cost of a one-way ticket or rental car to go bring it home. I had to finally throw in the towel on my first 3rd Gen because I wanted to be able to sell it to someone with a clear conscious before it was too far gone.
Having said that, I still demanded pics of the undercarriage and frame on my "new" truck before I laid down a deposit
Yeah... Long Island truck that spent most of its life in CA. The body and interior look fantastic — thought I had found a gem. Good candidate for frame swap but not ready for that big of a project. Trailering this one home in itself would have been expensive.
It’s a shame people don’t tune in to / address the frame rust issues before they get out of hand. Not easy in the Northeast I know but also not rocket science, either.
eddielasvegas
Member
Who knows what rust lurks in the frames of men? 
Man, I so do not miss dealing with that having lived in Boston for 20 years. Had an '88 LC bought new and loved, loved that thing. But 10 years in the Boston wintahs and it was done.
Regarding my first sentence: why bother with a rusted frame and who knows what else that you cannot see? Buy a CA/AZ T4R and almost be assured it's rust free.
Good luck,
Eddie
Man, I so do not miss dealing with that having lived in Boston for 20 years. Had an '88 LC bought new and loved, loved that thing. But 10 years in the Boston wintahs and it was done.
Regarding my first sentence: why bother with a rusted frame and who knows what else that you cannot see? Buy a CA/AZ T4R and almost be assured it's rust free.
Good luck,
Eddie
ToyotaBrah
Member
I want to say owning a body shop (and one that specializes in rust repair) in the Northeast is a very lucrative enterprise.
T4R2014
Elite Member
Not at all. Arguably worse. You can never guarantee rust repair, and anything that involves a welder out here is an arm and a leg. As a result, no body shop out here wants to touch your rusty 4Runner. It isn't worth it to them.
Also, did anyone notice the rocker panels in that pic? Surprised that the body looked fine in picture before you got to that point.
tvpierce
New member
Look in the background. Looks like the interior rocker panels are rotted out too. I can only imagine what the outer rockers look like.
That's a basket case/part out candidate IMHO.
msh03046
New member
I believe you may be referring to these guys:
autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit
I had thought about taking my first truck there, but...to my everlasting shame I did not. I underestimated how much I'd miss the 4runner when I sold it, something I don't plan to repeat this time around.
I actually have been making plans for a road trip this summer to bring the new truck to a shop in Wisconsin for preventative rust proofing. They're just across the lake from me, and I'll load up the kids for a good camping trip. Based on what I'm seeing on their website they seem pretty legit...
Rust Coaters - Eau Claire WI Rust Proofing & Undercoating Center
autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit
I had thought about taking my first truck there, but...to my everlasting shame I did not. I underestimated how much I'd miss the 4runner when I sold it, something I don't plan to repeat this time around.
I actually have been making plans for a road trip this summer to bring the new truck to a shop in Wisconsin for preventative rust proofing. They're just across the lake from me, and I'll load up the kids for a good camping trip. Based on what I'm seeing on their website they seem pretty legit...
Rust Coaters - Eau Claire WI Rust Proofing & Undercoating Center
Jidaran
New member
"typical rust for these trucks" = frame has 1-2 years left
"zero rust" = clean on the outside, rust flaking in big chunks on the inside.
"zero - i mean zero rust on the frame. it is immaculate" = frame might actually be decent.
ToyotaBrah
Member
Good point, sir. I didn't think of it from that angle.
Gosh, if I lived over there, I would completely submerge my truck in Fluid Film. I can deal with paint fading and leaky rear axles, but rust just ruins everything. I had a rusty Jeep Cherokee before this truck and hated wrenching on that thing.
You mentioned in another thread you have a beater 4Runner you drive in winter but have another 4Runner. I assume you have it parked til spring or so?
T4R2014
Elite Member
Lmao, I don't like to refer to it as a "beater". Beater 4Runner is an oxymoron IMO
. We can buy $1000 Pathfinders as beaters all winter long. All my 4Runners have a wonderful coating of used motor oil and fluid film. That particular one was ugly from the day I bought it, so I was never too afraid to use it. But yeah, F the northeast. I can't have anything nice here. 8 months out of the year is too damn cold. What were my ancestors thinking when they chose this area.
ToyotaBrah
Member
Lmao, I don't like to refer to it as a "beater". Beater 4Runner is an oxymoron IMO
Ah, my bad bruh. A bit presumptuous of me to call your truck a beater. I think daily duty is a more appropriate. Yeah, agree with you that a 4Runner is above a beater, but I can't tell you how many 'Runners I see on the road that look straight ravaged and full hood status. Dented panels, pushed in bumpers.
These trucks are almost at the binary ownership where you either have one because you love them, or you have one because it was a hand-me-down and it is a means to an end vehicle.
