Too much frame rust to buy?

[nasdaqer]

Long time listener, first time caller...

Planning on looking at a 2006 4 Runner tomorrow morning for my oldest boy. I asked the gentleman selling the truck for some pictures of the frame to see what we were dealing with rust - wise.

Obviously I’m no mechanic, but having owned 2 tacos and 2 4Runners, I’m hoping to get my boy into one.

Is this rust normal for a WI truck of this age? Should I pass? Seller wants around $9500 for the truck and it has 165k miles on it. Would appreciate the input!!

 

[nasdaqer]

One last pic..

 

[SwayzeExpress]

A little heavy for the midwest - I bet hes on a gravel road. In the rural areas here it beats up the frame all summer and leaves it exposed all winter. If it's a good deal and not gonna be put through extreme stress itll do the trick but dont expect it to get better. Dont be shy to buy further from home - uship got me a samurai to Illinois from north Carolina for around 500. I guess I'm saying all SUVs near us are rusting like that OR going for a premium.

What's leaking in the last pic?


Good luck!

 

[4RunnerMexico]

Yeah, that's just to the level of too much... I'd pass

 

[nasdaqer]

Wow - so this is a hard pass at $9500? Again, I have to plead ignorance as I typically lease. I thought this would be a fun project vehicle to work on with my boy, eventually doing some modding. Also wanted something safe enough for him to drive his sister to school. I was going to go take a look at the truck tomorrow, but now I’m wondering if I should just pass.

 

[SwayzeExpress]

Offer 7k, you'll get that in two years if you maintain everything assuming aesthetics are decent. It's not crazy for the midwest if you will leave it stock but any spending other than maintenance will be good after bad

 

[Terminator03]

I agree with the above poster, especially if the exterior body, paint, and interior is in good shape. Also make sure stuff such as the 4lo works! I’m sure you have read the countless threads dealing with that failing from lack of use, but if you weren’t aware, at least you know one more thing to check. That rust is about on par with what mine had when I bought it. I sandblasted the whole frame, then re-primed, and painted it so that it would slow down any corrosion, as well as making problem areas easier to spot moving forward. If you don’t have access to a sandblaster, or someone that can do it for you, a lot of guys have had luck just grinding down the rust spots, or cleaning them up with a powered wired wheel, and then re-painting, or coating with rust treatment coatings such as POR-15. If you end up buying that truck, I’d highly recommend doing something so the rust doesn’t continue, or you WILL eventually have holes. Once the outside is dealt with, then it’s a good idea to spray inside the frame with Fluid Film, oil, or some other internal rust preventative since it is boxed, and not accessible to blasting and painting.

 

[Formidable]

Run for the hills. The above is beyond surface rust... No amount of rustoleum will fix this.

 

[sumday]

not a deal breaker for me. typical and prolly better than mine.

so far toyota has recalled sequoia, tundra, and tacoma frames. not banking on the 4runner frame recall but i think the chances are good they will.

 

[subdued76]

Good reminder to keep engaging my 4Lo once and a while.

 

[Last Man Standing]

Around these parts Upstate, NY and surrounding states that is a vehicle that will sit until they lower the selling price to $6500+/-. I am no expert on frames so cannot comment. $9500 should have you around 100K miles or under and a cream puff cosmetically. Keep at it and you will find deals.

LMS

 

[Syr4RinNC]

Looks pretty typical for a 4runner that has been through 12 winters with salted roads to me. If you like the car otherwise, best bet is to have a mechanic check the frame out/ get it up on a lift and make sure there arent any points that are in danger of creating rot holes/ causing inspection problems.

I dont usually mess around with frame rust or any chance it could collapse or give out in an accident, but looks pretty typical in my experience

 

[mikewhiskey]

Too much rust for my taste but the truck is far from falling apart at this amount. This amount isn't just unsightly though, it will make a lot of repairs and maintenance a pain. And the price for this particular 4Runner is a bit high imo.

 

[mack10]

Wait, so you have owned 2 tacos and 2 4Runners and you are asking if this is OK? Did your other trucks have no rust at all? If you want to wrench on it everything is 10x more difficult and or structurally deficient. If you are planning on seriously modding as a project get a southern truck. I still drool uncontrollably every time I watch that Car Angel guy wrench on random Toyotas. Life would be perfect with only minor surface rust on your exhaust system.

 

[jcaino]

Take a hammer to it and see how solid (or not) it really is. You can only tell so much from pictures.

That said, I would definitely walk at that price. If they're OK with knocking a few grand off (and providing your hammer doesn't yield any holes or soft spots) then I'd consider it if you have access to a lift and feel like doing some work to slow down the rust....

 

[aeasley]

That would be a no from me but I don't know what your choices are like in the midwest. We're spoiled here on the west coast.

 

[MikeinNH67]

That looks 3 years better than mine, standard rust for rust belt. $9500 is kinda high though. Even though mine looks rusty it is actually still solid. I plan on scraping off the Toyota black goo and oiling it inside and out.

 

[MedicBob]

That doesn't look too bad. Pay attention to the front crossmember with the shipping hooks/radiator support. That seems to be the hardest hit on the three I deal with.

The price is high to me. For a 2008 or 2009 sure, but not a 2006.

 

[SwayzeExpress]

That would be a no from me but I don't know what your choices are like in the midwest. We're spoiled here on the west coast.

Everytime I'm west of the divide I look at every 4x4 before 1996 like its Pamela Anderson in 1996

 

[sumday]

just found some holes in mine. i had the driverside power steering retun line rot through the other day. found a soft spot on the top of the frame i could prolly punch through if i wanted to. still not too bad till the next day i noticed something off by the passenger frame in front of axle and was putting holes in the frame with my finger

president moron isnt helping by shutting the government down, vacant, interim or incompetent officials