Why did I wait so long to get a 4th gen??

[Toystory2]

I'm Currently in the process of trading in my 2017 Tacoma OR (191,000KM) for a 2004 V8 Sport Edition (143,000 KM). Its good to hear that you are liking the ride a lot more!!
I would probably take It to a shop that deals with restoration's or a reputable body shop. They may be able to fix the soft spots on the frame with out too much issue before it gets worse? If they can fix it with out too much issue and the rest of the vehicle is in good shape then it may be worth the repair?

Yea for real, i am very impressed with how it runs and rides. I’m gonna have someone check it out and hope that’s not too far gone. Some folks on Reddit said it’s mostly surface rust…I sure hope so

 

[Toystory2]

If you find on a visual inspection that the frame seems to have 15% to 20% bad rust issues/spots it more than likely has twice to 3 times that much rust because many times the rust starts or is on the insides of the frame rails where you can't see it until it rust through to the outside of the frame!

Tap on all the good areas of the frame, every square inch with a hammer, if it doesn't sound solid then that spot has bad rust on the inside of the frame which will soon come through the frame.

It’s hard to say the percentage as it is pretty spotty on the frame. I knocked around with my hand and most of it felt or sounded solid. It’s flaking quite a bit so I’m wondering if this hasn’t been treated with something before I bought it. Either way, not what I wanted to see after just buying it : (

 

[AuSeeker]

It’s hard to say the percentage as it is pretty spotty on the frame. I knocked around with my hand and most of it felt or sounded solid. It’s flaking quite a bit so I’m wondering if this hasn’t been treated with something before I bought it. Either way, not what I wanted to see after just buying it : (

The 15% to 20% I referenced was for obvious severe rust spots where the metal is actually gone from rust, not surface rust, if all one finds is surface rust, it's most likely the same on the inside BUT surface rust is most always not an issue on any frame or any structural metal.

 

[Toystory2]

The 15% to 20% I referenced was for obvious severe rust spots where the metal is actually gone from rust, not surface rust, if all one finds is surface rust, it's most likely the same on the inside BUT surface rust is most always not an issue on any frame or any structural metal.

Im gonna try to get it in somewhere next week and get a good evaluation on it. It appears to me mostly surface rust with some flaking. There’s a couple of smaller spots on the frame that are questionable. Is there anything I can do immediately (as in tomorrow) to help before I get it into a shop?

 

[AuSeeker]

Im gonna try to get it in somewhere next week and get a good evaluation on it. It appears to me mostly surface rust with some flaking. There’s a couple of smaller spots on the frame that are questionable. Is there anything I can do immediately (as in tomorrow) to help before I get it into a shop?

You can remove as much of the worst flaking as you can by chipping, scraping and wire brushing, which will help to see how deep the rust goes in those areas.