Would you buy a 3rd Gen in need of frame repair?

Rowner

Rowner

New member
The title pretty much says it all.. I need some advice. Would you guys risk buying a 3rd Gen knowing full well that the frame needs plating? The guy sent me these pictures today:
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From what I can tell its fixable.. but will it be safe? Does anybody have experience with this kind of repair? The only thing that's making me even consider this deal is the price.. which is very, very fair.
 

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If it's at the right price, why not? Under $1000 is my rule. Assuming the rest of it is good and you have a good welding hookup, you should be golden.

Don't even bother asking this to someone living where it doesn't snow.
 
A few years ago My dad and I built a whole new frame from the axle back on my 87 wrangler. It's held up good so far. For the past month I've been working on my 99 that had a hole in the same location as yours. It turned out to be way worse than I thought it was and I've had to custom bend a section that goes over the hump in the rear just after the LCA mount and it goes all the way up to a crossmember (about 2 feet long). I've built a box around the bad stuff and have welded it to good metal on the original frame. We'll see how well it turns out cuz I'm not completely done yet.
 
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T4R2014 said:
If it's at the right price, why not? Under $1000 is my rule. Assuming the rest of it is good and you have a good welding hookup, you should be golden.

Don't even bother asking this to someone living where it doesn't snow.
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Still negotiating with the guy, but I'm willing to bet I could get it for around $500.. This is why its tempting as hell
 
We need to see the rest of the truck. If you have a garage & welding equipment. $500 might be the trucks worth.
 
Scramble said:
We need to see the rest of the truck. If you have a garage & welding equipment. $500 might be the trucks worth.
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These are right from the guys Ad.. I don't have much for work space (actually, hang on, I have no work space), but I do know a competent, experience welder who happens to owe me $400 worth of work.

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Scramble said:
I'm sorry, the guy's an idiot. Who try's to sell a vehicle with dirty pics??? LMAO! The decision is up to you.
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I should've taken pics of my 99 when I bought it. It was so dirty inside and out. The guy I bought it from said he could get it detailed before I picked it up but I told him don't bother I need something to do this weekend.
 
Rockers and rear wheel wells solid? Go for it. Winshield frame and bottom tailgate edge are typical but not as urgent areas. I'm guessing this truck is still being dailyed. No big deal for me until I see the truck in person.
 
Toyota made thousands of these trucks. Many thousands. Many thousands of trucks that spent their lives in areas where it doesn't snow. Trucks with perfect frames. Trucks with no rust.

Cross country flights cost less than a single tire.

Seems to me that there are better choices.
 
GangsterOfLove said:
Toyota made thousands of these trucks. Many thousands. Many thousands of trucks that spent their lives in areas where it doesn't snow. Trucks with perfect frames. Trucks with no rust.

Cross country flights cost less than a single tire.

Seems to me that there are better choices.
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But he is in Canada like me. Harder to find rust free ones out east. He could come to BC to buy one but most still have some rust. I just agreed to buy one yesterday, haven't officially closed the deal yet. It has rust underneath but the frame is still good. That seems to come with the territory. I think in the PNW the frames hold out better because the salt spray doesn't go inside the frame much? The suspension gets sprayed by it and rusts. In snowy areas you get the sand and snow slush which sticks and gets in the frame, that's my theory.
 
It's not just frame failures. It's that every single repair from the very start of ownership is 100X more difficult.

I had not considered the Canada angle. I don't know what it takes to bring a truck from a dry place like Arizona in to Canada. Maybe it's impossible. In that case buying a rusty truck might be the only way to own one.

At that point it comes down to initial cost and how much you are willing to sink in to it over what period of time.
 
Mark_BC said:
But he is in Canada like me. Harder to find rust free ones out east. He could come to BC to buy one but most still have some rust. I just agreed to buy one yesterday, haven't officially closed the deal yet. It has rust underneath but the frame is still good. That seems to come with the territory. I think in the PNW the frames hold out better because the salt spray doesn't go inside the frame much? The suspension gets sprayed by it and rusts. In snowy areas you get the sand and snow slush which sticks and gets in the frame, that's my theory.
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As much as I'd love to make the 4200km trip, it's really just not realistic for me.

GangsterOfLove said:
It's not just frame failures. It's that every single repair from the very start of ownership is 100X more difficult.

I had not considered the Canada angle. I don't know what it takes to bring a truck from a dry place like Arizona in to Canada. Maybe it's impossible. In that case buying a rusty truck might be the only way to own one.

At that point it comes down to initial cost and how much you are willing to sink in to it over what period of time.
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People bring vehicles up all the time from the drier regions.. those people also have money and time. Something out of the question for the poor student.
I guess my question is really this: are these trucks worth the time and effort I'd have to put into getting one, seeing as with my budget the majority of what I'd be looking at will have problems similar - hopefully not as bad - as this one.
 
Rowner said:
I guess my question is really this: are these trucks worth the time and effort I'd have to put into getting one, seeing as with my budget the majority of what I'd be looking at will have problems similar - hopefully not as bad - as this one.
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I'm sure you could find one with a decent frame, just keep looking. It will probably cost around $5000, so the question is if a good frame is worth $4500 to you.
 
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