How much rust is too much?

Being from LA, I never see rust on vehicles, so I am not sure what is considered acceptable when it comes to frame and body rust. I am possibly looking at a used truck but the frame underneath is rusted, and so is some of the body. When searching the interwebs, many people from the rust belt states act like some rust is no big deal, but just how much are we talking where I shouldn't worry, and when should I walk away?

 

Check around the rear shock hangers and the front frame boxed section. Body rust can be replaced, repaired or to an extent ignored.

 

that may need a bit more than just a visual inspection

 

Hammer Time!

 

I say walk away, you should be able to find a decent truck that only has mild surface rust on it. Don't be in a hurry, take you time and the right truck will come along.

 

That looks like it spent a lot of time in the rust belt. Better should be available in CA.

 

Sure, that's not the worst I've seen coming from a rust state...

but you're in Burbank, you can do better.

 

THAT is a lot of rust period. I almost guarantee if you go digging you'll find perforation and some loss of structural integrity. Speaking of which I still think Toyota should be shot in the nuts.

 

It comes down to what your used to seeing .

Those pictures were not that good But I see that every spring on my garage kept truck

Some that are Trucks going from point A to B see the quicky mart for oil change are much worse.

The more time goes by the more money these trucks will bring.

 

Find yourself another truck.

 

thats walk away rust. not just the pictures but there is way more that you cant see.

 

D'oh, I was hoping it wasn't too bad, but kind of figured it was. It's actully on a 3rd gen 4runner, manual trans, one I have been looking for for about 5 years, and at a decent price, but now I know why. Such a waste. The seller said the truck is from Iowa.

 

Being a rust belt person, just from your pics it doesn't look that bad. But I know we have to think/view things a bit differently here if we want to own +20yr old vehicles.

For example, I'd make an estimate on the life expectancy of what I see. In this case, say I feel the frame/vehicle will last 5 years without much investment other than routine maintenance. I divide the cost by 60 months and if it's less than my pain threshold, I'd go for it. Scrap yard will normally pay $3-450 for a complete vehicle w/title, so you can subtract that from your monthly costs I am not saying it's scrap in 5yrs, that's just worst case.

Seeing as how you live in CA though, seems you could find something with less rust. You're definitely better without the hassle of working on rusted parts, especially if you aren't used to that complication on your routine stuff... bleeder screws twisting off, any bolt less than 14mm rounding or twisting off, brake/fuel lines rusting through, fuel filter fittings, parking brake equalizer rusted solid, fuel tank shield falling off,...

Here is an old pic of one of my trucks, right after I bought it. @BartMaster1234 tried to bill me for a tetanus shot he got after the first time I posted this pic.

 

Looks like that one sat for some time Did it ??

I keep offering those fine people from the Mild drier climate to come for a visit and work on rusted trucks.

20 years no takers yet!!

 

@Wyoming09

Yeah, it sat in someone's yard for a while. The guy bought it thinking him and his son would bond while fixing it up for the son's first truck. Son decided otherwise, so I scooped it up.

I have too much invested in it because I wanted to make it a dependable truck again. I've been driving it for 3 years, and it's got another 5+ years left in it now. It's the one I just rebuild the entire rear frame and added a flatbed and overhead rack this Summer. Lot of new body panels, bumpers, grille, new tank, pump, and fuel lines, brakes, yada, yada.

Probably going to become truck of one of my nephews soon.

 

Man am I stupid.....if I were to buy this runner it would be as a project/toy rig since I have always loved the 3rd gen 4runners, yet I failed to tae into account how difficult it is to work on a rusted vehicle. Shit. Maybe if I can get it for 3 grand I will just pretend the rust isn't there.

 

Rust isn’t hard to beat. I mean. We swap whole frames out up here, as long as there isn’t holes or excessive scale on the frame, everything is easily fixable with some elbow grease.

 

Though to someone having never had to deal with it I can think some very new combinations of words can be strung together.

Living with it you take things in stride When new steel rusts in the rack inside if it does not get worked up fast enough.

 

Also coming from the rust belt, I think this post says everything you need to know. If you're ambitious and know what you're getting into, then it's fixable, but repairing all of the rust on this vehicle will probably get expensive, especially if you can't do it all yourself. In addition to the above, you should also factor in the opportunity cost. The more time you spend with the vehicle taken apart, the less time you spend driving it...also the less time you spend doing other things you would enjoy. Spending half a day (or possibly more!) on a single rusty bolt (going slow, trying not to break it, tracking down a replacement, etc.) is a real possibility.

My truck has some rust, but thankfully a new frame. My time is limited enough as it is, but my truck was a hand-me-down from my father, so I keep it going. If I were in California with my current time constraints, I would pass on this one and wait for a nicer one to come along.